Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-20

Bett. Il must give him this life pre-
| server" AS she spoke she struggled
| to tho door
The Htewardess held her back with
a firm hand. You couldn't get UP.
the hatchways are always nailed
| down in storm like this. Your man
! knows and you may be sure he viii
! take good care to save himself
/ DO not see that he came TO warn VOL
| of danger. or be with you. if an,
| thing happened"
Jil-Betts lips moved but no souna
| came from them. She moved 49,
swiftly toward the door as the sway
! ing Of the vessel would permit, Ii.
| woman watching her anxiously.
! oh. heavens, it is locked" shr
walled sharply. sinking TO her knees
! Il make my cries a prayer to you
| If il is tho last thing I do in thu
world. let mo try to save him
| y terrific peal of thunder drowned
| her voice. a vivid flash of light
/ ming. followed by a deafening crasi.
accompanied il.
God have mercy" shrieked thu
stewardcss, tho boat has been
flung it open wide Zach ono fo,
one $ self" she cried, springing pas
.Ifl-Bett and down the passageWay
Come on. girl, come on. The yea
! sells afire,"
| SO cngrosscd was Jack with his
]
! great confusion, aud that the VIM
J WAS blowing q hurricane on Ii,
! other side Of the boat, causing 81 q,
! rock like an cggshcll.
! 1t was not until the steamer chair
! into which h" had dropped. buryfng
| his face in his han Is, was blown like
| :; straw across t-c deck. that he
| realized something was wrong. Thel
! he saw passengers ard crew surgine
in r 5ftris 81 6, to the Sc {sek .. :, t,.t
midst. was doing his best to raise
| his voice above tho din, beseeching
| all To be calm, even in the face Of
! the peril which mcnaced them. The
waves rose mountain high, threat
| ening to Capsize the boat each IN
slant. Then. what the captain was
| In deadly fear Of took place; with
the tipping Of the boat on its bean
| end. the fires Of the furnaces burs'
! their bounds. and were scattered
about the engine room. Tho smell
! Of smoke and the cracking flames
| gave warning that the direst Of I'll
calamities-a fire at sea-faced then
ITO the lifeboatS," shouted voice
| that rose like a bugle over the dir
One Of the smokestacks fell with
! a terrible crash. The glare of tn"
| leapinG flames over the water. the
| cracking tongues of fire bursting
| through heavy clouds Of thick, black
smoke, shrieks of horror, groans
means, and cries of despair filled the
| air.
! lowered the boats. and over all the
| captains clarion voice giving orders
as he brought his rife 20 bear upon
| the lowered boats:
! Women and children first
! Wives were torn from their hus-
| bands arms, mothers from their sons,
| and thrust into the rapidly fllins
boats.
confusion. Jack suddenly remem-
bered Jil-Bett
zon board tho fire. Quilted vessel
pnInsing and blowing through the
mad dark. lashinC waters, parde-
monlum reigned. Few save the Off
GERS and crew kept their wits about
JiI-Rett groringly followed in the
direction of the stewardess voice
| Strong men pushed her aside; she
/ felt the mad throng striving with
| might and main to reach the deck
| Bv the greatest effort she regained
| her feet. and was carried along b%
| the crowd like a leaf on Il stronG
j current
! The deck was almost as dangerous
! as II was below: there smoke chok
| ed one into insensibility; on deck the
black smoke was thickly studded
with burning firebrands, which fell
among the surging mass of human
| beings. The cries of those upoh
whom they fell. the groans of the
wounded, the prayers mingled with
| the hoarse cracking of the flames
| that cast a. blood-red glare on n"
! awful holocaust, was terrible.
| JiI-Bett made no attempt to rush
madly with the surging throng max
ling for the lifeboats. Her last pray
er on her knees in the staterooIh,
ere she lay down to rest, was thai
she might die and end It all. Was
! God answering her prayer? She
stood quite still. and the power I"
| move a single step seemed to have
/ left her Around her fell the hiss
! ing, burning f1rebrands. pilinG about
her like a funeral pyre.
In the midst of it she raised her
face to the darkened heavens, with
a prayer on her lips to save JACK
| For herself she cared not-that on
| impulse to save oneself in the cruciai
moment of disaster seemed to haNe
| God save Jack" she repeated
again. with gasping sob.
! No one missed her; no one cared
| she was nothing to that mass q
human beings fighting desperately
for their lives. which meant reach
! SO dreadfully distant in the hlood-rec
glare. held her spellbound. Then III"
| power of thought seemed to leavr
| her. or the realization that she should
1 take her ChdnCeS Will liio ASSL (
| make for the boats.
With each moment of time the
wild shrieks and means increased, as
| boat after boat load pushed away
! and those in the boats saw dear ones
1 standing. beating the air with awful
cries. on the deck of the doomed
vessel. Women. maddened by the
sight, threw themselves from the
boats into the boiling sea in mad al
tempt to swim back 10 save dear
81, n har
| rife downpour still ragged. mingled
with the awful roar of thunder and
terrific bolts of lightning.
Another smokestack gave way,
falling to the deck on which Jfl-Bett
stood, it's smoke and ashes covering
to be caught UP by the gale and
turned in another direction
1t was only a few moments that
she was to live; the realization OF
that did not seem to occure to her
"Iother!" she whispered, lookine
upward, your poor little Jil-Bett IS
coming to you. The great world IS
too cold and hard for her. God Will
bring her to you, and in your she
tering. angel arms and faithful
she will find rest!'
No answer came to her from the
heaven that bent above her, and she
stood there. rooted to the spot, await
ing the end fOr one INSTANT Blant
ing down at a boat filled to the III
most with human freight, she though
she beheld the face Of Jack.
HE will be saved" she breathed.
Nothing seemed to matter after that.
Even in that crucial moment she
thought OF the beautiful girl whom
he loved, who would be waiting for
him. Would he ever tell her of her,
Jill Bett. who had gone down with
the burning vessel to sleep her last
sleep on the oceans bed, of which
she had known no fear, only love