Williams news., 1917-09-20
CHAPTER VII.

| Long d1Cer Qdrk MISS CdrIeroC 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 ghastly 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 ofo the previous Christ mas-and bent an attentive ear to its elfin chime. Eight o'clock. It 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 so singu- lar that in a twinkling it focused her drowsy, errant wits.
 The sound was 'Psst-pssst-psssst," a trisyllabic hiss of which each part was longer and more emphatic than it's predecessor. Enthusiastically of hu- man origin, though as odd and alarm ing as the warning of serpent, it brought the girl from her bed to her feet with a 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 a 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, 8 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. It seemed impossible that she could be mistaken.
 It 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, chinpin' with some skirt. made sure of that before I laid for you. Trust me-"
 'Trust you to play the fooll Don't you know every word you utter can be overheard Fin those stateroomsT Instinctively the girl crouched in the shadow of her bedstead, in deadly ter TOT lest she be detected at her involun- tary eavesdropping-so strong upon her sensitive perceptions the psycho- logical effect of this surreptitious pas sage.
 But her fears were quickly dissipat- ed, the interview terminating as ab- ruptly as 1t had begun.
 Goodnight! !' that well-remembered voice continued incisively. And for the last time I warn you: Don't ap- proach me again aboard this ship!"
 "But-listen," the other pleaded and threatened in the one breath. We got to get straight answer out of you"
 i've given it already-twice. For the third time-noI" With this the last speaker strode briskly forward.
 Rising as silently as any shadow, Miss Carteret again turned her face to the port.
 The man who had hissed was still there, watching the other way.
 She fancied something sullen and menacing in the lowering inclination of his head, the stoop of his narrow shoulders.
 Suddenly, with a mumbled word, inarticulate with anger, he turned and went swiftly aft.