Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 224, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1911 — ANOTHER GIRL [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER GIRL

By DOROTHY DOUGLAS

(Copyritht. xgn. hr Associated Literary Press.)

When the S. S. Marton had pulled but of sight of the crowd on the pier, Jimmy Murphy turned a wholly disinterested glance upon his fellow passengers. For the time being, his position as a newly engaged man, hung heavily on his shoulders. Helen Danvers, his fiancee, had been on the pier and as the boat pulled away leaving only the murky water between her and the man of her choice, Helen’s piquant face had found a tearful nest in the bit of lacy cambric which served atf a handkerchief . Stfll, as the day wore on Jimmy cheered up. It seemed to him that he had never before crossed the briny deep on so wonderfully laden a ship. In companionways, In the library, In the .bow of the boat and in stern be seemed destined to meet fragments from the feminine world and each bit looked prettier than the last For a moment Jim, Murphy felt aggrieved; his allegiance to Helen Danvers shut aim off from any .shipboard romance—a here-to-fore much enjoyed privilege of the ocean voyage.. it was at dinner that the blow came. He was in the act of giving his order to the steward when that Individual rushed, to the assistance of the girt who had been assigned to the seat next to his own. After ope glance at tier, Murphy realized that, had he been w steward, his actions would - have been the same. 7 f *1 am afraid I Interrupted your order.” The girl looked into Murphy’s ayes. The heart of the engaged man quaked. The girl was beautiful. “After you.” Murphy’s tone was reserved to the point of unfriendllaees. : The girl cast a quick glance at him then turned to contemplate the menu. Murphy felt that he had been thrown from her regard muph as she would discard an unpleaslng bit of fabric. It was too .much tor Jimmie’s knowledge of the joy of living.. He turned to her with a smile that shone from his heart ...

“Please forgive my seeming rudeness,” he said with a full measure of friendliness in his eyes. “I am a trifle peevish—there are the join eat lot of pretty girls on this boat that I have ever crossed with and I feel afraid of all of them." Molly Sherwell laughed and glanced questlonlngly at Murphy. “I would not have selected you as dne fearful of feminine wiles.” “But I am engaged.” It seemed for a second that the very engines stopped their vibrations; then the girl spoke again. “That does make considerable difference.” She paused while a queer little shadow flitted across her face. “I believe that I, too, would be afraid to cross the ocean -with some jolly men on board If I owed allegiance to one in particular. Ocean liners seem to be the embodiment of the old time sorceress-*-! feel sure that she at least wields her wand over them alt’’ "The wand of infatuation—only Y* Jimmy Murphy but half expected an answer. “Infatuation is exactly the word,” laughed Molly. "I have crossed the ocean nine times and on every trip I tell madly in love."' “And the men?" Murphy put the question quickly, eagerly desirous of knowing the outcome. "Three of them wanted me to marry them; the others were merely the effect of moonlight, the lapping of the waves and leisure hours spent In closely set steamer chairs.*’ “And you?** Again the eager quesBbn. “I? Well—as soon as my feet touch ' tee wharf I am as heart-free as if I had never seen a boat.” “Oh!” Jimmy Murphy was silent for so long a time that his companion broke into a soft laugh. “Surely you are not going to have many more such serious and profound moments during this trip?" "I will tell you exactly what I was thinking—if you care to know.” Murphy turned so that he met her startled glance. "Do you?" “No,” she put in quickly. ”1 shall tell you, anyway. When you interrupted my thoughts I had just conquered a desire to make you ears for attitude made me desire a siege in which you would be the victim—but my better nature won out and—” Murphy laughed lightly. » "Then I have missed a rather amusing game—haven't It” Jim Murphy’s lips shut tight Molly Sherwell cast a glaffbe at him and felt satisfied. Flippant remarks would A? have to bridge many a chasm with this man and she hoped that her Inconsequent moods would never be far from her command. , “Since you are heartless and I a* engaged we are certainly well guarded against the wiles of the ocean—will you walk on deck with me now? I Insist on being friends—friendship la great between a man and a woman, isn’t It?" '■ Molly left the question unanswered. It was the tenth day, and on the morrow Queenstown and all that the word meant would be with the passengers of the Marton. In the evening, the last night on board, Molly Sherwell and Jim Mhrphy paced a moonlit ‘deck.: "This has been the most pleasant of my trlpit- It was the girl who ennke “For 0000. the VOVagO h*C •T. . ''’•XT* V" ♦ ,S_.

been calm and chummy rather , than emotional—-tehtlt so?” “Perhaps it-has been to you—” *' Molly laughed quickly. "I do believe you would be serjous in another day or two. It is a -good thing that We will be having that sad sweet parting so soon— •*’ “Stop! You know as well as I that you are only trying to cover the real by the flippant' Ml the time lam in London—you are going to be there. You have promised to give nOK month of your splendid friendship and we are going to all the theaters, operas and dinners that we can crowd into thirty days.” “No, no—that was some of our inconsequent chatter at the beginning of the trip.” Molly tried to draw her arm away. When they arrived at the stern of the boat where no sound came save the rush of foamy waiter, he stopped her and spoke in a voice made rich by new depths. ~ , > 7 “You are not going back on your promise. I love you, dear—it has been so since you came and sat beside me at the table. It is not the firpt time that a man has found the one woman when it was too lake and I am not complaining—l am only glad to have known, even for a short time, such love as I feel for you." He drew her so near him that she started back with a faint cry. He released her and before he realized her intehtion she was away and out of his sight He stood for some moments where she had left him. He was dazed by the vastness of his love for her; too much so to reason 4hat life with any other worqan was impossible. He did not see Mblly Sherwell again that night nor the next morning. The .tender was alongside the Marlon and most of the passengers for Queenstown were on the smaller boat Murphy scanned every part of the ship, but the girl was not to be seen.,Ho concluded that she was in her state'Toom packing as she was to go on to Liverpool. Nevertheless he paced the deck nervously expectant Some inner consciousness told him that events were shaping themselves Jnto strange channels. 7'

When the tender with Its load of Queenstown passengers was ready to detach Itself from the great ship Murphy gave a tremendous start Molly Sherwell was on the tender. She was getting off at Ireland and he, the man who loved her, had no address, no possible clue to where she would be. She had taken this means of escape! < ; Murphy , looked down at the thin stream of water which was slowly widening between the two boats. Without stopping to think of what he was doing he rushed below. In the companionway* he was stopped. A cable for William James Murphy. He scarcely comprehended the contents as he continued his mad dash for the lowest possible deck of the Marion. When he reaced the closest spot to the tender and his eye caught sight of a trailing rope from her stern he made a firm clear dive Into the almost calm water. There was a fearful stirring on botn boats and life, preserves were hurled from all points. Murphy prayed, while he struggled with the sea, that he might reach that rope before a life saver reached him. He was a powerful swimmer. After a brief but mighty struggle his hands found and clung to the rope of the tender. For one* second his eyes looked up and he saw the face of Molly Sherwell. Her eyes were praying for his safety and her arms were outstretched. “He is mine!” he heard her say to those who would have cared for him when he went for a moment Into the unconscious world. Later, Molly bent over him. “Yon might have died—dear—" Her voice broke. , , , “I would have died anyway—without you. Everything went with you—what was the game worth without love?” The cable, soaked and quickly disappearing to nothingness, fell between them. “My first was very fickle. She married the other fellow five days after I left. Molly—do you know whether or not we have to live in London more than a week before we can get a license to —” “Even a week would seem long—wouldn’t It, dear?"