The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-10-19
CHAPTER II-contInued.

Samuel Marlowe was not one Of
those who pass aloo1y by when there
is excitement toward. To dash to the
rail and shove a fat man in tweed
cap to one side was with him the work
OF a moment. He had thus en- excel
lent view Of what was going on--a
view which he improved the next in
slant by climbing up and kneeling on
the rail.
There was a man In the water, a
man whose upper section, the only one
visible, was clad in q blue jersey. He
Wore derby hat, and from time to
time asShe battled with the waves, he
would put up a hand and adjust this
more firmly on his head. A dressy
swimmer.
Scarcely had he taken in this spec
tacle when ,Marlowe became aware Of
the girl he had met on the dock. She
was standing few feet away leaning
out over the rail with wide eyes and
parted lips. Like everybody else she
was staring into the water.
AS Sam looked at her the thought
crossed his mind that here was a Won
derful chance Of making the most ire
mendous Impression on this girl. What
would she not think Of a man who,
reckless Of his own safety, dived in
and went boldly to the rescue? And
there were men. no doubt, who woNld
be chumps enough to do it, he thought,
as he prepared to shift back to po-
sition Of greater safety.
AT this moment the fat man in the
tweed cap, incensed at having been
jostIed out Of the front row, made his
charge. He. had but been crouching,
!, the batter~to spring. Now he sprang.
His full weight took Sam squarely in
'Sthe spine. There was an instant in
which that young man hung, as ii
were. between sea and sky; then he
shot down over the rail TO. Join the
man in the blue Jersey, who had just
discovered that his hat was not on
straight and had paused to adjust it
once more with few sklllful touches
of the finger.
In the brief interval of time which
Marlowe had spent in the stateroom,
chatting with Eustace about the lat
ter's bruised soul, some rather curious
things had been happening above. Not
extraordinary, perhaps, but curious.
These must now be related. A story,
II It is to grip the reader, should, /
am aware, go always forward. It
should march. 1t should leap from
crag to crag like the channels of the
Alps. II there is one thing hate, 1t
is novel which gets you interested in
the hero in chapter one and then cuts
back in chapter two to tell you all
about his grandfather. Nevertheless,
at this point we must go back space.
We must return Ito the moment when,
having deposited her Pekinese dog in
her staferoom. the girl with the red
hair came out again ON deck. This
happened just about the time when
Eustace Hignett was beginning his
narrative.
By now the hustle which precedes
the departure of an ocean liner was at
Its height. Hoarse voices were crying,
s'All for the shore!' The gangway
was thronged with friends of passen-
gers returning to land. The crowd on
the pier waved flags and handkerchiefs
and shouted unintelligibly. Members
OF the crew stood alertly by the gang
plank ready to draw it in as soon as
the last seer-off had crossed it.
The girl went to the rail and gazed
earnestly at the shore. There was an
lanxious expression on her face She
had the air of one who was waiting
for someone to appear. Her demeanor
was that of Mariana at the Moated
Grange. "He cometh notl" she seemed
to be saying. She glanced at her
wrist watch, then scanned the dock
once more.
There was a rattle as the gang-plank
moved inboard and was deposited on
the deck. The girl uttered little
cry of dismay. Then suddenly her
face frightened and she began to wave
her arm to attract the attention Of an
elderly man with a red face made red
der by exertion. who had just forced
his way to the edge of the dock and
was peering up at the passenger-lined
rail.
The boat had now begun to move
slowly out Of its slip, backing into the
river: EPpes had been cast off. and
aQa |idening strip Of water ap-
tween the vessel and the
was now that the man on