The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-10-03

when some one entered the room.
Whoever it WIS came a few steps
| inside the door and then started back.
Nellie turned and saw Agnes, and at
the sight Of Anges' face Nellie was on
| her feet, cold and trembling.
What is it," she cried.
Nothing" Agnes denied In panic.
IL wasn't looking for you. was
looking for Mrs. Ashby; I'm going"
But Nellie caught her. Something's
happened, Agnes" she cried tensely.
You've heard something. What is it?
| Something about Jims''
mo, Nellie! The fleets are fighting,
They've-they've been fighting since ?
O'Clock. All our ships and all of the
regents feet are fighting. they say.
They're off the New Jersey coast, out
| OF sight Of land, but they can hear the
guns ashorer'
Nellie's eyes gazed through and
through Agnes. 'HThat'-her lips
steadied and she went on-s'that is all
you know?"
That's all, swear"
Nellie gazed at the clock. 1t was
| after 3; the great battle by that time
must be over. She stared down dizzily
at the letter. almost finished. She sat
down again at the desk. and as one in
trance she added two lines and wrote
her name below them; then she sealed
the letter and stamped it.
We'll mail this on the way" she
said quietly to Agnes. I'm going with
you to where they'll get the reports
first"
"a strange experience came to me
that night" said Nellie's letter. which
Bob had received last before the fleet
put to sea for the great battle. at
was the night, dear, of the hurricane
on the coast. and knew that you had
been in battle. / was taken with terror
for you; am confessing it. / was on
my knees by the window of the room
which had been our bedroom, praying
In desperation. Bob, | lost all control
OF myself. / was so afraid! Then the
thing came, my husband; vision! 1t
was not a dream, for l was wide
awake-only alone in the dark, just
before dawn. / was looking toward
the east. where you were, and I saw
you and knew that you were safe
There was something strange about it
which l could not understand at all:
but 1T told me you were safe. More
than that, it told me you would still
be safe. You see 1t was very
strange, Bob. 1 saw it again last night
as was sleeping that time, and it was
al 20 u
to me; 1 will see you again-that
know. God has promised it to me-"
Bob put down the letter with the
others which he had reread and locked
them all away in his desk 1t was
time for him to be up on deck
"Ships in column" the signal was
flying from "a halyards of the new
Idaho. which led the American line
The Arizona. second in power only to
the Idaho. was taking position in
column 500 yards behind; astern the
Arizona, rs Bob saw when he gazed
back, the sister superintendent
Pennsylvania was placing herself
third. The Oklahoma. Nevada, New
York and Texas steamed next in order:
then two older dreadnaughts, the Ar
kansas and Wyoming, followed by the
Florida, the Utah. Delaware and North
Dakota.
These completed the roll Of the
neutrality-suspicious. first line battleships
If the United States; but. astern them
the column of ships still stretched, the
Michigan and South Carolina, the New
Hampshire, Kansas and twelve more
OF the old, predreadnaught vessels of |
the second line. Five more such yes |
sells might have been there, Bob knew.
but their fighting value would be even |
less than the weakest in the line and |
they would have taken a knot from |
the speed of the fleet AS it was. the /
column could do no better than eight |
cen knots; it was steaming at sixteen |
now, letting the light cruisers and |
destroyers dash ahead to watch the |
waters for drifting mines and for sub |
marines. Air craft circled overhead: |
some of them, scouting, were bringing |
back to the flagship intelligence of the
enemy's strength and disposition. The
American fleet was steering north and |
east.
The van Of the regents fleet had Just |
come in sight, steaming north also. and |
west The regents ships seemed to |
be In column, too-in line appearing |
almost parallel to the American col 4
umn, but really slanting a little, so |
that the two columns, in battle for
nation. approached each other slowly. 4
There were but twenty-five ships of 4
the line in the other column, against Il
the American twenty nine; but every
vessel in the European line was a
Their order, as reported II
by the air craft, was repeated to the
officers on the Arizona's quarterback
Six Trajans led, the four Pharaohs fol
lowed; six Sargons steamed next; then
the four superdreadnaughts of the
Leus class; the two Thors were last,
With twelve twelve-inch guns each and
with speed of twenty-one knots, the
Thors were the weakest and the slow
est in the European column Four
great battle cruisers stood off to lee.
rs reserve; and the European destroy
ars, double In number to the American