Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-12-24
Copyright. 1908, by Edward ]. Clode)
CHAPTER /
The Wreck of the Sirdar

trimmed eyeglasses with an ar OF
dignified aggress1yeness. She mad llVeu
too many years in the Far East In
Hong Kong she was known as the
AMandarin.' Her powers of merc1less
inouisition suggested torments long
drown out. The commander of the Sir
dar. homeward bound from Shanhal
knew that he was about to be
stretched on the rack when he look
his seat at the saloon table.
"Is it true, captain, that we are run
ming into typnoon?" demanded her
ladyship.
"From whom did you learn that,
Lady Tozer?" Captain Ross was wary
though somewhat surprised.
From Miss Deane. understood her
a moment ago to say that you had told
her"
APP
Didn't you? Some one told me this
morning. I couldn't have guessed IT,
could II" Miss Deane's large blue eyes
surveyed him with innocent 1ndlHer-
ence to strict accuracy. incidentally,
she had obtained the information from
her maid, nose-tilted coquette VINO
extracted ships secrets from a youth
full quartermaster.
"Well-er-I had forgotten ex-
planned the tactful sailor.
Us it true?"
LADY Tozer was unusually abrupt
TODAY But she was annoyed by the
assumption that the captain took
mere girl into his confidence and
passed over the wife of the ex-Chief
Justice of Hong Kong.
Eyes, it is" said Captain Ross,
equally curt and silently thanking the
fates that her Iadyship was going
home for the last time.
GLOW horrible!" she gasped, in I'M
affected alarm. This return to femin-
nifty soothed the sailors ruffled tenn
per.
Sir John, her husband, frowned jul
dicially. That frown constituted his
legal stock-in-trade, yet it passed cur
rent wisdom with the Hong Kong bar.
"What evidence have your" he
asked
"Do tell u.s." chimed in Iris, de-
ligntfully unconscious of interrupting
the court did you find out when
YOU squinted at the sum-
The captain smiled. "You are nearer
the mark than possibly you imagine,
Miss Deane," he said. "When we took
our observations yesterday there was
a very weird-looking halo around the
sun. This morning you may have no
ticed several light squalls 81 and a
smooth sea marked occasionally by
strong ripples The barometer is fall
ling rapidly, and I expect that, as the
day wears, we will encounter a heavy
~, 1Srrt1f
and especially if we observe a heavy
bank of cloud approaching from the
northwest, you will see the crockery
dancing about the table at dinner
am afraid you are not good sailor,
Lady 'Gozer. Are you, Miss Deane'"
Capital / should just love to see
a real storm. Now promise me SOL
EMMY that you will take me up unto
the charthouse when this typhoon is
simply tearing things to pieces"
ooh dear! | do hope it will not be
very bad. Is there no way in which
you can avoid it, captain? Will it last
long?"
The polite skipper for once pre-
ferred to answer Lady Tozer. "There
is no cause for Uneasiness," he said.
"Of course, typboons in the China Sea
are nasty things while they last, but
a ship like the Sirdar is not troubled
by them. She will drive through the
worst gale she is likely to meet here
in less than twelves hours. Besides, I
alter the course somewhat as soon as
I discover our position with regard
to its center. You see, Miss Deanne
And Captain Ross forthwith illus
trated on the back of menu card the
spiral shape and progress of a cyclone.
He so thoroughly mystified the girl
by his technical references to northern
and southern hemispheres, polar di-
rections. revolving air-currents, eXter
nal circumferences, and diminished
atmospheric pressures, that she was
too bewildered 10 reiterate a desire to
visit the bridge.
Then the commander hurriedly ex-
cused himself, and the passengers saw
no more of him that day.
But his short scientific lecture
achieved a double result. 1t rescued
him from a request which he could
not possibly grant. and treasured Lady
Tozer. To the non-nautical mind it is
the unknown that is fearful. A storm
classed as periodic" whose direction
can be determined beforehand by
hours and distances, ceases to be ter
rifying. lie becomes an accepted fact,
akin to the steam-engine and the cleo
trio telegraph, marvellous yet com
monplace.
So her ladysh1p dismissed the topic
as of no present interest, and focused
Miss Deane through her eyeglasses.
Sir Arthur proposes to come home
in June, l understand" she inquired.
Iris was remarkably healthy
young woman. A large banana mo-
mentarily engaged her attention. She
nodded affably.
You will stay with relatives until
he arrives" pursued Lady Tozer.
The banana is a fruit of simple
characteristics. The girl was able to
reply. with touch of careless hauteur
in her voice:
Relatives, We have none-none
whom we specially cultivate, that is.
| will stop in town a day or two to
interview my dressmaker, and then go
straight to Helmdale. our place in
Yorkshire"
surely you have chaperon'"
"A sChaperon! My dear Lady Tozer. |
did my father impress you as one who |
would permit 4 fussy and stout old |
person to make my life miserahle?"
The acidity of the retort lay in the |
word stout" But Iris was not ac-
customed to ross-examination. Dur
Ing 4 three months residence on the |
island she had learnt how to avoid I
Lady Tozer. Here it was impossible /
and the older woman fastened upon /
her asp-like. Miss Iris Deane was a |
toothsome morsel fer gossip Not vet |
twcnty-one. the only daughter of
WOO lthN. hnrnrnt Who nr,-rna Annt