The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-02-15
/ rent for TINS office building & mile
ihMAy whore Howard worked. "a

- - lstEsl y. Ii ~ IL -
rent for TINS office building mile
away where Howard worked.
Darkness had come by now, swift
and dense. The searchlight cutting
through the night disclosed a
steady downpour Of rain, a thickly
muddy stream and a rushing mass
Of branches, tree trunks and junk
OF one kind and another.
It was slow work beating up
against the current. Every now and
then Dorothy gave swift turn to
the wheel 10 escape q rushing log
Once or twice the boat qulYered mr.
der the impact Of some heavy oh
ject, whose onrush was unayoid
able.
Would she never reach the office
building?
Suddenly, as the boat veered II
one side In response 10 Dorothy's
efforts to escape a tree trunk, she
gasped.
/ there, coming swiftly down tht
stream some thirty feet 10 Doro
Ithy's right, was rOwboat. No oars
were visible. At the rear OF tbs
boat, holding his coat In the water
and trying to guide the boat in this
fashion, was Howard! A1t
crouched in tho front OF the boa
| was o woman
Dorothy's heart skipped a beat o.
two at this sight 1t was this WON
an who had been tho strongest o
Dorothy's two worries. She knew
who the woman was--an Alice Wis
| pert, Towards stenographer. hel
! rival for Towards affections!
/ Both Howard and the woman
| glanced up as the scarchligh
flashed in their faces. They waved
their hands frantically.
oars lost!" came Towards voice
on the wind, suddenly and oddl!
cut OF as tho wind shifted.
Again Dorothy's boat veered. Or
/ the instant the rowboat and It's oc
cudants were lost In the gloom
Where were they now?
Holding the boat steady on ii;
course with her left hand, Dorothy
shifted the searchlight with hel
right, looking for the rowboat.
On the instant came a grinding
crash, a woman's. shrek, a man!
loud voice
I Terror caught at Dorothy's heart
She shifted the searchlight quickly
up, and down tho swollen stream
| There, already past her down thu
stream by hundred yards the row
boat burst into view In the blazt
from Dorothy's searchlight. 1t wa
low in the water. Both Howard ant
Alice were standing up. The sount
OF an agonlzed Shrek came to Dor
othy. They, quite suddenly, the boa
sank and the two people sank witt
It into the river.
Fairly sobbing in her excitemen
and anxiety, Dorothy spun thu
steering wheel around. The boa
answered at once. crashing ant
pushing It's way through the debri.
in q wide arc. Could she get L
Howard and the girl in time?
AS the boat Strengthened out will
tho downstream current It fairl,
shot ahead. A way in the distance
the searchllght disclosed inc bob
bling heads OF Howard and the girl
Alice was to the left, Howard to tht
right. They were both about thu
same distance from the boat.
1t seemed ages to Dorothy, bu
1t was really only moment or Sc
until she WIS between the two. Al
she came to this point she swunt
her searchlight to tho left disclos
ing Alice hanging to 4 log some
twenty feet from the boat. AguII
Dorothy swung the steering wheel
The boat staggered bit from the
impact of logs and debris, ther
chugged MP to Alice's side.
But was was Alice doing?
AS Dorothy watched In uttcI
amazement she saw Alice, with a;
evil look on her face, pushing thu
log she was holding straight tOwart
the boats propeller. In an instan
it would mesh with the machine
The rear end of the boat would bt
pounded out!
Dorothy always had been sus
picious OF Alice. Now she saw /.
an instant what was in Alice't
mind. Alicia splendid swimmer
wanted to wreck the boat. Sht
knew Dorothy couldn't swim in {
current like this. In this way shC
might eliminate Dorothy and be
sure OF Howard for herself!
Dorothy gasped. For moment
terror held her so firmly in its gri.
that she could do nothing.
Nearer and nearer Alice pushed
the log toward tho propeller. In q
moment the girls diabolical en-
deavor would be accomplished.
On the instant, though, Dorothy