The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1916-02-17

N''AA po"eA' praying under his Stubbly
mustache as he had never prayed no.
tore that the engine would not hreak
down. go back on him." no hin, +.
huhofeu dollars was a large sum. u
third of what he made all summon
with steady work, but as the shaft of
the light on Pidgin grew clearer and
nearer the value of a hundred dollars
diminished proportionately.
GLADLY would he have turned back:
gladly would he have given q hundred
to be snug in Grimshaw's, the lee side
OF Long island. But behind him was
the resolute will of a woman. grown
suddenly strange and not understand
able.
There was no fear on her face. Some
how it looked lean and lioness-like. He
wished that his tiller rope was hemp
instead OF cotton. That Lester was
grimly tagging on behind was his only
consolation. Two boats in a gale We're
always safer than one.
He turned and bawled against the
wind: I'm thunderin', tarnation
fool Miss Wynne. I'm old 'nough t.
know better. I'm riskin' your life n
my own. That hundred fooled me.
f they's anythin Oh that DANCED is
land with stackin' our lives against
I'd like t know whut it is
"a rajah's ransom, Uncle Billy. And
l am trying to prevent crime"
"Well, I'm committin one bringin' "
out here. A livin' gale. livin' gale.'
A comber broke and seethed over
the stern.
The spray blinded the girl and partly
strangled her. She tucked the raincoat
snugger about her knees and feet,
Wisely she had not put it over her
head and shoulders.
II there came a spill she wanted free
play. She was a good swimmer, and
the life belt would hold her up if she
tired. Once she looked back over her
shoulder.
A warm little thrill ran over her. He
was following, following. She was at
once glad and worried-glad that he
should wish to share her danger, wor-
ried for fear he might find out what
desperate need had made her tempt
| fate.
In some manner she must trick him
-shabbily trick him. No faint of dis
honor, such as it was, must be his
For her there was none-she was sim
ply righting a wrong. If he learned
the truth he would step aside, smother
his conscience; for her sake he would
ignore his oath bound duty.
SO many times had the truth cried at
her lips-so many times she had reso
ultely shut her jaws. Tomorrow she
vanish. She was obscssed with the
idea of leaving him suddenly and new
err seeing him again. All. if he only
knew!
For three years now she had been
engaged i'll government work identical
to his-only she had posed as a stew
ardess, not as person of leisure.
To right wrong, almost personal,
she had elected to betray just once the
office which fed and clothed her gem
erously. Vaguely in her work she had
heard of Cranford-a word dropped
here and there by high officials.
Thus, that day-she would always re-
member it!-in Uncle Billy's boathouse,
the Introduction had struck terror to
her heart.
For few days she believed that he
was here for the same purpose as she,
but his frank confession. the address
of his valet in case harm befell him,
together with the avoWa that he loved
her, convinced her that he suspected
nothing, that he had really come a-1sl-
ing.
All, this miserable business! She had
not dared to put it off till the morrow.
She had seen the hydroplane arrive
and depart. Storm OF no storm, the
time to act was now.
While she had effectually blocked tel
egraphic communications, there was no
way of stopping the arrival of letter
in the morning.
sudden silence, a cessation of vi
braton-she came back to actualities.
The dreaded thing had happened. The
engine had stopped. Now for the real
battle between humanity and the ele-
mentS.
Uncle Billy, quick to appreciate that
} this was no time to tinker. sllIng out
} his starboarh oar and pulled with both
hands. Fortunately the mishap took
: place after they had made the shoal.
1t required quick work with the oar
to get the boat back in line with the
light Still pulling with his left hand
he DaWpu back of him for the three
: pronyed anchor. He shipped the oar,
heaved the iron and made fast.
For a minute or two they dragged;
then some friendly rock offered pur-
chase, and the boat came about with
her bow head on to the wind. They
were safe for Il time.
Lester crept nearer and nearer.
: Uncle Billy was perhaps 800 yards
from the dock. Lester could tow him