Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 1 January 1940 — Page 17

¢ Blackout By RUTH AYRES

CAST OF CHARACTERS

MARY CARRO i expert, in London gh TH

ne Rh EEC soldier of fortune, CLARA MARCHE ; Oe R. GILBER ng with Britian

2 TESTERDAY: The stranger who had lollowed Mary on deck returns her beret. She is angry, then mystified as he Promises to see her again. As she starts gad for whe party a shudder shakes 1 . ry 1s pitc Across the cabin. 4 hee Seediong

ENOX—surgeon, serve rmy. :

confusion in the passageway. ~dn the blackness of her cabin, Mary’s hands searched for the all-

important lifebelt. “And one for

Anna, t00,” she [remembered as she |’ groped beneath the bunk for the | bloated canvas jackets. “And now |

for some clothes!” But the blac ing. ' What sh thought was the door to her closet turned out to be the door to the passageway. “Never mind, this will db.” On the way out, her hands had caught up the simble wrap-around of Anna’s gra; uniform. Open|from neck to h It was easy to ddn, even in the dark. Then, with whatever there 1s about a woman that makes a handbag an essential Mary automatically caught up a purse. ve

yay swarmed with night figures.

Here and there a hand flashlight sent beady rays the dark. Jostli ys ne

passengers push and elbowed their way os 2 bb panionway’s flights to the lifesaving stations of the boat deck. A feeble flicker of| green from an emergency battery| set showed a fairhaired child riding high above the others, perhaps jon the shoulders of his father. And in the grim, sickly light that turndd living people into green corpses, the swarming passengers seemed like strange troglodytes from a place even more horrible than a world at war, In the darkness again, from the green

light, Mary could hear the sober voices of the imPerturable crew calling directions, offering assistance, and best of all, encouragement. Their orderliness was in strange

plaints and lamentaindignation. But all others, would

tions and voic

one cry, above

contrast to all else—to the cries of| distress, to the :

sound in her ears until the day of|

her death, Mary knew.

“My baby, gh, my baby!” she

heard, and shuddered. “I must find |

my baby.” “I must find was reminded frightened and lifebelt.” |

“She’ll be I have her

anew. alone.

2 ” 2 ON THE boat deck, the confusion of the stairway was a prelude to the terrifying chaos of the fevered scene. Sailors, pped to the waist, sweated in the| icy wind as they obeyed megaphoned directions from

the. captain, relayed through their § . -

officers, | “Life saving ycur boat!” “Fourth wate¢h, count your passengers!’ And 'throughi{it all the creak and

groan of winches protested as lifepm their davits and,

station 41, launch

would drop unexpectedly fast as the nk deeper and deeper into

moon rode high in ding the dancing waers with bright, cold light. “What was it? What happened?” A distraught passenger joined the group at Mary’ lifeboat station. “A torpedo hit us. I saw it.” A stout Americ was positive. “I came up on deck after dinner for a turn around. (When I got beyond the glassed-in [part I stood looking at the moon. It was a sub. I could see the periscope. I was right by the rail. ‘I almost pitched into the sea.” “I saw it, broke in. “I e¢ven knew it was go ing to hit. Mary in her panic was only reof what was taking place around (her. But one brief drama held her fascinated gaze. | In the flare of a torch she saw a familiar figure. His light hair and foreign hair cut were too individual ever to be mistaken. They could ‘belong to one| person only—to the blond youth. - beret only a short half hour before. She saw him approach the rail and the single shaft of light fell full on his countenance. One could not fail to read its pained surprise, its look of loathing and above all, of

resolution. - The youth gained the| the quiet of a cat,|

rail and, with dropped over the side. : It was difficult to believe this

final horror in a chain of grim events. For what reason had this handsome foreign boy died, Mary wondered. It was certainly not because of heroism. The stewards had said there was a place for everybody in the lifeboats. He wanted to die, she knew, But why? There was no time for reflection. Just her group was ordered to file the boat, consternation came over the ship. All stood breathless as| a “black shaft rose up in the path of moonlight. The periscope of an undersea boat was clear to be seen. “Another torpedo!” But nobody spoke it aloud. It was a thought so horrible as| only to be whispered. : ” ® IT SEEMED like bare seconds before the second deadly charge hit home. The Moravia again convulsed with the seizure of awful pain as the explosion ripped a great gash into her leviathan side. ~ When Mary Carroll was propelled, forward down the deck, toward the listing bow. Her face struck a bulkhead. The ship trembled. in the water. Again Mary was thrown . forward, . toward the place where the prow was dangerously close to the water's

ess was unyield-||$§

away! |

Anna Winters,” she

190 by United Peatare Syndicate, Inc. { : ) & Ur Pat Of pA righ secre ; lie.

NE }

I? COURSE

LI'L ABNER

7 MAK-UAKIt MY'WORD,WALDO <7 YOU DRAGGED THAT 7) THAT WOODEN POCAHONTAS 1 GAVE ME A SEVERE START WHEN J) YER T AWOKE THIS MORNING www WHERE DIO YOu OBTAIN IT 2 E HOW DID WE HAP

1 WHAT A WOE INMY- HEAD! come & DID WE PART,

N YER "MATOR ww HE WAS STANDIN' IN _/ THE BACK ROOM AT ASSIOY'S WHERE we

OLD WwW 2

YO STEER OUR TO THIS PORT © | JCVE, AFTER YOU SPOKE TO “TH JUNKET cLug/ YOU SAID TH CHIEE - WAS TH'LAST O' TH' MONAHANS OR MORANS OR SOMETHING /

OF ANYTHING " HEAVILY SPICED LAST NIGHT? - HAPPY NEW NEAR, waLpo/

“Missus says she hopes you don’t ind the atrunsemen—ath fell asleep’

under the sun lamp!” HOLD EVERYTHING By Clyde Lewis : /

8 - i : with 5 2 18 1-1 cope. 1940 BY NEA SERVICE, WC. T. M. REC. U. 8. PAT. OFF:

NEW YEARS DAY-~ TEN YEARS AGO-

ALL R-RIGHT.” I) AHLL Promise” K\(

. WE BUSTUM UP HIS

[WE'LL CHASE LUCKY DRAKE TI. GAMBLING HALL /

OUT OF TOWN FOR TRYING KILL OUR DOGS? i PY L A)

“Mama bought it yesterday—like it?”

a time in midair,|

STATIONERY

OFFICE EQUIPMENT

FLAPPER FANNY

2” another passenger |

“Look! ‘They gave me dezens of calendars! An’ they're perfectly good —all we gotta do is mark out the ‘39 an’ print in 1940.”

ho had returned her].

UNMERCIFULLY

the. second torpedo hit, |:

THIS CURIOUS WORLD By William Ferguson po”

- -~

N - Ada RNS’

Ww At

BEING MAULED AND BITTEN

Yesve Say

We \\ A

HAS MOBILIZED AN NAR Face”. OF MORE THAN A FAALA-AAN/LL SN CARRIER. PIGEONS, FOR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION

COPR. 1940 BY NEA SERVICE, INC.

ANSWER—Peary is pronounced’ pee-ry. and mispronounced “Perry.”

When she regained consciousness said to Mary. A hand held a

she found her lifeboat was already drenching cloth to her face. at some distance from the ship. The

“Thanks, oh, thanks,” she started

4 2 :

COME ON, BRING TH’ OTHER DOGS-* gt HE'S GONE yy 54 UP HEAH!

WAIT J’ CURLY, LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT" | ARE WE HUNTING "LIONS OR EAGLES?

i LL

JTRWiLLAMS,

1 T-TEN YARS DONE. PASSED/-

AH ALLUS YEARNED $O-1’ SEE.

TH WORDS HE DONE CARVED ON

T/ OTHER SIDE O’ THEY TREE LOOKED./~ A *S PROMISE!

Y ’

AH NEVAM

BUT-LI'L ABNER DONE. . ' FO‘GOT HIS .”~TODAY /" HE'S A-LEAVIN’ ME- ~ + 30, Now 2H GOT A RIGHT

L ON TT’ OTHER . SIDE. &’ THET TREES”

WAIT -= GAMBLING HALL FULL OF “MEN WITH GUNS Jd ;

WE GOT TO GET ALL PEOPLE OUT BEFORE: WE BUSTUM UP PLACE, ORWE GET HURT--ME GOT IDEA-= : LISTEN?

HM --- THERE'S SO MANY THINGS 1 WANT-=--BUT I'M ONLY ALLOWED ONE WISH /!

LET'S SEE---‘WHAT SHALL I wis

151

AH---T'VE GOT IT?

1 WISH YOU

ALL A

| VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR |

WASHINGTON TUBBS II

WHY DON TCHA . LOOK WHERE YOURE GON. |) 7

/ li

- lf 1 CaN GET THE

B80B-SLED 1 Just FINISHED suLonG/

== ITS FROZEN

BOOIS AND HER BUDDIES

Ly J

ry 4 | i. | NW NN NUTTYS 808SLED IS

BEAUTIFUL!

Cea ak p10 Sle = L¥

~~ NN

WELL GO our ON GEVYER'S. HiLL-

OVER /

GOSH , IM AFRAID NOT ! ITS ONLY A FOUR - PASSENGER SLED/

HOWS YOUR NEW VEARS RESOLUTION ABOUT BEING

| POLITE AND CONSIDERATE

TO FELLOW MOTORISTS COMING ALONG?

NOW, WHEN MY LITLE LAMB FLOPS WTO THAT SADDLE. AND THE THLOMS TALK STARTS TO WORK ww DL WSW WER LOC

ABBIE AN' SLATS

LIKE TO ROE AROUND THE ARENA ws ALN NY YOURSELY, now, 2

AND SLATS WOULON'T TELL YOU WHAT WAS IN THE NOTE = THAT MADE MIM CHANGE ) DON'T CARE--HIS MIND ABOUT GETTING ++ LAST NIGHT ?

7 Y-YeS POP /. ) put-Now-1 | |

IF | NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN RABTREE ORNERS OURIER

HORATIO GALLEY | EDITOR

IT'S ME~SLATS SCRAPPLE== WEREN'T. YOU: EXPECTIN' ME ~-272~ SAY /! WHAT'S THAT

I=1'M SORRY: SLATS |=<\/ THOUGHT IT M=MIGHT BE S- SOMEBODY

LLAST NIGHT--= ~ | FOUND A NOTE

IN MY MAILBOX"

sea danced -in the still . brilliant (to reply. Then everything was blotmoonlight. It had come alive now, {ted out in the ghastly scene as a with all manner of objects bobbing |flery lash of pain struck her face. on its surface. In a fi out from [Sh efelt a merciful curtain of ob-

the sin! Moravia, flares |livion drawn over her. “This,” she| all she knew was the sickening, y- showed the life-boats. Now any thought, “is the end.” teady motion of a light craft in a/then, one of them would stop : ft With a full skirt, crossed draperies drag a swimmer out of the water. ud oe be Contig) au coop sn. ais Lx 3 “Youre injured, Miss," & voice’ story are wholly iincers tn ;

.But;she was halted abruptly. A beam struck her and le blindof pain shut out ; Arent rms encircled her. She found herself] being lifted up. Then

175