Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-21

!
| were sure of.
Looking out upon the water,
| through the flames. he saw, through
the red glare. the last boat push off
then dark forms. which he realized
| was the crew, struggling in the
4 mountain high waves
He was young. life and the future
/! were sweet 10 look forward to; he
had risked all 10 save Jil-Bett, and
! IL was useless. He felt that he was
! alone on the burning ship-alone.
/ save for the captain who would 60
, down with his ship. Even his clarion
| voice had ceased.
| In that moment. through the din.
was it only his fancy. or did he hear
| the echo of a woman's faint sob
| bling cry? He strained his ears 10
| hear if IL was repeated. The sound
came to him a second time. more
! was not alone, some human being.
| caught by the flames, was pinioned
! there.
God The voice sounded not un-
, like Jil-Bett's. He called out sharp.
! ly. there was no answer. He was
! about to conclude that it had bees
j only the mad fancy of his oveS
wrought brain. when the plaintiys
! cry was repeated for the third time.
! Again it struck him how like Jill
1 Belts voice it sounded.
i Help Is at hand"' he shouted
! Where are you? Is it you, Jil-Bett?"
! Only the wash of the waves an
! swered him. The mad flames scorch-
ed his hair, his clothes. but he hur-
! ried on. calling upon her name.
! AS he CROPPED his way aft. through
| the belching clouds of smoke, he
! caught the outline OF slender fig
J ure standing by the rail He made
/ his way to her with the utmost diffi-
: Guilty. realizing it was she.
! "Jii-Bett," he cried. Selling her
| arm. attempting TO drag her by main
force from the rail to which she
chung with tenacity which resisted
his utmost strength. The last boat
, is being lowered"
She turned her face away from
him. taking f1rmer hold of the deck
rail. as she wrenched herself free
! from his grasp.
| Go Save Yourself, Never mind
me. she commanded.
Are YOU mad Jil-Bett?" he cried
hoarsely, raising his voice above the
awful din and attempting TO reason
with her. Moments are precious
You shall not refuse this opportunity
to save your life"
The red glare fell full upon the
face she turned for an instant to
him. lighting it up with weird
beauty.
Il do not wish to live-I want to
die; do not try to save me-" she
sobbed. II came between you-and
the girl-you love. shall go out
Of your life with the vessel when
she goes down. Don't stay here,
Save yourself. and go back and mar
ry the girl YOU love"
The steamer is settling. Jil-Bett,''
| he cried in horror Come! for Gods
sake come"
NO. ! am going to set you free"
she whispered, more to herself than
| to him.
There was not an instant's time
to lose in wasting words: the great
I Snl Ii inv l. III
beneath their feet. He realized. even
if she did not. the warning 1t por-
tended. He must get her to the OPP
posite end of the deck.
J Jil-Bett resisted all his efforts to
dislodge her clinging hands from the
rail with all her strength.
He was about to use all his
strength TO free her clutch when she
suddenly swayed forward and fell in
heap at his feet. unconscious He
seized her in his arms to retrace his
steps to the opposite end of the deck:
the heart in his bosom fairly stood
still, as he saw that a broad pillar
of fire cut off his retreat. There was
not an instant to lose. He plunged
through it, There was 'splash-he
had leaped overheard with her,
striking out for the nearest lifeboat
By the greatest effort he reached il
with his unconscious burden. Ex-
hausted. he was about to sink, when
strong hands reached to the rescue.
and he and Jil-Bett were drawn in
the lifehoat.
But not a moment too soon With
| a deep. gurgling sound. the burning
ocean greyhound went down. drag
ging with her all that was within
the radius of suction down to the
bottom of the ocean.
Quite as suddenly as the storm had
burst it subsidized. Soon after, the
moon emerged from behind the
clouds. looking down, pityingly il
seemed on the small fleet of life
boats drifting TO and fro on the tur-
butent waters.
Jack would have given much In
, know if all was well with Jil-Bett
| She had been drawn into the boat
| unconscious. He felt that if the
shock had killed her without ado
they would have gently dropped her
overheard to lessen the weight Of
the little craft. that was weighted
, to the waters edge.
Slowly the long night wore away.
and all on board each craft hailed the
coming of the dawn with outward Joy
and inward prayers of thankfulness-
1.-THE lifeboats kept as near together as
possible. The passengers bent TO the
oars when Ahe strength OF the sailors
gave out.
The first face Jack saw, as soon as
ii was light enough 10 discern fea-
! lures, was JilBetts. She was looking
far out over the water with wistful
ing despair
She did not look in his direction If
he could have read her thoughts he
would have known that she was dim
~ wondering why he had saved her.
when her death meant so much to
him-freedom love. happiness.
| Jack could not help but notice how
white and wan she looked in the pale
gray OF the morning light
Very slowly the sun came out, bath
INC hYa FGT 1n- Ir.N4e II
ance of crimson and gold. They We're
igrateful beyond words for the warmth
lit brought them. When il reached the
zenith they knew it was noon.
Every heart grew anxious as the
day commenced to wane. Great were
their apprehensions lest night should
fall ere aid came to them, for at any
moment in the darkness they might
be run down by a steamer crossing a
watched the sun set, and the dusk
creep up. deepen into twilight, and
slowly settle into night.
To their CONSERVATION, neither
moon nor stars were visible through
the heavy black clouds that drew
their sable curtains across the heay-
ems
The storm tossed band in each little
boat was brave. keeping the hearts
and spirits of each other up by the as
surance the light of another day must
bring succor. On each and every face
the strain of being without food and
drink was becoming more and more
visible.
Jil-Bett seldom looked in Jacks di-
rection. He was at one end of the lit
tie lifeboat. she at the other. She
felt as far apart from him as though
She noticed that he studiously avoid
ed Rlancing in her direction