Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 October 1908 — Fortune and A Castaway. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Fortune and A Castaway.

By Marshall Cromwell.

Copyrighted, 1808, by AeeotUated Literary Press.

Most of the passengers were at luncheon, for the steadier was still In the channel, and the choppy wares had ■mall effect on the huge bulk of the liner. Even when the channel should be passed and the heavy swell of the Atlantic should be encountered there I would be little motion and few ill, but today every seat was taken. Mason {Hawley, coming late purposely, scanned the crowd eagerly, then sank into his seat, his face clouded by disappointment , Hawley, despite a fund Of commercial coifimon sense that had enabled .him to score a business success, was superstitious in many ways. He bad been a guest on a houseboat Just before sailing, and a wet day had beefi beguiled with fortune telling and simiilar devices of the rain imprisoned. The seer had been a young woman whose brunette beauty seemed to sustain her statement that the blood of the Zingari flowed in her veins. Adroit guessing, supplemented by (Positive knowledge in the form of hints from the host, had enabled her to read (accurately Hawley’s past, so when she had reached the future he had listened open eared and believing while •he predicted that on the homeward voyage he would meet his fate. “She will be on the steamer,” the girl had predicted. “You will become engaged before the steamer reaches port, and you will live happy ever after.” His reason for taking a vacation had ( been Betty Lippincott’s treatment. After a lively pursuit all season Miss Lippincott had withdrawn the favor -she had shown Hawley and had become engaged to Dudley Hodge, who |t*d come upon the scene only a few weeks before. Hawley had taken his rejection very much to heart and had come abroad to

seek forgetfulness, with such small success that he welcomed the time of his return. At home he could at least see Betty, and he derived a mournful pleasure from that anticipation. Now the words' of the seeress brought him new hope. She had predicted that he would meet his fate on (the steamer and "live happy ever after.” He knew that he could not be faappy except with Betty, and of course that meant that Betty* would be on the homeward bound ship. But Betty’s name was not to be found on the passenger lists, nor was (Betty’s pretty self to be found in the fining saloon, and Hawley regarded discontentedly the usual crowd of 'homegoing schoolteachers and tourists f who at that season were in the majority. There were half a doaen pretty girls, _ girls above the average in good looks, but Hawley told himself miserably that no one who had loved Betty could ever love one of these commonplace 'persons. That they were far from commonplace he could not appreciate, and he regarded with dull wonder the numerous steamer flirtations that sprang up overnight. After that one quick scrutiny at the luncheon table he had not looked at a single woman with interest, though .many of them were well worth looking at, and he asked himself with dull insistence which of these \|iresome persons was written on the cards as this fate. the days passed and the steamer neared the home port this wonder increased to anxiety. It never occurred to Hawley to ascribe the “fortune” to the joking propensities of the black eyed girl. She was of the Zingarl, and the blood of prophecy flowed in her veins. When they had spoken the lightship and tnere were signs of home Hawley grew worried. He did not question the workings of fate, but he knew that only an accident would precipitate an engagement now. By the following day should be In port, and there was no time for a conventional wooing. . ✓ ' - He stayed on deck long after the lights were extinguished. He had made friends with the officers, and

■ow he climbed to the bridge to share the watch. For more than an hour he followed the faint sheen of the stars oh the black green sea as the vessel plowed its way through the heavy swell. “Must have been a heavy storm hereabout lately," commented the officer. “This ground swell argues a big blow. It must have passed to the southward, as we got none of it” * “Looks like”— began Hawley. Then he paused and gripped the officer’s arm. .“There’s a small boat out these,” he cried, “and they are waving a signal of distress.” « “Two women in a sailboat with the ■all torn to rags,” commented the sailor, who was more used to looking into the night “I’m sorry we saw them, because now we’ll have to stop. It will cut an hour from our record.” Hawley gasped at the frank admis ■ion and wondered if the officer would have seen the boat had there been no passengers on deck. As it was the bridge telegraph sent its signal to the engine room, and presently the thud that for six days had sounded with steady monotony was stilled, and the huge bulk slid through the water.

Then the engines turned again as a signal was sent and the slight headway was checked as the ship came even with the catboat, which seemed tinier than ever in comparison with the racing linen A sailor slipped down a rope and made it fast to the small craft. Then a second rope was lowered with a Hoose in the end, and presently the castaways were hoisted to the deck. The first was an elderly woman who sank into a faint as soon as she reached the solid deck. Her younger companion showed more courage, for she did not faint—only breathed a little sigh of relief. Then she looked about her, and as the light from one of the deck lanterns fell upon her face Hawley sprang forward to gather Miss Lippincott in his arms. For an instant she lay passive, then she gently disengaged herself, snd two red spots burned in her cheeks as she turned to thank the rescuers. “We went for a sail and a storm caught us and blew us out to sea,” she explained. “The squall took our sail, and I think this prevented our being capsized, but we had only one bottle of water and a few sandwiches. We drank the last of the water hours ago.” One of the quartermasters hurried off for water, and presently it was arranged that Hawley should surrender his room to the two women since all of the staterooms were occupied. He spent the night in a deck chair. As Betty had given her right hand in good night greeting he ha«rnoticed that the left lacked the diamond which she had worn when he went away, and on that slight foundation be built wondrous air castles through the long, sweet summer night. Betty did not appear until nearly noon, but when she came she verified his hope. She had become engaged to Hodge because she had been told that Hawley was to announce his engagement to a girl not of their set and she had not wished to seem deserted for another. She had later found that the story had been a ruse of Hodge's and bad broken the engagement. When they made their landing and Hawley had seen Betty to a hotel he hurried to a cable office and sent a message. “Your skill is wonderful. Just landed and am engaged as you prophesied,” read Lady Muriel d’Arcy, knitting the heavy brows that shaded flashing black eyes. “I wonder who this Hawley is!” “He is the chap who was with the Goodingtons.” reminded her companion. “Don’t you remember? You told his fortune and said that he would be engaged before he left the boat. He was going back to the States." Lady Muriel laughed. “That rich American," she said lightly. “I remember now. Clara Vassilington was to have gone over on the same boat, and I thought It might be a good chance for her to make the rich marriage the poor child has ing ever since she was presented.” “And some one else captured tjje prize,” laughed the man. “I hope that they will be happy." “They will be,” affirmed Lady Muriel positively. And this also came true.

"THERE’S A SMALL BOAT OUT THKRE!” HE CRIED.