Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-08-16

repetition OF the sound, this time dis
tant moan.
what is that2" I demanded.
Fog horn" Sevrance told me. There's
n light somewhere north Of Saltacres, and
we are Just getting near enough to hear
the signal"
whereabouts do you place us. then
I asked
Halfway" he estimated; I'VE should be
near the beach, where the road skirts L.,
if I'm not mistaken"
He was. in fact. right a few steps more
brought us out into the sandy soil, where
the growl of the surf was more loud and
insistent than It had sounded at any time
since we started
IL was here that we were favored with
our first CLEAN of promise, to hearten us
with the knowledge that this long and
blindfold tramp was not without an end
We had traversed, / figure, some hun
dred yards of the damp and dragging sand
OF the beach, when a sudden exclamation
from Grady induced me involuntarlly to
glance toward him.
10 my amaZement 7 saw him quite
clearly; naught stood between us but clear
arr He had turned and was pointing sea-
ward. An instant later I understood that
we were the debtors of curious phe-
nomenon' the fog seemed to have parted
rolling aside for our especial benefit; or
10 put 1t more clearly, / felt as though
we had unwittingly walked out into
WIDE and deep and long chasm between the
walls of vapor on either side the dead,
white cliffs reared, tremulous but ahead
as we stood looking out to sea, there ex-
tenued n mile-long rift of clear air; and
at its farther end we could see, MS though
we looked down an endless corridor, floored
with deep blue, a single vessel
She was heading inshore. at quarter
speed perhaps; gllstening suow-white
snip OF considerable burden modelled upon
fne and swelling lines, with two graceful
ana tapering masts, two tunnels amidships
vomiting inky smoke
The glasses were in my coat pocket
was reaching for them, with my heart in
my mouth, hoping against hope, when Sew
rance himself snatched them
When l turned he was adjusting them
with feverish haste, his face pale with
excitement; he had not an instant to lose.
Tor already, as we looked, the yacht had
poked her noss into tho fog bank and was
gradually disappearing from our view
The broken, bronchial cough OF the fog
signal at the distant lighthouse saluted her,
and with wonderful dlstinctness the sonor-
Gus response of her whistle came to us. A
second later she vanished. and Sevrance
dropped tho binoculars with an eXclama-
ton of irritation.
"Well?" I asked impatlently, trying to
read his face
THE Myosotts," he said, his voice un.
steady, "or I'm slnner"
Luz lhNINluCdNlOU De Htlu hb
positive, then" 1 returned with sigh of
relief
Almost at once the cloudy walls began to
close; the vista of blue water narrowed
swiftly within n little moment It was gone,
leaving us with an impression of the dream.
like unreality of the Incident But still we
were only too glad to credit the evidence
of our senses, and we pressed on with
hearts wonderfully frightened.
A little later Sevrance caught me by the
arm, and l, In my turn, stretched forth a
hand to detaln Grady.
1--WE n suggestion" said Sevrance: I'VE
should keep to the shore BY following that
we cannot go astray; we have only to keep
on until we reach Saltacres limits. Tho
boat landing s only a bit beyond. What do
you say? II will save us mile or SO of
walking" he urged.
by all means" 1 agreed and we turned
back.
We had left the beach but a few PAGES
behind, and II was an easy matter to re-
trace our steps and to turn again north
ward at the waters edge-by which route,
indesh. we made more rapid progress, ow-
ing to the flrmer foothold afforded by the
sodden sands.
1t was n matter of 20 minutes or so
afterward that Sevrance In a low tone
warned us to be stlll and to listen. We
obeyed--I considerably at loss for was
convinced that we could not yet have
crossed the boundaries OF Saltacres.
Nor had we As we stood. holding our
breath and listening with an intentness
commanded by Sevrance's own similar
pose, there came to us, brokenly the hum
of a motorcar, off somewhere in the hills to
the left
caught Sevrances eye, with a nod, to
show him that comprehended. He nodded
back significantly
The vibrating drone of powerful engines
filed all the air, punctuated by short and
dry coughs from the escape pipe-the whole
indicating plainly that the car was running
at n very low rate of speed cautiously, no
doubt, because of the fog. II seemed rank
folly to me-the notion of taking a car
out in such weather. and / could account
for it's presence only on one supposltion.
do you suppose they know, too?" I
whispered TO Sevrance
'Von Holzborn would keep them pretty
accurately advised" he returned in the
same manner. Fortunately we have the
advantage Of having seen the yacht SO