The Ordway new era., 1917-09-07

.He,p me into this Immediately. the
Girl insisted, making selection. Ihens
II YOU can get Mr.. Ryley ON the te'e-
phone, read him that message-ano s"s
I've started to answer 1t In person
No--tlon't ask questions. Just hhish
dressing me-nnd don't bother!'
But before long Patria Interrupted
her dressing OF her own voiitioh' to
seize the telephone and secure con
nection with yacht club whose hoats
were moored In the Hudson not inr
from Claremont.
A taxicab whose chauffeur risked ms
license for n lady's whim bore her up
town with such expedition that. In less
than twenty minutes from the tiihe
when she had telephoncd, she hurrieu
down the gangway to hoat pesiue
which waited n motorboat built on rae
ing lines.
Two mechanics were tuning up the
motor. Impatiently waiting TIL they
pronounced 1t fit, Patria refused their
further services, jumped into the po''
and ordered it cast of.
Not until 1t was well nwny-so iar
distant that the fog had blotted the
club landing out astcrn-did she leei
conscious of any lessening OF nervous
tension. Now. at lcnst-llttle as she
could possibly hope for, who must
rrope blindly over blind sea Tor n
goal of uncertain whercabouts-she
was doing what she could; she was
irving to find the man who had proved
himself never for an instant unready 10
risk his life in her interests, ana whose
life, she never doubted. was now more
grimly imperilcd than it ever yet had
been.
And even though she were to find
him. by some wild whirl of the wheel
of chance to come upon that vessel Oh
all those hundreds which haunted that
foc-bound harbor-what then could
she do?
She never stopped to question her
ability to aid the man or hinder his
enemies and hcrs-if she were happily
TO be permitted to do anything help
full, il would only be when she had
found this man who tshe was now
ready to admiD meant more to ier
than all the treasure in the world. IL
was her business first to find him, then
to fret about rescuing him.
Once through the Narrows, how
ever, once astray in the lower bay,
she perforce slowed down, for very
lack of any means of guessing where
to turn. And for space of time that
seemed many weary hours she wan
dered hither and yon over the face of
that sullen sea. aimlessly, save as she
essayed ever and again to trace some
fog warning to its source, In the for
lorn hope that it might prove to be
the floating prison of her protector.
Is there Providence In especial
charge of lovers? Who shall deny the
fact? What else led Patria's errant
boat to that quarter of the harbor
where lay the Sandal?
She found herself Mt length staring
with incredulous eyes up at that name
lettered in faded gold across the stern
of an idle vessel.
Quite automatically she shut Off the
purring of her motor. Under decreas-
ing momentum the small boat moved
quickly round the bulk of the larger,
while she stared and wondered to see
no curious head peering down at her
over that high rail.
1t seemed her approach must have
been unnoticed. She heard never n
sound. saw never sign of any human
thing about the freighter. And pres
emily she swung her almost waylesS
craft in under the side of the an
chored ship, and, rising, fished with n
boathook for loop Of cable that hung
untidily from an open port. Catching
this, she made painter fast, and with
little difficulty scrambled up the side
and in through the porto receive Il
grinning welcome from half n dozen
Japanese sailors, who had been pa
tiently waiting.
Her disgust was as extreme as her
efforts to escape We're unavailing. She
was promptly SEIZED If not urgently
and escorted up from the lower deck
to be presented to the captain at the
foot of the bridge companion ladder.
From this parsonage she received Il
courteous bow, sharp scrutiny, scant
consideration. For, though he had an
intelligent face and looked and carried
himself like n man Of education, he
refused fatty to understand English OF
to regard her as anything more than
some strange stray Of the sea. A few
brusque commands In his Japanese
and Patria was led off to be locked uI
in small, neat stateroom overlooking
the upper deck.
| If they had counted on any lack oi
courage and resource us IN infirmity
Of her sex, these japanese had reck
oned without Patria. She was no soon
er alone than alert to find a way ol
escape. The door was stout and stout
ly locked, but the shuttered por