Evening star., 1927-09-01

n new experiences ~ 'liLo AAlu0
pendent bachelor maid, for
Anne had played that popular role
very successfully until Christopher $
whirlwind wooing had swept her OFF
her feet.
Don't be frightened" Straine's
quiet tones reassurcd her, "the water
is not deep and / shall go very slowly:
but hold on tight" and then he added
two little words-"my darling"
Anne didn't want to cling to him,
but she couldn't help herself. Slowly,
carefully, Straine waded to the rough
shore and set her down on the edge OF
a dense tropical jungle. Anne drew
q sigh of relief and thanked him with
all the warmth she could muster.
You've been very good to me" she
said, and you're soaked to the SKIN.
Oh. I'm so thankful to be ashore. |
expected to be swallowed by a shark
at any moment"
Straine laughed.
You're pretty we'll soaked your
self" he said solicitously. We'll make
a fire, for all the women will need it
until the sun gets hotter Sit done
: here. Anne. I'll see what l can find
in the way of driftwood."
The other boats. two of them, We're
landing their passengers by this time
and a hubbub arose as the women
gathered together, in their excitement.
Some of them were hySterical, others
assuming a forced composure, but all
were alarmed, for their present posi-
tion was anything but agreeable.
There they were, marooned three
boatloads of refugees, surrounded by
a dense jungle and turbulent sea,
and among these passengers there was
no sign of Chris or Winston!
Where are the other boats, offlcer?'
Anne asked the official. the last to
come ashore. why don't they come
In here?"
"They are scattered along the coast,
~niss," he said respectfully, bound to
be separated in a sea like this. Don't
worry, though, we shall beach these
boats and wait until the sea quiets
down or help comes to u.s."
Can't we walk along the shore?"
Anne persisted there must be some
way of finding our friends"
Nobody can walk along the shore
at this point, MISS" the officer replied.
I'm sorry, but you'll have to be pa
tient. It is still very early and we
are bound to be rescued before night.
We have water and food, so we won't
starve. Please compose yourself"
Anne was forced to follow his ad-
vice, and presently a breakfast of
hardtack was served, the passengers
taking the fare as joke.
We'll, Miss Robinson Crusoe. -
Straine said as he returned from his
successful labors with the bonfire,
"how are you getting along? Is your
man Friday making you comfortabIe?"
He allowed himself brief caress Of
her hand, and Anne withdrew it, sud-
denly embarrassed. Now that she was
out of immediate danger, the difficulty
OF her position became more evident,
for Straine's possessive solicitude
placed her at a disadvantage, The
Seamen and the passengers seemed to
take his attitude for granted One OF
the women had already alluded to her
as your fiancee," and Straine had
madS no attempt to correct that i'm
preston.
Breakfast over the castaways sepa-
rated into groups while the sun rose
higher and higher and the intense
heat Of that latitude set in. Yet no
one dared to penetrate the surround
ing thickets.
why not take the canvases from
the boats and make a shelter?"
Straine suggested, and presently some
relief was secured in this way, al
though the heat was still almost un-
bearable.
Anne" Straine came solicitously to
her side, I'm going to venture around
this next bend in the shore between
this point and the mouth Of the river,
in hope of locating Dahlgren. l won't
be gone long"
but you'll have to wade out into
deep water" Anne protested, "you can
never get around that point in any
other way, you'll be dashed to pieces
in those waVes."
Il think can make it, and your
anxiety is hard for mo to endurei
Wait patiently, dear girl, I'll be back
in an hour or less" and with a tender
pressure of her hand, and long, un-
derstanding look he was gone.
Anne watched him rolling up his
trousers and stepping into the surf
The officer sought TO dissuade him, but
he laughed away the mans protests,
and waving gayly trod his way eau.
tiously until the bend in the shore hid
him from view, leaving Anne with an
awful feeling of desolation.
After all, Straine was her only
friend! Since coming ashore she had
been aware of a Veiled hostility from
the other passengers and remembered
that she was under grave suspicion in
connection with Lady de Vere's dis
appearance
As the morning wore away she
found herself left alone, while those
about her talked in hushed voices
casting unfriendly glances in her di
rection. Anne wondered how these
suspicious had been circulated She
had supposed that the happenings ol
the last hours had been known only
to the ships officers, who most Ger
tainly would not have them public!
Somebody had spread unpleasant
rumOrs, Anne became convinced. Sht
was socially ostra cized, at least as fal
as such a condition can be sustained
on a desert shore! The idea amused
her somewhat, but her heart wai
heavy. The fate of Chris was unknown
TO her. Was he still alive? Would sh'
ever see him again? Life had neve
looked more dreary.
The ship lay just as they had lef
1t, listed to one side, and now and thel
signal was wigwagged from he
bridge, and answered by the office
In charge of those on shore, but Wha
these messages meant Anne did no
know, and the officer merely re-assur
ed his charges, promising that relic
would come soon.
She began to long for Straine's re
turn, and when he finally reappeared
in the late afternoon, she made no al
tempt to conceal her relief.
OH she ran to meet him, 'I'm s
thankful I've been so alone! VIII
doesn't help come? What can hav
happened? Did you see anything Q
Chris?"
mo, there's nobody around there
and they're evidently been unable t
get into communication with tn