Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-07-10
CHAPTER III.

Long after dark Miss Carteret wax
ened. For some minutes she lay In
lazy content, unstirring, wide eyes
dreaming into obscurity. The state
room was dusky with shadows; but
deck lights beyond the open window
ports pointed wan squares upon the
white interior woodwork. The sweep
of clean sea air through the room was
as sweet as fresh cool water to a
parched throat. Feeling stronger and
more herself for each delicious breath,
humbly the girl gave thanks; for it
seemed that with the passing of the
gale, the CHASTITY incubus of mal-de-
mer had been exercised.
Presently. conscious of a pang of
hunger, she touched the repeating
spring on her bracelet watch-an ex-
quisitely small, jeweled extravaganza,
her fathers gift of the previous Christ
mas-and bent an attentive ear to its
elfin chime. Eight o'clock. 1t was too
late to dress and dine in public. But
as she lay in doubt, trying to decide
whether she was really as hungry as
she felt, or would do better to deny
herself food until breakfast, she heard
sound from the outer deck 20 singu-
drowsy, Grant wits.
The sound was "Psst-pssst-psssst,"
trisyllabic hiss of which each part
was longer and more emphatic than
its predecessor. Enthusiastically of hu=
man origin, though as odd and alarm
ing as the warning of a serpent, it
brought the girl from her bed to her
feet with start.
Her movement was a noiseless one.
The man who had sounded that strange
call she discovered stealing immedi-
ately outside the window; his back
was to It, so that she could see little
more than the concave line of his
dark, lean, shaved cheek, and the back
Of long, narrow head beneath q
steamer cap with vizor well down over
his eyes.
Almost Immediately the hiss was an
swered by quick, light footsteps, and
the voice of one as yet invisible, a
voice of guarded accent but vibrant
with indignation, 'What the devil do
you mean by buzzing me like that?'
The girl trembled. Unless her senses
were untrustworthy, she knew that
voice better than her own. 1t seemed
impossible that she could be mistaken.
1t was again audible, the response
of the man outside the window having
escaped her, 'You infatuate ass Don't
you know better than to take such
chances?"
"Oh, it's all right He's up on the
boat deck, chinnin' with some skirt
I made sure of that before 1 laid for
you. Trust me-"
'Trust you to play the fool Don't
you know every word you utter can be
overheard In those staterooms?"
Instinctively the girl crouched In the
shadow of her bedstead, in deadly ter
ror lest she be detected at her involun-
tary eavesdropping-so strong upon
her sensitive perceptions the psyche
logical effect Of this surreptitious pas
sage.
But her fears were quickly dissipat-
ed the interview terminating as abb
ruptly as 1t had begun.
Goodnight" that well-remembered
voice continued incisively. "And for
the last time 1 warn you: Don't ap-
proach me again aboard this shlpv'
"But-listen," the other pleaded
and threatened In the one breath
1--WE got to get a straight answer out
of you"
1--WE given 1t already-twice. Fol-
the third time-noi" With this the
last speaker strobe briskly forward.
Rising as silently as any shadow
Miss Carteret again turned her face
to the port.
The man who had Missed was still
there, watching the other way.
She fancied something sullen and
menadng in the lowering inclination
of his head, the stoop of his narrow
shoulders.
Suddenly, with a mumbled word
inarticulate with anger, he turned anc
went swiftly aft.