Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-10-27

dear lines of his writing over and over
again, and she was at her mothers
desk and was writing again to him
when some one entered the ROOM
Whoever 1t was came a few steps
inside the door and hen 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.
tt wasn't looking for you. I 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 1t?
Something about Jim?"
mo, Nellie! The fleets are fighting!
They've-they've been fighting since 2
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
gum ashore!"
Nellie's eyes gazed through and
through Agnes. .'That"-her lips
steadied and she went on-"that is all
you known"
"sThat's all. I swear
Nellie gazed at the clock. It was
after 8; 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 n In
a trance she added two lines and wrote
her name below them; then she sealed
the letter and stamped It
well 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 anne to me
that night" said Nelie's letter, which
Bob had received last before the fleet
put to sea for the great battle. ut
was the night, dear, of the hurricane
ON the coast, and I knew that you had
been in battle / was taken with terror
for you; I am confessing II. I was on
my knees by the window of the room
which had been our bedroom, praying
In desperation. Bob, l lost all control
Of myself, I was 80 afraid! Then the
Llluk CdLft, lily nuSOtnOt a NlolOns ~
was not a dream, for I was wide
awake-only alone tn the dark, Just
before dawn. I was looking toward
the east, where you were, and I saw
you and knew that you were safe.
There was something strange about 1t
which / could not understand at all;
but It told me you were safe. More
than that. 1t told me you would still
be safe. You see It was very
strange. Bob. I saw It again last night,
as I was sleeping that time, and 1t was
very clear. So you are coming back
to me; I will see you agafn-that I
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 the halyards of the new
Idaho. which led the American line.
The Arizona, second in power only to
Ytf9 Idaho, was taking position In
column 500 yards behind; astern the
Arizona, as Bob saw when he gazed
back, the sister superdreadnaught
Pennsylvania vas placing herself
third. The Oklahoma. Nevada, New
York and Texas steamed nex 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
dreadnaughts-the first line battleships
| Of 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.tt was, the
column could do no better than eight
cen knots; 1t 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, We're bringing
back to the flagship intelligence of the
enemy's strength and disposition. The
American feet was steering north and
east.
The van of the regents fleet had Just
ONE In sight, steaming north, also, and
west The regents ships seemed to
be in column, too-in a line appearing
almost parallel to the American col
umn, but really slanting a little, 80
that the two columns, In battle for
nation, approached each other slowly.
There were but twenty-five ships of
the line In the other column, against
the American tw~enty-nine; but every
vessel In the European line was a
dreadnaught- Their order, as reported
nv %t,n ot, e. mos ranaofad fn tho