The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-08

false thunder.
When a shattered port behind PARIS
head was broken in, and q revolver
through the opening stamped a cold
ring on his temple, he stopped dictat-
ing, dropped his pistol, and elevated
both hands.
At the same time the little wireless
operator lunged forward from his
chair, clipped PARIS waist with two
sinewy arms, and bore him to the floor.
The Needle In the Haystack.
It was mid-afternOOn when Patria's
maid answered knock at the door and
brought back to the semi-distracted
girl al envelope Of the Marconi COM
pany.
Tearing it open, Patria read hastily
IN unfinished message:
MISS Patria Cnannina,
"Ritz-carIton, New York:
"Fog bound in lower bay aboard Jap
anese freight steamer Sandal. Treas-
ure aboard. Tell RyIey."
There was no signature; none was
needed. Tossing the message to the
maid. Patria turned in frantic haste
to the clothing Annie had out on the
bed preparatory to hanging the gar
ments up.
"Help me into this Immediately" the
girl insisted, making selection. Then,
If you can get Mr.. Ryley on the tele-
phone, read him that message-and say
I've started to answer it in person.
No-don't ask questions. Just finish
dressing me-and don't bother!"
But before long Patria interrupted
her dressing of her own volition. to
seize the telephone and secure con-
nection with yacht club whose floats
were mOOred in the Hudson not far
from Claremont.
A taxicab whose chauffeur risked his
license for lady's within bore her up
town with such expedition that, in less
than twenty minutes from the time
when she had telephoned, she hurried
down the gangway to float beside
which waited motorboat built on rae
ing lines.
Two mechanics were tuning up the
motor. Impatiently waiting till they
pronounced it fit. Patria refused their
further services. jumped into the boat
and ordered it cast off.
Not until it was well away-sO far
distant that the fog had blotted the
club landing out astern-did she feel
,vu,cious on any iessen!ng OF nervous
tension. Now, at least-little as she
could possibly hope for. who must
grope blindly over a blind sea for
goal Of uncertain whereabouts-shc
was doing what she could; she was
trying to find the man who had proved
himself never for an instant nnready to
risk his life in her interests. and whose
life, she never doubted, was now more
gri,nly ;nperiled than it ever yet had
been.
And even though she were to find
him, by some wild whirl Of the wheel
of chance to come upon that vessel Of
all those hundreds which haunted that
og-bound harbor-what then could
she do?
She never stopped to question her
ability to aid the man or hinder his
enemies and hers-if she were happily
to be permitted to do anything help
full, it would only be when she had
found this man who (she was now
ready to admit) meant more to her
than all the treasure in the world. 1t
was her business first to find him, then
to fret about rescuing him.
Once through the NarrOwS, how
ever, once astray in the lower bay,
she perforce slowed down. for very
lack of any means of guessing where
to turn. And for space Of time that
seemed many weary hours she wan
dered hither and yOn over the face of
that sullen sea, aimlessly, save as she
essayed ever and again to trace some
fog warning to it's source, in the for
lorn hope that it might prove to be
the floating prison of her protector.
Is there a Providence in especial
charge Of lovers? Who shall deny the
fact? What else led Patria's errant
Doat 10 tnat quarter u tHe HaTpci
where lay the Sandal?
She found herself at length staring
with incredulous eyes up at that name
lcttered in faded gold across the stern
Of an idle vessel.
Quite automatically she shut off the
purring of her motor. Under decreas-
ing momentum the small beat moved
quickly round the bulk of the larger,
while she stared and wondered 10 see
NC curious head peering down at her
over that high rail.
IT seemed her approach must have
been uunnticed She heard never Il
sound, saw never a sign of any human
thing about the freighter. And pres
entity she swung her almost wayleSs
craft in under the side Of the an
chored ship, and, rising, fished with
boathooh for loop Of cable that hung
untidily from an open port. Catching
this, she made painter fast. and with
little difficulty scrambled up the side
and in through the porto receive
grnning welcome from half a dozen
japanese sailors, who had been pa