The Lamar register., 1919-05-28
731e
Fantom Diver
0~~DD~~~
Uopyright)
BY GEORGE w. LEWIS


and disappeared downward The
gray-green water Tapped above his
head, few blister-like bubbles
danced and exploded In the tiny swirl
that marked his exit. That was all.
The sepulchered Helena was about To
receive u second visitor from the land
of the living. The slender conduit
lhat linked the diver with life paid
out rapidly, then suddenly stopped.
and we knew that HarkInson was
aboard the wreck
"Seventy-one feet" drawled Gar
lick.
"A little pale. wasn't hep Queried
Wenry. keeping watchful eye on the
Inc.
Garrick looked over to the speaker
ts though he had expected the Ques-
Ion.
What d'you s'pose is wrongf" he
said. The faintest trace OF anxiety
vas in his great, slow voice.
ITS COnnors-l mean the mysteri-
,us way Connors' alr-tube parted" re-
turned Wenry. 81 don't believe In
spooks, specially submarine ones but
there amt no more cause for the At
antic cable coming in two ut this
minute than there was for poor Con
nors' hosea brand new one. too.
mind you-separatin as It did. Its
Iueer."
Garrick, listening. spat rehectively
Al the last remaining bubble. Watch
ing from my seat In the dingey.
knew that the two men. whatever de
nials they might make. were at last
Impressed with the gruesomeness of
their chosen MISUNDERSTANDING with
dead things under the sea. Mayhap
II was because Connors had been
their tutor, their companion. Indeed.
the old diver had been pretty nearly
everything 10 them; but he had been
even more to his employers. In his
unaccountable death the world had
lost a masterdiyer. and the company
had lost money. But because John
Connors had been faithful servant.
the company had paid hard money
that the divers harness-weigh GIFTED re
mains might be the first brought up.
Hsrkinson's signal up was OF that
nervous. hurry-up sort that tells OF
sudden distress. He had been down
but three minutes. At similar depth
he usually remained thirty or more.
for he was q Hercules, and for him
water-pressure had no terrors.
knew that Wenry. at least-though
for no good reason-fully expected to
see the big diver come up limp and
-
But when big Harkinson's helmet
bobbed out OF water a moment later,
both his big red bands were clutchlng
At the raft as franticsliy as II some
pursuing monster were about to drag
him down TO death
When his helmet was on, his face
showed notified and chalky. The
spluttered-out, meaningless fragments
OF speech. and his eyes were fxed In
q tesrified stare. 0arrick forced half
4 pint Of whisky down his throat be-
fore anything Ike coherency could be
restored.
Hes down there-boys-Con
The diver clapped his hands over his
eyes as II 10 shut out some hideous
recurring vision. "Oh. Lordi" he
walled. "think-think Of the harness
Connors. dead si1ty-sixty hours
walking and beckoning-"
Harkinson's great strength snapped
like q reed under the strain. and he
dropped forward upon his face. un-
conscious.
When Garrick consented to 90 down
to the Helena, I knew that IL was be-
cause he needed money-needed II
badly. Garrick. unavoidably. had
long been idle; besides. he was en-
gagged. and the girl was pretty and
worthy and the big, slow-spoken diver
knew that he must prepare suitable.
home for her. He was of Il good, hon
est sort. was Garrick. and courageous,
too. But / had watched his face as
Harkinson. his nerves shattered, re-
lated from a sick bed his uncanny ex-
perience aboard the sunken Helena;
and thus | had come to know that, /
badly as Garrick needed money. he
needed courage more. II he would sue
ceed where Harkinson had failed. /
The thing was on his nerves. right |
enough: but l saw the grip Of his
big jaw. and l knew that he WAS In |
deed going down. even though he
might not come up.
There was q lot of wreckage piled |
up about the cabln-door." Harkinson