The St. Charles herald., 1922-04-08

AoiuiAS lie DOaL STEADY on ltS
course with her left hand, Dorothy
shifted the searchlight with her right,
looking for the rowboat.
On the instant came q grinding
crash, woman's shrek, a mans loud
voice.
Terror caught at Dorothy's heart.
She shifted the searchlight quickly
up and down the swollen stream.
There, already past her, down the
stream by hundred yards the row.
boat burst into view in the blaze from
Dorothy's searchlight. 1t was low in
the water. Both Howard and Alice
were standing up. The sound Of an
agonized shrek came to Dorothy.
Then, quite suddenly, the boat sank
and the two people sank with it into
the river.
Fairly sobbing in her excitement
and anxiety, Dorothy spun the steer
| ing wheel around. The boat answered
at once, crashing and pushing its way
through the debris in a wide arc.
Could she get to Howard and the
girl in time?
AS the boat Strengthened out with
the downstream current it fairly shot
ahead. Away in the distance the
searchlight disclosed the bobbing
| heads of Howard and the girl. Alice
was to the left, Howard to the right
They were both about the same dis
tance from the boat.
| 1t seemed ages to Dorothy, but it
was really only a moment or so until
she was between the two. AS she
came to this point she swung her
searchlight to the left disclosing Alice
hanging to a log some twenty feet
from the boat Again Dorothy swung
the steering wheel. The boat staggered
a bit from the impact of logs and
debris, then chugged up to Alice's side.
But what was Alice doing?
AS Dorothy watched in utter amaze
ment she saw Alice, with an evil look
on her face, pushing the log she was
holding straight toward the boats pro-
peller. In an instant 1t would mesh
\ with the machine The rear end Of
the boat would be pounded out!
Dorothy always had been suspicious
Of Alice. Now she saw in an instant
what was in Alice's mind. Alice-a
splendid swimmer-wanted to wreck
the boat. She knew Dorothy couldn't
swim in a current like this. In this
way she might eliminate Dorothy and
be sure of Howard for herself!
Dorothy gasped. For moment ter
ror held her so firmly in its grip that
she could do nothing.
Nearer and nearer Alice pushed the
log toward the propeller. In a moment
the girls diabolical endeavor would
be accomplished.
On the instant, though, Dorothy
came to life with rush. She fairly
leaped from the steering wheel toward
the engine. In q mad frenzy Of ex-
citement she dashed at the electric
switch. Even as she shut of the en-
CINE there was a series Of crashing
thuds at the re..r of the boat. These
} sounds then stopped abruptly. She
had been in time.
Leaning over the side Of the boat,
Dorothy found Alice swimming weakly
there. Minus the aid of the log, 1t was
evidently a strain for her to keep
af1oat.
For one mad moment, Dorothy
} thought Of pushing Alice of into the
river to fight alone, and perhaps lose
!, ont. Then in a rush her better nature
: triumphed. She leaned over and helped
Alice into the boat. The latter came
submissively enough.
Dorothy started the engine again
J To her Joy the boat showed leeway
though ominous jolts and kicks came
from the rear.
She started the searchlight again
beating up and down the river, looking
for Howard.
| There he was, hanging to log near
! by. blood streaking his face from
: wound in his forehead.
: Together the two girls helped hin
into the boat.
Howard sank wearily into the bot
3 tom of the boat He gazed up q
i Dorothy with eyes In which grea
: love was glowing.
/ "I saw It ALL" said Howard, weakly
|. "You're wonderful. Dorothy"
I He sank exhausted to the floor.
r A great Joy welled up in Dorothy
D heart. She looked rather pityingly a
' Alice covering pathetically In the ia
2 corner of the boat.
\ Never again would Dorothy have t
. worry about this other woman.
4 And with her heart overfiowing VIII
thankfulness Dorothy stopped an
= nressed a kiss on Howard's lips.
..-asePa, 97aIn nlqIE0t