The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-03
THE sTORY sO FAR

cruise, accepted fin payment for the salary due her when the margarine for which she worked as typist suspended publication.
 On board the ship, she meets handsome DIRK STROM, expert 1iIi jumper, ss penniless as her. self. The two are much attracted to each other. Then a misunder- standing comes between them. Jane Is hattered by the attentions of TING ROSSI, opera singer, and Dirk becomes the frequent escort of NORA LANE, famous actress and owner of the KOkinOr dia- lnOnd.
 Others among the passengers are SNOWSHOES, a detective; and eccentric; DUTCH LENZ and MANNIE JACKSON, blackmail- CTS; KEN MARTIN and LINDA BAYES, floor show entertainers.
 SnOwshOes persuades Nora Lane to turn the KOkinor diamond over to the purser. They go to her staterOom to get it and find Man nie Jackson, dead from bullet wound. The diamond is missing.
 SnOwshoes takes charge of the investigation. Most of the passen- gers are not aware of the mur- der, though they know of the theft.
 Leaving Nassau behind, storm comes up that threatens to be- come a hurricane. Stewards n0ti- fy passengers to get their life belts.
 Madame Doremus' companion, Millie, is missing. She is discOv- cred locked in a closet and tells of seeing 8 masked man trying to steal Madames jewels. A shot is heard outside and passengers rush to the doors, see Dutch LenZ swept overheard. The whole ship is in an uproar.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XXIV
 Still no report came down from the bridge, though the crew was standing tensely by at stations. But the passengers had no doubts about the intensity of the hurricane which held the ship in it's turbulent grip. Water was breaking over the bow, drenching the boat-deck, flowing off oyer the rail like torrential flood. The whole world seemed to pitch linderfoot. Passengers were flung headlong on the floor. The ship shuddered violently as her propel- 1ers were lifted out of the water. The nervous strain had reached the breaking point, with all the passen- gers huddled in white-faced groups, when sudden grinding noise that was different from all the other noises of the fury, assailed them. It was Q sharp, grating sound as of steel on rock.
 Then there was a shock, which hEng half the passengers on their faces, while the boat quivcred from bow to stern.
 A white-faced ships officer came running though the lounge, and spoke to one steward after another, until 8 welter of hushed voices went Up to the ceiling, On reef!" The sfip had been driven off the course, and was now held fast on 8 coral reef, and water was coming into the hold.
 Orders came in short barks now, The s. o. s. was flashing out from the radio control-room, telling the whole world that the de luxe cruise ship Oceanic was fast on a reef, and sa4 nf m
 When the passengers knew 1t had happened, their plight was different. Nothing mattered now but the sav- ing of lives. Word came down that the ship was not sinking, but all passengers were to be prepared to ,, take to the boats. They knew that life boats would crumple up like paper on the surf-bcaten reef. Members of the crew were marshall ing them into order, where they remained, miserably huddled to- gether, clutching their life preserV- CTS.
 After the shock the orchestra kept on playing. Ken Martin sang, and his songs were for Linda Bayes, who sat calmly, merely looking up at him, their love triumphant over the awful scene.
 A steward found a few life belts, and there was mad moment of fear lest the men should stampede for them. GratefV feminine hands received them. But one little girl of four or five, separated from her mother, was found sniycling in a corner, terrified. She hadn't life preserver, and there were no more to be had.
 Jane hugged the child close to her, and Dirk looked around to no avail. He came back to Jane with this desperate message in his eyes, just as the childs mother, faced racked with fear, came to snatch up the child. The mother gave way to mysteries, and the child sobbed bitterly in her arms.
 They tried to calm the parent. In this time of crucial danger Jane sensed Dirk's amazing strength more than ever before. His vitality seemed to flow out and radiate on those who were around him, and needed it. Every person in the lounge seemed to know his presence, his lack of fear.
 Jane had a glowing sense of re- ality in this moment as she sat with Dirk, facing the perils of the storm. Sho saw in Dirk the very security and protection she had most earn estly desired. She could face any, thing with him. Glamour and the worldly things didn't matter any longer.
 He seemed to know what she was thinking about, and smiled at her.
 We were blind" she said, and