The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-30
THE STORY SO FAR

nave CUAue SfUc when Sue BcS3 OuS on . threc weeI1' ocean cruise, accepted in payment for the sale ary due her when the magazine for which she worked as typist suspended publication.
 On board the ship, she meets handsome DIRK STROM, expert ski jumper, as penniless as her. self. The two are much attracted t0 each other. Then a misun- derstanding comes between them. Jane is fiattered by the attentions of TINO ROSSI, opera singer, and Dirk becomes the frequent escort of NORA LANE, famous actress .. and owner of the KOkinOr dla- mond.
 Others among the passengers are SNOWSHOES, a detective; MADAME DOREMUS, wealthy and eccentric; DUTCH LENZ and MANNIE JACKSON, blackmall- CTS; KEN MARTIN and LINDA BAYES, floor show entertainers.
 SnOwshoes persuades Nora Lane to turn the KOlkinor diamond over to the purser. They go to her statero0m to get 1t and find Man nie Jackson, dead from a 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 They are allowed to go ashore when the boat lands at Nassau.
 That night, as they are leaving the island, a storm comes up. It grows worse rapidly and stewards notify passengers to get their life belts. Madame DOremus an- nounces hystericaIIy that Millie, her companion, is missing.
 NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER xxx
 Some of the ships passengers were taking the approaching hurri- cane calmly, and their behavior quieted the crowd which was pour ing into the gameroom, loungeroom and ballroom on the boat deck, life preservers in their hands.
 The first wild panic ceased, as people realized that the real blow !. had not even begun. The orchestra in the ballroom began to play. Stewards went around talking to the huddled groups, reassuring them. The long wait had com nnenced.
 Card tables were set tip like magic until the recreation rooms reSembled & bridge tournament in . big city hotel. Bridge would take their minds off the high winds outside.
 But the approach of 8 hurricane has curious psychological effect on the people who wait, at sea. One lives with the spectre over- head-that dread hobgoblin which is uncertainty and fear of death in unnatural surroundings. For a strange element ensued. The high winds outside created 8 vacuum in- side the rooms, and people began to notice the tingling of their ear- drums.
 It was Q diabolic torment. The slight pain involved wore down ones nerves. Some nerves snapped. nke taut wires. The air became clese, and then 8 little suffocating. Luckless hay fever sufferers and asthma victims began to cough, and their rasping efforts to breathe induced acute physical discomfort in all who were about them.
 Some were instantly sick, and Che sharp rise and fall of the ship in an angry sea ptesaged illness for nearly all but the hardest sailors on board.
 Doors banged open and shut. Outside the winds shrieked and h0Wled, and the snip gave hercu- lean shudderS from bow to stern, like a giant animal emerging from water.
 T bid two spades"
 "Three diamonds"
 Bye"
 "Bye me. What was that?"
 A woman coming into the lounge with two small children, shrieked, and went into uncomfortable hys- terics.
 Go on. Go on. Bid! Don't pay any attention to that. My ear- drums are about to burst. Throb- ping like taut drum. Play. l wonder if Ely Culbertson would play good game tonight?"
 "It's silly. There's no real danger now. When the blow comes you'll know it. It's steady roar whose volume can be detect ed-like 8 train coming. You hear 1t roaring and you can't run, then 1t smacks. It isn't so bad after that. You get used to 1t. It just roars and roars-"
 "Oh - oh - oh-oh-oh!" Another case of mysteries in the gameroom. A woman doubled up, shaking with Q tremor like ague, eyes wild.
 I can't hear the orchestra now" 'They played Nearer My God to Thee when the Titanic sank. I knew a woman who came through that. Her hair turned white in a single night"
 The tension was greater as the hours wore on.
 This was Jane's first knowledge of the hurricane. As she went hur- riedly from room to room, looking for Dirk, she caught these snatches of acute distress, which remained forever closeted in her brain. It had little effect on her now except to create an atmosphere of con- fusion in which she didn't know exactly what she was doing.
 Then she saw Dirk. He was as- sisting little old lady, who looked about 84 down the stairs into the lounge. The woman was still gowned for dinner, and wore some jewels. She was laughing and gay, E5T2zs-zZzzz ---Z---------- 1 WRI0LEy'S FITS eveey