Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-16
CON TR ALB AND
Romance of the North Atlantic
BY RANDALL PARRISH
fessor! Now you're Dragging"

All she had done and said appeared so
natural II really occurred to me at once
that she might be acting IA part, seeking
in this way to gain McCanns confidence
III order To win from him the information
we required 1t was only as | sat there
III silence. hroodng over every detail. that
TINS possible conception began to slowly
dawn upon my mind. That she could trust
the man in any way was virtually inn
possible, for he had revealed to her his
true character i'll so many ways the mem
ory could not be blotted out No, her
graciousness must be assumed to cloak a
purpose: her quick womanly wit had in
stantly grasped the only avenue to escape.
Why, how swiftly that wit had worked in
her rapid explanation of our overheard con-
Nersation. / could think of nothing to say
could call up upon the spur of the mo-
ment, no combination of circumstances
which would make the spoken words sound
Ineligible. But she had she had in
stantly fitted the very phrase which sounded
the most suspicious into "A remark so eX-
tremely natural as to even convince Nc
Cam she spoke truly. Strange she should
have thought Of that; that she should have
hit upon the very idea most apt to de-
ceive him. I could hear her voice, soft,
hestating. repeating again the words: Cap
tain Hollis has asked me f--if | thought
| could learn to like him. and / said
thought | could. That was all" 1t was
an explanation no man would likely ques-
ton; oven in his suspicion and anger IT
carried conviction to Mccain. And the
words--embarrassing words they must have
becn--were spoken to save me were uttered
for my sake
As the full knowledge of this truth grew
apparent ! was able to view all that had
occurred later in different light. She
had simply accepted her one chance; had
grasped with womanly intuition the single
weapon left at her command. All at once,
"A al. el,g l,n "a
termned to fight out the battle alone.
Girl as she was in years, her experience
in the world had been that of woman,
and she instinctively realized her power-the
power of wealth. of beauty and of youth.
Possibly she was not wholly unaware that
McCa9n exhibited already personal interest
in her If not, she certainly felt confident
that she could arouse such interest II she
made the endeavor. My questioning, my
doubt. turned to admiration, 1t had been
beautifully done, so deftly accomplished as
to deca've even me. Aye and the method
had succeeded with McCann. I recalled the
expression OF surprise. OF qualification, of
awakened pride on the mans face, He
had no power of resistance left; he was
already putty in her hands.
True, but would he remain so" The
game she played was a dangerous one: il
she ventured too far she would discover
the brute lurking in him stil, And he had
the power. the physical power, to wreak
vengeance once he suspected deceit. His
money, his education. his force made him
supreme Oh board neither Liverpool or
White would venture TO oppose any plan
he might rromulgate and with their back
ing the mutnous crew would be found
obedient enough. Indeed, they had gone so
far already they must stick together now
for mutual safety.
And thee was no one TO help her II she
made sirgle false step-absolutely no one !;
she was n lamb among wolves. | paced the
narrow space. forgetful OF all else except
this peril which Imagination pictured paus-
ing TO listen at the door and gancing out
the open port on the vista of sea and sky
God how weak how helpless was-alone
a prisoner, with no weapon at hand: no
knowledge even of where the others on
whom ! could depend were confined. II
could plan, II I could even hope to act,
was ready enough to perform a mans part ;
but even this was denied me. Those fellows
would never release me again, not for
servations, to calculate position, TO trace
our sailing course on the chart. but not for
an instant would be left again unguarded
either on deck or In the cabin. McCann
would see to that,
The afternoon passed, dragging its weary
hours. Nothing happened to relieve the
monotony and dread of solitude No one
approached the door of the stateroom not
even to offer me food, and my ears were
able To distinguish no sound of movement In
the main cabin. Occasionally footsteps
passed along the deck overhead, and once
or twice heard the voice of Liverpool sing
out some order to the men forward. Tho
Gnns conks ~ xaya Gl1nting HagnG1 \ ~