Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1926-11-26
IN THE
WIRELESS
ROOM
10 by W. q. Chapman.
BY H. M. EGBERT

-
transatlantic liner. But, not
having seen her for seven years, he
did not know whether she would rec
ognize him.
1t is easy to play hide and-seek on
an Atlantic steamship. During the first
four days he only caught fugitive
glimpses of the girl then, on the fifth,
they came face to face upon the deck.
And he saw that she knew him.
"Margery~ he exclaimed, and stood
looking at her dumbly. She was hard
ly changed, except for more wom-
anly figure and certain wisfulness
Of expression which had not been there
In the old days In London.
How long ago that was The same
thought occurred to both of them.
What happy days those had been. UNI
der the elms In Kensington Gardens.
up the river, when the world was
young and life seemed to stretch away
eternally.
They sat down side by side. "Tell
me what you have been doing" said
Margery, and, at her words, the years
fell away and they were young once
more
It was frank story he told. Their
quarrel, the upheaval Of his life that
followed had brought him no good. He
had drifted upon the stream, he had
awakened to the consciousness that ha
was becoming worse man than he
had been; then he had pulled himself
together and faced life bravely. Now
he was returning from London on a
mission for the firm which employed
him, connected with the sale of war
supplies.
What he did not tell her was that 1t
was her memory which had pulled him
back from the brink when he was up
on the verge Of plunglng downward.
"And your" he questioned, hungrlly.
81 am married." she answered, and
there was long silence Presently:
"You never married."
mo, Margery."
After awhile: Are you happy" he
inquired. He saw the tears come into
her eyes.
II Sttllltu HO llulul VI lhul bilC bipuiN
sit there and tell him about It, They
had always perfectly understood each
others hearts. She had married, four
years ago, man who had treated her
badly. She had left him and gone to
England but he had pleaded with her
to return to him, and she was going
back to America, because she felt that
her duty lay there.
They parted with averted faces, be-
cause each knew that at a word the
other would follow-follow to the
worlds end And the night of the fifth
day came.
Gardiner slept through a confused
dream Of cannOnade, and awakened to
hear cries and stamping upon the deck
above him Women were screaming In
fear. He thought the ship had struck
an uncharted rock and was sinking.
He was glad this was the end. He lay
still IN his berth
The cries died away, and he heard
the splashlng of the llfeboats In the
water Then, with a shrek, something
struck the vessel with shock that
made her SILVER from stern to bow.
Again and again. And now Gardiner
understood. A night attack must have
been made by German cruiser; she
had given the liner time to get her
passengers into the boats and was now
sinking her.
The thought of Margery in an open
boat at sea came to the man like a
blow in the face. He leaped out Of his
berth, flung on his clothes and rushed
up on the deck. He saw Margery. She
was standing at his side, under the
stars, on a deserted ship, now settling
into the water, which bulked around
them, n great gray waste, n primal
wilderness.
AS they stood there q searchlight
swept out of the night and enveloped
them, and once more came the shrek
OF shell, dropping into the water
near them. Then the cruiser, evident
ly satisfied with the result Of her work,
sailed away; the twinkling lights dis
appeared.
Flames and smoke were shooting up
ward out of the stern, but here, to-
ward the bow, they were safe for the
moment. But the ship was settling
down.
"why didn't you goT demanded
Gardiner Hercely.
~ watched for you" she answered.
II looked and you were not In any Of
the boats They tried to put me aboard,
but escaped Did you think would
go without you"
And suddenly she was In his arms,
clinging to him, and their lips met for
the frat time in seven years. II was a
miracle of Joy to both Of them, being
together there, the only human beings
in that little world of smoking planks
and steel that was slowly settling be-
meath the water.
"Denr," said Margery, II want to tell
you now that have always loved you,
and only you"
"And | you Margery," he answered.
And they forgot their peril, and the
approach Of death, and side by side,
their arms about each other, they
watched the Kissing fight Of fire and
water until the water won.
The submerged stern blazed no
longer. Only the sea threatened them
now. But the deck was getting lower,
and the bow uplifting, and, anxious
only to prolong those moments Of hap
piness that had come back out OF the
past, too late. they sought the upper
bridge.