Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-23

III YOU cam get Mr.. I;ylcy "a the tcle-
phone, read him that message-and say
I've started TO answer 1t 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 yolition. to
seize the telephone and secure con
nection with a yacht club whose floats
were moored In the Hudson not far
from Claremont.
A taxicab whose chauffeur risked his
license for a lady's whim 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 q float beside
which waited a motorboat built on rae
Ing lines.
Two mechanics were tuning up the
motor. Impatiently waiting till they
pronounced II fit. Patria refused their
further services, jumped into the boat
and ordered IL cast of.
Not until Ii was well away-so far
distant that the fog had blotted the
club landing out astern-dld she feel
conscious Of any ~lessening Of nervous
tension. Now. ut least-little as she
could possibly hope for. who must
grope blindly ove n blind sea for a
goal Of uncertain whereabouts-she
was doing what she could; she was
trying to find the "A who had proved
himself never for an instant unready TO
risk his life In her interests. n whose
life. she never doubted. was now more
grimly imperiled than II ever yet had
been.
And even though she were TO find
him, by some wild whlrl OF the wheel
of chance TO come upon that vessel of
MI those hundreds which haunted that
fog-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 We're happily
[ o be permitted 10 do anything help
full. IL would only be when she had
found this man who (she was now
ready TO admit) meant more to Ter
than all the treasure In the world. IL
was her business first 10 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
tack 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 warning to its source. in the for
f, lorn hope that II 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 Patrla's errant
boat to that quarter OF the harbor
where lay the Sandal?
She found herself ut length staring
with in%credulous yes up at that name
lettercd 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 boat moved
quickly round the bulk Of the larger,
while she stared and wondered to see
no curious head peering down ut her
over that high rail.
IL seemed her approach must have
been unnoticed. She heard never Il
sound. saw never a 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 n
boathook for u loop of cable that hung
untidlly from an open port. Catching
this. she made painter fast. and with
little difficulty scrambled up the side
and In through the porto receive n
/ ~grinning welcome from half n dozen
japanese sailors. who had been pa
tiently waiting.
Her disgust was as extreme as her
efforts TO escape were %unayailing. She
was promptly seized. IL not urgently,
and escorted up from the lower deck
to be presented to the captain at the
foot of the bridge companion ladder.
From this parsonage she received n
courteous bow, a sharp scrutiny. Scnnt
consideration. For. though he had nm
intelligent face and looked and carried
himself like Il man OF education. he
refused fatty to understand English or
10 regard her as anything more than
some strange stray of the sea. A few
brusque commands In his Japanese.
and Patria was led off 10 be locked w
in n small. neat stateroom overlooking
the upper deck.
If they had counted on any lack OF
courage and sourc as an infirmity
of her sex. these Japanese had reck-
oned without Patria. She was no soon
er alone than alert 10 find Il way of
= escape. The door was stout and stout
ly locked, but the suffered port
seemed n frail barrier to one Of the
least determination.
Before attacking IL. however. she
took the %precaution of slipping of her
! sports skirt. for the greater freedom
Of her slender. knickerbockered legs. If
by any chance she should be Suffered
to escape the stateroon.
Then waiting till she heard no sound
Of any voice or football on the deck be-
yOnd the shutter. She shattered this