Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-04-14
CHAPTER III
I Meet the MysterY

TNHE repair job required longer than any &
i one anticipated, as the captain VIVA
finally obliged to send a launch ashore to'i
have some welding done, and 1t was quits
late in the afternoon before the boat re-1
turned. Mccain accompanied the shofv;
party, but the others of us Remained o11
board, amusing ourselves as best we mi9u<f
through a rather hot and tiresome day. Carr
rington received several messages by wiKU<3
less. but exhibited no disposition to reven&.
their contents to his guests. and the shore
boat brought back to us the New Yorx
morning papers. Although nothing definteoi
In the way of war news had accrued prevf>l
Gus to their going to press the editoriAl95
afforded us ample material for discussionsY
Before the evening meal had ended--thp,
party still lingering in the cozy quarters
below over their coffee and cgars--tn9d
yacht once again got under way. ana
steamed slowly eastward down the SounQ
Evidently the officers were trying out the
newly repaired machinery with some cauS
ton, anxious to learn it's exact condiuouE
before venturng out to sea. 1t was already
dusk when we returned to the deok ana
resumed card playing beneath the awning
electric lights sparkling overhead.
A GAME OF CARDS
I took a hand for an hour or more at ~
table devoted to whist, having Fosdick Tor
a partner, but finally, wearying of the games
found a comfortable steamer chair near
the rail and let my thoughts drift Idly
The engines moved steadily and we wer4
making better progress, as l could eaeu(
perceive from the twinkling lights along th4
shore. The sky was slightly overcast, W4{
wind from the south and light. never lt9**
call a softer sweeter air The men behinlN y
me were again. discussing the war news, huk
their voices scarcely reached to my enf(H
Once I learned forward. observing the ~
and green lights of an approaching steeA
ship as our siren spoke, but was altogetu4
too negligent to cross the deck and watq
the stranger pass by. fX
The fact was, could not Danish entnq
from mind the recollection of that wono
whom had seen in this very spot the M
before l had actually seen her-it NJ
no vision, no dream. The reality only @(!1*
came more apparent as / reviewed all ~
circumstances. Carrington's contemptuQul
disbelief had left not the slightest impress
sion on my mind. No doubt he had fatt41
in what he said and possessed no suspici01
whatever of her presence on the yacht. 4uk
she was here nevertheless--why, how. lU1I
what purpose, by whose belp,. could u@x{
conjecture-but that she actually exir84
and was hidden somewhere aboard h11
not the slightest doubt, and I must sclx4
the mystery alone. No one else had -
her. no one else would believe my stem
Besides, i could not recall a single ir4
vidual in the company to whom l careo
repeat my suspicion. They would taxa
as a joke-laugh me out OF countenauc~ @tX
Darlington had attempted to do. Yet ~
unconvnced; satisfied in my own mind a.
I had not been mistaken. 80 @{<3
But how could / prove the vision IN E
How establish at least to my own n&<
faction, her identity and purpose? thcuCIl
1t all over again and again. II Carrinx<@9@
was unaware Of her presence-and OF tN{
really no longer felt any doubt--then g1@<
must have slipped a.oard unseen. or. ~
tdaI nd ahaft al hv ouA fxRII
crew Somewhere below, where discoV
was not probable except through acct6
she was kept in hiding. ThefS muG1
vacant staterooms forward-petty a.
ouarters-in which she might remslu
cealed Yet to accomplish this she
need assistance She must have ho(
In getting aboard unseen: some 0u1
knew of a vacant cabin and who
supply her with. food. Only an once
hope to do this without arousing p11
Except for the engineer, Gault, whoU1
not SEEN but who was hardly in = ~
to render such service. there wol1
who might be accomplices - the
Turner, and the FIRST and second
Hatch and See,ey. dinrniBeed "a
OF the first two almost iustantly.
was an old sea-dog. former nov1
unapproachable and an. extrcr
discIplinarian, while Hatch Wo9
slow-spoken individual asver ~
sliRhtest civility 70 any one.
these would ever AID and 49,
under any couosivable c>ros1e14