Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-06-19
Caught IN A TYpHOON
BY SUSAN e. cLAoETT.

In the eyes of one there shone a curl
Gus contempt. The other, a woman Of
about thirty was flushed with an emo
ton she vainly tried to hide.
"You think was wrong because you
do not fully grasp the circumstances"
she said at last. "YOu know that I
have broken my engagement. OF what
led to that decision you have not the
falntest understanding"
"True. But 1t would seem that the
reason might have been discovered
within week Of your wedding day. II
was scarcely fair to Charles to wait
until then" her friend answered cold
ly.H s.
Ann Chesley leaned forward and
gave the fire poke that sent the
flames up the chimney.
"You cannot realize, as I do, the
comfort of this" she said irrelevantly,
nodding toward the blazing logs. II
never thought to see such fire again.
Odd as 1t may sound, l never was as
nearly frozen in my life as In the trop-
les. 1 do not like to think of that
time--yet the memory is always with
me. When 1 sailed for Egypt a year
ago 1t was with the uncertain thought
that l might continue the trip around
the world, and when reached Cairo
I had fully determined on the longer
journey. remained in Egypt long
enough to absorb the mystery of the
country; then l took passage for the
far East. kept no track Of the days.
Just sat in my steamer chair and
watched the pOlyglot crowd. Occasion
ally l saw man, an American, who
was as interested spectator as /, but
chance never brought him near my
corner.
zone night we were caught In the
tail Of typhoon. 1t must have driven
US upon a hidden reef, for there was a
horrible Jar; then the hurrying Of feet
and screams. Everything was dark.
but at last 1 got into my clothes, Sc
cured my money and letter Of credit,
and, snatching up a wrap, stumbled
to the deck. There was no one In
sight, but heard a man say:
"'She's sinking fast. We must get
out of this. There's a small boat that
has been overlooked that we can man
age between u.s.
HE was already outside and, catch
ing me by the hands, swung me out
and downward. He had hooked his legs
about the rails and, leaning over, he
dropped me into the boat. The steam
er was sinking so fast 1t was not far
drop, but II was sufficient to knock the
breath out Of me.
"When / came to my senses he was
rowing with all his strength.
"HOw long we were on the water
do not know. 1t seemed an eternity
before we found ourselves upon a strip
of beach. with palms twisting and
bending in a wind the like Of which
had never known before and hope
never to know again.
vi can give you but the barest out
line, Elizabeth-our exhaustion, as we
lay on that length Of sand; then. when
strength returned. our search for food
and water. For time we lived upon
cOcOnuts; necessity taught him how to |
trap fish. We built some sort of shell |
ter, but 1t was no protection from the |
storms that swept the atoll from time
to time and that man, whose name
did not know, took me into his arms
and sheltered me from the wind.
MY one effort was to keep between |
US such formality as would have been |
natural under different circumstances.
1t seemed to me the only means Of saw
Ing the situation.
''He was a brilliant talker, versatile,
witty, and he seconded my efforts to
avoid the personal, but as time passed
he became less assured and the onus Of |
It fell upon me. Reserve, dignity
dressed In one ragged garment that
could not hide my nakedness And l
was afraid-afraid when he left me.
afraid when was with him.
ave had lost all trace Of time when
We first caught sight Of smoke against
he horizon. Such tiny little smudge
But after little II grew clearer. big
ger. he stood beside me, his hand
my shoulder until II hurt,
oOking at me. not at the approaching
steamer. AT the time thought 1t was
he horrible fear that the steamer
would not see our signal that made
lin regard;me so strangely. Afterward
remembered his eyes and knew. II
vas farewell.
ale left the vessel at Singapore.
Dur parting was conventional. A
ouch of the hand, a courteous wish
or a pleasant journey and he was
zone. My soul was too scorched by
memory to wish II otherwise.
THAT was three months ago. was
o have been married In June. l had no
bought other than the fulfilling of my
'romise. Then came a revulsion OF
ceiling. l could not go on with 1t. So
ar as possible l told Charles what l