Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-18

Sybarites?" said Codge, who mad |
picked up a good deal from conversa-
tions with Peter Snipe.
That amt the word" said Mr.. Mott |
Now, I'll lay awake all night trying |
10 think OF. that word. Damn the luck!'
He fell into a profound state Of mem
tai concentration, from which he was
aroused few minutes later by the
swift and almost unheralded shower
storm The rumble U S,aeo Of the h apple @ % carts"
In the vault above had suddenly be-
come omnous, and there were fitful
ilares of light in the blackness.
The Indignation meeting broke up in
wild scurry Of skirts. 1t Is worthy OF
mention that nothing detinite had trans
pired. The speeches Of the ardent suffrh-
gettes from the wilds of London were
al that the most exactlng could have
demanded, for they covered all of tho
known and a great many of the unsus-
nected iniqpities that the masculine aesn
is heir to, but except for an Introductory
sentence or two they failed to touch
upon the object of the meeting. They
all began with something like while /
very pretty name, or "Notwithstand-
ing the fact that Doraine Is a lovely
name or "If had a child Of my own.
J SHOULD not in the least object to call
Ing her Doraine," and so on and SO
forth. hut they cruelty abandoned the
baby In the next breath, leaving It to
be revived by the ensuing speaker.
The rain came just in timo to prevent
a vote being taken on motion made by
MISS Gladys SPOTS. She moved that q
committee Of three be appointed to servc
notice on Captain Trigger ct al. that 1t
was the unanimous sense of the meeting
that the womeE should not only have
voice and vote on all public questions
Out also representation in tia official
government. She had learned that there
clerk. treasurer, sheriff and board
OF commissioners, and II ought to be un-
derstood in advance that
Tho torren. cGmo at that instant, but
the imagination in order to understand
precisely what Miss SPOTS insisted
ought to be understood. :
1t rained very hard all night, and
Numbered, and lightened, and blow great
guns Not one. but oil of the women,
tucked away in thei hunks, wondered
| how those poor men were faring out
| there in that black and lonely camp,
The next morning 1t was still raining
| IN fact. 1t raned steadily for three
| shortly after daybreak, and with her
| death ended the controversy over tho
| naming Of her babe.
She was the first to be laid to rest in
| the buryng ground on Cape Sunrise
| Services were conducted on the Doraine
by the Rev. Mr.. Mackenzie. assisted by
| Father Francisco All work was sus-
| pended on the morning of the funeral
| Shortly before noon the entire company
| walked. in long. struggling procession.
| from the landing to the spot three miles
| distant. where the lonely grave waited
| its occupant
.Careni-Amori sang. Lead. Kindly
Light" and Nearer. My God. to Thee"
| at tho graveside There were tears in a
| thousand eyes and every voice was
husky. To most of these people, Betty
| Cruise meant nothing, but she was to lie
| out there alone on the wind-swept point
and they were deeply moved They
all went back to work after the midday
meal a strangely silent, thoughtful COM
pany--even down to the lowliest "Por-
| tugee."
Mr.. Mott, the gaunt old ,cynic, sur
! adopting the infant! He announced his
decision on the day after the funeral.
THAT babys got to have father and
that" he declared to Captain Trigger,
"and I'm going to he all of them;
Wheatherby. 1t amt legal. I know, and
I reckon I'll have to turn her over to
her proper relatives If they make any
demand-provided we ever get off this
island-but while she's here she's mine
and that settles it, and as long after
ward as Gods willing. Chances are
that no one at home will want to be
bothered with an infant that don't ac-
tually belong to 'em, 80 l shouldn't won
der but what I'll have her always. What
are you laughing at?"
Il was just thinking that you didn't
mention anything about being grand
mother to her"
"Is that meant to be sarcastic?"
"Not at ALL" said the captain hastily
noting the look In Mr. Motifs eyes: "But
| for fear you may think 1t was, l take
it all back. Andrew"
II laid awake all last night worrying
about how lonely and useless and un'
occupied I'm going to be If we stick
| here on this island for any constderabit
length of time. not to say always and
made up my mind that II had that
worth while, iii probably live good
deal longer il l have something to live
and work for. Amt that so?"
"It certainly is," agreed tho captain
DO Ro you fo tnsd mind !, my asking now you're
i've got that all attended to-" said
Mr. Mott calmly. i've been to see three
of these women who'ye got tiny babies,
and they've promised between EN- to
| nurse this one. It's all fixed, captain.
OF course, I don't know how It's going
! to work out, seeing as one or EN- ~
| Spanish, one of 'em Portugee and the
other a full-blooded Indian-but they're
al It's tis,iy Very noble of you, Andrew" said
the captain, laying his hand on the first
| officers shoulder.
| absolutely not" snapped Mr.. Mott.
"Its nothing but plain, rotten selfshness
on my part--and / don't give damn
who knows it."
CHAPTER XVI
INSIDE of a fortnight after tho events
| i lust chronCed, the women came
| ashore to occupy the virtually completed
| huts, ,..., o,,,,. g.,
| Cantain Trigger and the half-dozen
sailors who remained with him. These
sailors we're ancient tars whose lives
Il had been spent at sea, They were grlz-
zIed wiZened old chaps. ono OF them.
Ioe Sands, had been an able seaman
| FOR forty-slX years, and, despite per-
petual crck in the back, he insisted
that he was still an abler seaman than
ninety-fve per cent OF the thlrtyIyear-
When Captain Trigger announced his
resolve to stay on board, where he be-
longed, these vainglorious oId seadoss
elected to remain with him TO the end
The exodus of women was FASTENED
somewhat by the further listing or the
Doraine. This was due primarily to
tLe removal of thousands of tons from
the holds. the galley and the engine
room, A more sinister cause for alarm
however, was the, action OF the greatly
iightened vessel when Il tidal wave sWep
into the basin from the north, This
came at the tag end or the storin-Lo'
seemed actually to be afioat for few
, seconds, heavlng. shuddering, groaning
Her bottom, after scraping and grinding
| and giving up the most unearthlN
! sounds, suddenly appeared to have freet
itself completely from the rocks OF
which it was jammed. She seemed OF
l the point OF righting herself, Thei
l she started to rol over on her side
} Almost as abruptly she stopped, shiV'
cred and then lay still again. But SHE
Was not in her old position. She was
; IvIne over at least two degrees farther
than before the upheaval,
driven IN by the strong wind that had
7 blown steadily and vciously out of the