The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-08-03

She Made No Reply but Gazed at Him,
Studying Him.
"rve no news, Henry" she said.
"Have your" She closed the door be-
hind her, moving closer to him.
"How did you happen to be here.
Connie?" he asked.
She made no reply but gazed at him,
studying him. The agitation which he
was trying TO conceal was not entirely
consequent to her coming in upon him
It had been ruling him before. 1t had
underlain the loudness and abuse of
his words which she had overheard.
That was no capricious outburst of
temper or irritation; 1t had come from
something which had seized and held
him in suspense, in dread-in dread
there was no other way to define her
impression to herself. When she had
opened the door and come in, he had
looked up in dread, as though prepar-
ing himself for whatever she might
announce. Now that the door shut
them in alone, he approached her with
arms offered. She stepped back, in
stinctiyely avoiding his embrace; and
he stopped at once, but he had come
quite close to her now.
| AS she stared at him. the clerks
voice came to her suddenly over the
partition which separated the office
from the larger room where the clerk
| was receiving some message over the
telephone. Henry Strengthened, lis
tened; as the voice stopped. his great,
finely-shaped head sank between his
shoulders; he fumbled in his pocket
for a cigar, and his big hands shool
us he lighted it, without word of ex
cuse to her. A strange feeling came t
her that he felt what he dreaded ap
proaching and was no longer conscious
of her presence.
She heard footsteps in the larger
room coming toward the ofice door
Henry was in suspense A rap came
at the door. He whitened. and wet his
lips.
Come in," he summoned.
One Of the office girls entered, bring
ing a white page of paper with three
or four lines Of purple typewriting up
on It which Constance recognized must
he a transcript Of a message Just re-
ceived.
She started forward at sight Of 1t,
forgetting everything else but he took
the paper as though he did not know
she was there. He merely held 1t un-
til the girl had gone out; even then
he stood folding and unfolding 1t. and
his eyes did not drop to the sheet.
The girl had said nothing at all but.
hQ wing hor
athrill the girl had not been a bearer
Of bad news, that was sure; she
brought some sort Of good news Con-
stance. certain of 1t, moved nearer to
Henry to read what he held. He looked
down and read.
"What Is it, Henry?"
His muscular reaction, as he read
had drawn the sheet away from her /;
he recovered himself almost instantly
and gave the paper to her.
:35 a. M. Manitowoc, Wis.," she
read. THE schooner Anna S. Solwerk
has been sighted making for this port.
cation, but two lifeboats, additional to
her own, can be plainly made out. 1t
is believed that she must have picked
up survivors of No. 25. She carries
no wireless, so is unable to report.
Tugs are going to her."
1.-TWO lifeboats Constance cried
THAT could mean that they all are
saved or nearly all doesn't 1t, Hen
ry; doesn't itT'
He had read some other significance
in 1t, she thought, or, from his greater
understanding of conditions in the
storm, he had been able to hold no
hope from what had been reported.
That was the only way she could ex-
plain to herself as he replied to her /;
that the word meant to him that men
were saved and that therefore 1t was
dismaying to him, gould not come to
her at once. When it came now, 1t
went over her first only in the flash
Of incredulous question.
The telephone buzzer under his desk
sounded; she drew close as he took
up his receiver.
"Manitowoc7" he said. II want to
know what you've heard from the Sol
werk. 4. =. You hear me7 :.
The men the Solwerk picked up. You
have the names yet4"
"The Bentonr
.. ;"
"Oh, understand All from the
Benton. seel -. No: never
mind their names. How about Number
257 Nothing more heard from them r
Ito be ContinuedD
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