Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-18


III time of need"
1t is too hard FOR YOU. my Philip
Not is nothing. | know no hard
ship that keeps me near you" ).
The ships bell Interrupted With the
four double strokes that spelled eight
bells. a, the first stroke the two sep
arated, the girl TO creep unobserved
back to her statcroom. the man to steal
forward and join his comrades of the
midnight shift In the stokchold's hell.
Throughout the day that followed
Count Ramon seemed to he making
determined attempt TO get himself
in hand and control his tangled nerves.
lie drank it's true, but he drank spar
insly Not till nishtfall did he give
way TO the will of his beSctting vice:
even then he avoided his kind. and sat
alone In the saloon. lost in dark
rercrie whose gloom was, no whit
lightoncd by the dccantcr of brandy
which he WAS mcthodicaliy employing.
Toward evening the weather had
changed for the worse; there was a
susty wind. choppy sea: the decks.
intermittently swept by sheets Of
spray. We're anything but comfortable
Consequently, Princess Jula's vigil
against her midnight trySt was passed
in her stateroom--a commodious and
luxurious apartment in the stern Of
the yacht. It's door. OIL the Starboard
side of the companionway. commanded
only a partial view OF the saloon
When she opened IL Stcalthily at about
|. o'clock tPhiiip would he relieved Of
his stokcr's labors 1T midnighD she
neither saw nor heard a sound to warn
her that the saloon was not empty.
But as she swung swiftly and around
the foot Of the companionway. she
found herself confronted by Count
Ramon
lie seemed - nave been hesitatinG
at tho foot Of tho stairs. a. il fearful
OF going on deck. vet minded 80 To do.
The appearance OF the Princes Julia
diverted linn instantly from whatever
purpose hc had been contemplating
In his hcsotted brain the vision If her
beauty tindlcd 10 flame the emhcrs /, (
u passion which ovcrwccninS ambi. io,,
had long since planted there 10 bar
red h"r way with Il bow Of exaggerated
courtesy.
'Iour llihncss:" he said thic,Sly.
and lurcn"G i little as he stood nm
from his bow. Fortune smiles rpou
me indeed tonight
Julia drew back and to one sid.
Pardon: she interrupted Jelly. Let
me pass
Just = moment" The man moved
quickly TO place himself between her
ana the bottom. step. This is no
deck
Permit mo to judge of ;hat for lnv
aside
Ills hands closed upon her two wrist
aS she made yet another essay to pa IS
him.
Your hi%hness must forgive" Ra-
mon muiicrcd ''Ioa cannot hc snor.
ant of my love No-hcar m,
out--sureiy your lishness viii moi
blame me for loving YOU,
Let lac GO" she painted striving
Na.niN TO free Ter wrists
When YOU have heard mt out-i!tca
! VIII let YOU GO" OF Il sudden Ms;
passion overmastcred his discretion al
together lie urew the girl To hin. elm
ped her iii his arms. You witch" ne
cried hoarscly. You drive me mad
with Your pride, your hautcur your
lorclincss love you rlaGlv You
must YOU shall listen"
AS ~ &lri9k".i dumb. he ceased Ia
ari!cula.c. Ills embrace relaxed his
hahds uuNcrinG toward his checks in
unconscious pantnmimc at terror. Ills
Knees bent beneath his weight. his fac,
TOOK on tle hu. Of putty his law
dropped. his eyes seemed ABOUT 10 start
from their sockets.
frcc--and wholly disrcearded ly thr
S"t--thc Princess Julia stepped b.tcIl in
nniazcment. Her gIanc, followed his
nptnrncd gaze toward one of the port.
mat opened from the upper deck
Framed IN that circle II brass she
saw the face of Philip. Stili liyid from
his iabors at the furnaces nav hr.
meath hair matted in disorder ana ,lrin
ping with spray.
with moan Of uunitisated frich,
the count fen prone upon the floor
"rithinS and sauirming. covering his
mead with his hands, Cabling inco-
hcrcnt prayers
Obcdient to AN urgent si.,uaI r.,x,
Philip. Julia dartcd back into nor
stntcroonl. shut and locked the door
Through lis panels she heard the
cries Of Ramon interrupted by the ac-
cents OF Niciorine Savatz
Eventually the woman coutriycd ia
cam ana lead him Off 10 his state
But there was no meeting between
Princess julia and her prince that
night
1t is doubtful il Ramon slept be-
tween tina; time and tho hour when
me events these circumstances had set
IN train ;narshal"d Ia march Ia ,hcir
prcdrsiinat"d cuIiaination.
certainly his aspect OH the follow
inS morning ard. For tina, matter
throughout the day-cxvuscd The W..
iici thnt he had passed IL slccplcss
night. l1nssard. dishcvcllcd, haunted
by fears hc dared not acknovlcd.c
Ramon WAS - pltiful ihm- Ia 500
iieedlcss Of all protests on tn. mart
OF the SaNatz--who alone dared ..hal-
!ehS" MS a"tiuns--hc continued! 10
drink heavily. I:y ni.htfall he was
TAR gone. but stcadicr 81 carriage and
gesture than h" had been in twenty
TOUR hours only an insane light ia his
eyes betrayed an intelligence that tot
tered on it's throne.
After dinncr which lie scarcely
pretended to cat. he stationed nimscI,
al the forward end OF the dining table
facing the companionwuy From this
place 81 vantage he commanded every
entrance TO tho saloon; behind him
there Was solid partition. ON tho
tabic before him he placed Il loaded
revolver as convenient to his right
manu- as III" brandy dccantcr WAS TO
his left.
From time 10 time with ,hc rcsu,
iarlty OF ciockwork he Tiled aud emp
tied u glass.
y, about 1880 exhaustion began to
Work upon him. lie fought il oil "a
the best OF his soddcn understanding
Win more frequent rotations, but i'm
vain Before II nc sept uueasily, hi.
head pillow"d on an arm ouistretched
upon the table.