The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-06-09


if you can get Mr.. Ryley on the teie-
phone. read him that essage-and say
I've started to answer il 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 Il float beside
which waited motorboat built on rae
ing lines.
Two mechanics We're tuning up the
motor. Impatiently waiting till they
pronounced it fit, Patria refused their
further services, jumped into the boat
ana ordered il cast of.
Not until it was well away-So far
distant that the fog had blotted the
club landing out astern-did she teel
conscious of any leSSening of nervous
tension. Now. Mt leaSt-little as she
could possibly hope for, who must
grope blindly over blind sea for
goal of uncertain whereabouts-she
was doing what she could; she was
trying To find the man who had proved
himself never for an instant unready TO
risk his life in her interests. and whose
life. she never doubted, was now more
grimly imperiled than it ever yet had
been.
And even though she were to flnd
him, by some wild whirl of the wheel
of chance to come upon that vessel OF
I'll those hundreds which haunted that
iog-bound harbOr-what then could
she do?
She never stopped tn 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 admi) 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 a 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 warming to its source, in the for
lorn hope that it might prove to be
the floating prison of her protector.
Is there n Providence in especial
charge of lovers? Who shall deny the
fact? What else led Patria's Grant
boat to that quarter Of the harbor
where lay the Sandal?
She found herself at length staring
with incredulOus eyes up at that name
lettered in faded gold across the stern
of an idle vessel.
O,;ite automatically she shut off the
purring of her motor. Under decreas-
ing momentum the small boat moved
quickly round the bulk of the larger,
while she stared and wondered to see
no curious head peering down at her
over that high rail.
1t seemed her approach must have
been unnoticed. she heard never q
sound, saw never n sign of any human
thing about the freighter. And pres
emily She swung her almost wayless
craft in under the side of the an
chored ship, and. rising. fished with
boathook for a loop Of cable that huns
untidily from an open port. Catching
this. she made painter fast, and witt
little difficulty scrambled up the side
and in through the porto receive
crinning welcome from half q dOZeI
JAPANESE sailors, who had been pa
tiently waiting.
Her disgust was as extreme as he
, efforts to escape were unavailing. Sh'
was promptly seized, if not urgently
and escorted M from the lower dccl
to be presented to the captain at TIT
, foot of the bridge companion ladder.
Frosl this parsonage she received
, courteous bow, Il sllarO scrutiny, scan
consideration. For, though he had al
intelligent face and looked and carried
, himself like man of education. r.
o refused fatty to understand English o
, TO regard her as anything more tina;
some strange stray Of the sea. feN
brusque commands in his japanese
and Patria was led off to be locked u
! in a small. neat stateroom overlookin
the upper deck.
If they had counted on any lack o
, | courage and resource as an infirmit
o of her sex, these Japanese had recE
: oned without Patria. She was no soor
q er alone than alert to find a way G
!, escape. The door was stout and stout
" locked, hut tie suffered POI
8 seemed a frail barrier to one of tn
r least determination.
Before attacking il, however. sh
: took the precaution of slipping Off he
sports skirt, for the greater freedor
Of her slefder, kniekcrbocliered legs.
s by any chance she should be sutfere
$ to escape the stateroon.
o Then waiting till she heard no SCUM
:. of any voice or football on the deck b'
yond the shutter. she shattered thi
5 with two sharp blows Of stoOl-an
a vcs through the cDening ia q twin