Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-09-02
WINGS Of Tie MORNING

The lively fanfare of the dinner trumpet
failed to fill the saloon BY this time the
Sirdar was fighting resolutely against
stiff gale. But the stress Of actual com
bat was better than the eerie sensation
of impending danger during the earlier
hours. The strong, hearty pulsations of
the engines, the regular thrashing Of the
screw, the steadfast onward plunglng of
the good ship through racing seas and
flying scud, were CHEEKY, confident and in
spring
Miss Deane justified her boast that she
was an excellent sailor. She smiled de-
lightedly at the ships surgeon when he
caught her eye through the many gaps
in the tables. She was alone, so he Joined
her.
you are credit TO the company-qulte
a sea-kings daughter" he said.
Doctor, do you talk to all your lady
passengers In that way7
Alas, no Too often I can only be
truthful when 1 am dumb"
Iris laughed. IF 1 remain long on this
ship will certainly have my head turned"
she cried IL receive nothing but COM
pllments from the captain down toto"
THE doctor"
mo. You come a good second on the
list"
In very truth she was thinking Of the
ice-carrying steward and his queer start
of surprise at the announcement of her
rumored engagement The man interested
her. He looked like a broken-down gen.
tleman. Her quick eyes Travelled around
the saloon to discover his whereabouts.
She could not see him. The chief steward
stood near balancing himself in apparent
defiance Of the laws of gravitation, for
the ship was now pitching and rolling with
mad zeal. For an instant she meant to
inquire what had become of the transgres-
sor. but she dismissed the thought at its
inception. The matter was too trivial.
With n wild swoop all the plates glasses
and cutlery on the saloon tables crashed to
starboard. Were It not for the restraint of
the fiddles everything must have been
swept to the floor. There were one or two
minor accidents. A steward, taken un-
awares, was thrown headlong on top of
his laden tray. Others were compelled to
clutch the backs of chairs and cling to pill.
lars One man involuntarily seized the
hair of n lady who devoted an hour before
each meal to her coiffure. The Sirdar
with a frenzed bound tried to turn somer-
sault.
"a change of course" observed the doc
tor. "They generally try to avod 1t when
people are in the saloon, but typhoon
admits of no labored politeness As its
center is now right ahead we are going on
the starboard tack to get behind IT,"
II must hurry up and get on deck" said
Miss Deane
you will not be able to go on deck until
the morning"
deed I will. Captain Ross promised me-
that is. 1 asked him"
The doctor smiled. She was charm.
ingly insstent. "It is simply impossible -
he said. The companion doors are bolted.
The promenade deck Is swept by heavy
seas every minute. A boat has been carried
away and several stanchions snapped off
like carrots. For the first time in your life
Miss Deane you are battened down"
The girls face must have paled some
fgrrN.
ger, you know, but these precautions are
necessary. You would not like to see sew
eral tons of water rushing down the saloon
stairs now would you?"
Decidedly not" Then after a pause
at is not pleasant to be fastened up in a
| great iron box, doctor. 1t reminds one OF
| huge coffin"
mot bit The Sirdar is the safest
ship atioat. Your father has always pur.
sued a splendid policy in that respect The
| London and Hongtong Company may moi
| possess fast vessels, but they are seaworthy
| and we'll found in every respect"
Are there many people i'll on board?'
| mo, just the usual number of disturbed
| livers. We had nasty accident just be-
fore dinner"
Good gracious. What happened?"
| "Some lascars were caught by a sea
forward One man had his leg broken"
Anything else?"
The doctor hesltated. He became inter
ested in the color Of some Burgundy. 81
hardly know the exact details yet" he re
piled. Tomorrow after breakfast / will
| tell you all about it,"
An English quartermaster and four las.
| cars had been licked Off the forecastlt
| by the greedy tongue of huge wave. The
succeeding surge flung the five men back
against the quarter. One of the black
| sailors was pitched aboard. with fractured
| leg and other injuries. The others were
| smashed against the iron hull and dis
appeared.
The captain fought his way TO the chart
| house. He wiped the salt water from his
eyes and looked anxiously at the barom-
| eter
"stnl falling!" he muttered. 'I will
keep on until o'clock and then bear
three points to the southwark. BY mid
night we should be behind it,"
He struggled back into the outside fury.
BY comparison, the sturdy citadel he
| quilted was paradise on the edge of an
| inferno.
Down in the saloon the harder passen-
| gers were striving TO sub6ue the ennui OF
an interval before they sought their cab
| ms Some talked. One hardened repro
| bate strummed the piano. Others played
cards. chess, draughts. anything that would
distract attention.
The stately apartment offered strange
| contrast to the warning elements without.
| Bright lights, costly upholstery, soft car
| pets, carved panels anu Bllueu COInlCes,
| with uniformed attendants passing to and
| fro carrying coffee and glasses--these sur
| roundings suggested floating palace In
| which the raging seas were defied. Yet
| 40 miles away. somewhere in the furious
| depths, four corpses swirled about with
horrible uncertainty, lurching through bat
| tling currents, and perchance conveyed by
| fighting sharks.
| The surgeon had been called away. Iris
| was the only lady left in the saloon She
watched set of whist players for time
| and then essayed the perilous passage to
her stateroom. She found her maid and
a stewardess there. Both women were
weeping.
'sWhat is the matter?" she inquired
The stewardess tried to speak. She
| choked with grief and hastily went out
| The maid blubbered an explanation.
| "a friend of hers was married, miss
| to the man who is drowned"
| Drowned What manF'
Haven't you heard. miss7 I suppose
| they are keeping II quiet. An Englisi
| sailor and some natives were swept of
/ the ship by a sea. One native was saved
but he is al smashed up The others wer'
| never seen again"
| She was moved to tears. She remem
bered the doctors hesitaney, and her owl
| idle phrase-''a huge coffin"
outside the roaring waves pounded upoE
i