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10 THE BURLINGTON FREE PRESS : THURSDAY. OCTOBER 25, H OG. THE PILLAR j LIGHT chapter vn. mUST us tlio spin of a coin mny mean Iohs or gain In some trumpery dlsputo or game of tho hour, In llko Manner ap parently nro tho graver Issues of llfo or death determined ut times. It Is not bo, wo know, Behind the triviality on which men fiiRtcn with nm:i7uimnt uh tho governing factor In ovents thero IIcr tin Inscrutable purpose. Yet, to those watculng the destruction of tho splendid vessel, then) was llttlo evi dence of other thnn a blind fury In tlio fashion of her undoing. Tho liour.se wordsi had scarce loft Brand's lips boforo n third wave, high tr nnd more truculont thnn Its prede cessors, sprang right over tho lost ship nnd smothered her In un nvalaiiclio of water. No doubt thin monster swept away somo of the officers and crow. It was Impossible to bo certain of might savo tho ouo thing that tho stenmor would surely break up boforo their eyes. Tho wind, now blowing In flerco Busts; the sen, rising each minute: tho flouds of spray chasing each other In eerie flights through spare; the grlud Ing, Incessant, utterly overwhelming nolso of tho reef, made all sights and Bounds Indollultc, nebulous, almost, fan tastic. But when tho slant billow receded, leaving tho ship like a dark rock In the midst of Innumerable cascades, tho ca tastrophe took placo which Itrand would have foreseen wcro his thoughts loss tumultuous. With tho support of tho sea withdrawn from half Its longtli tho huge hull must either slip buck Into docp water or break In two. Tho slender steel shell of an ocean lluor Is not constructed to resist the law of gravity acting on full fi.OOO tons. So tho solid looking colossus cracked llko n carrot, and the after part foil back Into tho watery chasm, thero to bo swallowed Instantly amid a turmoil which happily drowned tho despairing shrieks of far more than half of those on board. Constance and Euld screamed bitter ly In their woe, but again they wero saved from utter collapse by the ex igencies of the moment. Itrand, who expected to sco tho remainder of tho ship blown up by the inrushing of tho lea to the furnaces, dragged them forc ibly below tho level of tho protecting balustrade. , Yet nothing of the sort took place. A vast cloud of steam rushed upward, but It was dissipated by tho next lireath of the g.ilo. This Incident told lho lighthouse keeper much, Tho ves tel bad been disabled so Ions that her Iklllful commander, finding tho motlvo power of no further avail and certain that his ship must bo drivon ashore, had ordered the Arc? tn bo drawn and the steam to bo exhausted from all hollers except one. Therefore her shaft was broken, reasoned Itrand. Proba bly tho accident bail occurred during tho height of the hurricane, and her (steering gear, of little use without tlio driving force of tlio engines to help, anight havo been disabled nt tho same time. When the horror stricken watchers looked ngnln at tho wreck the forward part had shifted Its position. It was now lying broadside on to tho seas nnd tbo lofty foremast thrust Its truck to within n few fret of them. They wero spared ono ghastly scene which must surely havo bereft tho girls of their senses. Tho majority of the Hrst class passengers bnd gathered In tho saloon. Some clung llko llmpeta to tho main gangway; a number, most ly men, crowded together In tho draw ing room on tho promenade deck, Far ther thnn tills they could not go, as tho companion hatchways bad been locked by tho officer of the watch, tho decks being qulto impassable. When tho hull yielded, tho spacious i raloon was exposed to the vicious waves. Finding this new cavern opened to them, great liquid tongues sprang Into the durkuess and licked out hap less vlctlniB by tho score. Of this ap palling Incident those in the lighthouse knew nothing until long afterward. When the ship struck, the electric dy namos stopped, nud all her lights went out. The llghthouso lamp, owing to Its rays being concentrated by the dioptric lens, helped not at all to dissipate tho dim and ghastly vision beneath, but the great frame of the fore part of tho vessel served as a breakwater to soino extent nnd temporarily withheld tho waves from beating against tho col umn. Hence Brand, straining his eyes through the flying ruck, fnncled he could make out the tlguro of the cap tain as he leftvtho bridge and, with some of the crew, took shelter behind the structure of the library und state cabins on what remained of the prom cnado deck. At the same moment the frenzied occupauts of tho library and gangway contrived to burst open tho loor of the main companion. If they had to die, they might as well die in thu open and not boxed up In Impenetrable darkness. As a matter of fuct, the bolts wore forced by u man who fired his revolver at them. Tho twu. quickly discovered this new outlet. Tho next wuve, passing through tho saloon, sent tons of water pouring through tlio open hatch. One good re sult accrued. Tho strong canVas awn ing which prolonged tho spar' deck was carried away, and tho group of surviv ors, benumbed with cold nnd wholly overcome by their desperate position, could see tho entire height of tho gran ite column in front crowned with Its diadem of brilliance. Tbo liberated passengers saw It for tho first time. Tho sight brought no hope. Between uhlp and llghthouso was u true mael strom of more than sixty feet of wnter created by tho backwash from tho stonowork and the shattered hull. Even if the passago could bo made, of what avail was It? Tho iron entrance door was full fifty feet above tho pres ent level of tho sen. It could only bo ... Dy ... Louis Tracy, Author of "The Winjji of the Mornintf" Copyrlitht, 1004, by i:dwnrd J. Clode approached by way of the rungs of Iron Imbedded In the gnnlte. and ev ory wave, even In the comparative moderation caused by the obstructing wreck, swept nt leapt twenty feet ofjhe smooth Rtnue tiers. It Is this very fact that prevents rock lighthouses from sel dom If ever .serving as refuges for ship. wrecked sailors. The ascending ladder Is so eiioed. the sea usually so tur bulent under the least stress of wlud, that no human being can retain hand hold or footing. Yi there was one faint chance of succor, and It was not a sailor who grasped It. The first that Brand knew of the desperate venture was the sight of a o'fertrnl man climbing up the shrouds of the foremast. On u steamer, whose vards are seldom used for sails, the practicable rope ladder ceases at the fore, main or nilzzcn top, as tho case mny be. Thenceforward a sailor must climb with bunds nnd feet to ths truck, a feat which nriy occasionally be necessary when the vessel Is Id dock. It Is hardly ovir attempted at sea. The venturesome Individual who thus suddenly made himself the center of observation carried n lino with him. Not until he essayed the second portion of his perilous itM'i-nt dlil Brand realise what the other intended to do. which was nothing less than to reach the truck, tlio very top of the mast, aud en oeavor to throw a rope to the gallery. And lie might succeed, too that was tho marvel of It. The tapering spur came very near to them, perhaps twelve feet distant, and tho wind would certainly carry the rope across tho chasm if .carefully thrown. A few strong and active men might use this nerlal ferry. Well, better they thnn none. Brave fellow! Would that the Lord might help him! Higher and nearer swung the stal wart youngster, for none but a lithe and active boy could climb a polo with such easy vigor. At lust ho reached the truck, and a faintly heard cheer from beneath mlngied with tho hyster ical delight of Enid and Constance, when, with legs twined round the mast, ho rested his arms for an Instant on the flat knob of the truck. , Here his face came Into the lower focus of tho light -strong, clean shav en, clear cut features, a square, de termined chin, two dark, earnest eyes nnd a mop of milled black hair, for his deerstalker cap had blown off ere ho cleared the spar deck. "Look out for the' line," they heard him shout. The wind brought his volco plainly, but evidently he could dlstln guish no syllable of Brand's answering hall: "Shall I make fast?" "Can't hear a word," he cried. "If you can hear mo hold n hand up." Brand obeyed. "Catch the line," be went on. "It Is attached to a block with a running tackle. Haul In and make fast." "The megaphonr!" shouted Brand to Constance. She darted away to bring It, and when the adventurer clinging to the foremast had thrown a coll sue cessfully. Brand took the Instrument. "Why don't you come this way? The others will follow," he bellowed. "There are women and children down below. They must be saved first, nnd they cannot climb the mast," was the reply. "All right, but send up a couple of Fallors. We are short handed here." "HIght-o," sang out the other cheer lly, though he wondered why three men should anticipate difficulty. Down lie went. Without waiting, Brand nnd the girls hauled lustily nt the rope. It was no child s play to hoist a heavy pulley and several bun dred feet of stout cordage. More than once they feared the first thin rope would break, but It was good hemp, nnd soon the block was hooked to the strong Iron stanciions of the railing, To make assurance doubly sure, itrand told Enid to take several turns of the spare cord around the book aud the adjacent rails. Meanwhile, Constance and he saw that the rope was moving through the pulley without their assistance. Then through the whirling scud beneath they made out an ascending figure clinging to it. Soon lie was close to the gallery Catching hlni by arms nnd collar they lifted him Into safety. lie was one of the junior officers, and Constance, though she hardly expected it, experl eneed n momentary feeling of dlsap polntment that the first man to escape was not tho handsome youth to whose cool daring somo at least of the ship's company would owe their lives. The newcomer was n typical Briton. "Thanks," he said. "Close shave, Havo you a light? Wo must signal after each arrival." Enid brought the small lantern, and the stranger waved It twice. The rope traveled back through the pulley, and this time it carried n sailor man, who said not one word, but utooped to tie his boot lace. "I low' many are left?" Inquired Brand of the ofllcer. "About eighty, all told, Including some twenty women and children," "All wet to tho skin?" "Yes; some of them unconscious, per; haps dead," "Can you hold out?" , "Yes, A nip of brandy" "I will send -some. Wo must leave you now. These with mo are my daughters." At last tho crust of Insular self pos session was brokcu. Tho man looked from one to the other of the seeming lighthouse keepers. "Well, I'm" ho blurted out In his surprise. "That American youngster wondered what the trouble was." A shapeless bundle hove In sight. It contained two little girls tied lnsldo a tarpaulin nnd lashed to thu rope. This evidently was tho plan for dealing with tho helpless ones. ltrnud insliintlv rtlvlduil liia fivo 5 Enid ho dispatched to moke hot cocoa In the quickest and most lavish man ner possible. Constance was to give each new arrival a small quantity of stimulant (tho lighthouse possessed a dozen bottles of brandy and whisky) nnd act as escort. The women and children wero to bo allotted the two bedrooms. Any bad cases of Injury or complete exhaustion could bo disposed of In the visiting ofllcer's room, while nil the men tit to take care of them selves were to be distributed between the entrance, the coal room, the work shot) nnd the stairways. Tho kitchen, storeroom and service room were to bo kept clear, aud the storeroom door locked. Eighty! Brand was already do ing problems In simple arithmetic. A similar problem, with a different point to be determined, was occupying tho active mind of the "American youngster" who had solved tho knot tiest proposition put forward during that eventful night. lie watched the forwarding of the shrieking, shuddering or Inanimate wo men. Ho timed the operation by his watch, as the reflected light from tho lamp was qulto sulllclent for the pur pose. Then bo approached the captain. "Say. skipper," he cried, "how long do you give the remains of her to hold out?" "It Is not high water yet," wn the answer, "remaps hair an hour, l-orty minutes nt tho utmost." Then you'll have to boost this thing nlong a good deal faster," said tho cheerful one. "They're going up now it (he rnte of one every two minutes. That's thirty In half an hour. Fifty of us will travel a heap quicker at the end of that time If your calculation holds good." The captain, who appeared to bo In a stupor of grief, roused himself. A few short and sharp orders chang ed the aspect of affairs. Frightened and protecting ladles were securely tied together and hoisted, four nt a time, like so many bags of wheat. When It came to the men's turn even less ceremony nnd greater oxpei. weto used. Indeed, already there were emphatic warnings that much valuable time had been lost In the early stage of tho res cue. Though the wind was now only blowing a stiff gale, tho sea, lashed to frenzy by the hurricane, was heavier than ever. The ship was vanishing vis ibly. A funnel fell with a hideous crash and carried away a lifeboat. The rest of the spar deck and nearly the whole of the forward cabins wero turn out bodily. By repeated thumping on tlio reef the vessel had settled back almost on to an even keel, and the fore mast, which bad so providentially near ed the summit of the lighthouse, was now removed far beyond tbo possibility of a rope being thrown. The sm-vivors on deck worked with feverish energy. The time was draw ing short. They did not know the sec ond that some unusually tempestuous wave would devour them utterly. "Now, Mr. Pyne, you next," cried the chief officer, addressing tlio young Phll- adelphlan, who, mirablle dlctu, had found nnd lighted a cigar. "Guess I'll swing up along with tho captain," was the answer. "Up with him!" shouted the captain fiercely, himself helping to loop Pyne to the fourth officer. All others had gone. The officers were leaving the ship in order of sen iority, the juniors first. Just as tho qi.artet were about to swing clear of tlio ship the captain grasped Pyno'a hand. "Thank you, lad," he said, and away they went. There wore left on the vessel the third, serond and first otficers, the pur ser mid the captain. The others want ed the captain to come with them. .He resisted, held out for bis right ro bo the last to quit a ship he had commanded for more than twenty years and hoarse Iy forbade any further argument. Very unwillingly they left hlni haul ing alone nt the rope, though their pred ecessors, knowing the need of it, helped vigorously from the gallery. Indeed, It was with difficulty that Pyne was held back from returning with tho de scending rope. They told hlrn bo was mad to dream of such a piece of folly, nnd perforce he desisted. But v.-heu tho captain deliberately cast o(T the deck pulley from which the rope had been manipulated they knew that the boy had read his soul. Tho now useless cordage dangling from the gallery was caught by tho wind and ten and sent whipping off to leeward. Brand, brought from the lantern by the hubbub of shouting, came out, fol lowed by Constance. He suggested as a. last resource that they should en deavor to fire a lino across the vessel by means of a rocket. They agreed to try, for the spectacle of the captain, standing bareheaded on all that was left of the bridge, moved them to a pitch of frenzy not often seon In an assemblage of Anglo-Saxons, nnd especially of sailors. Brand turned to procure tho rocket, but a loud cry caused him to delay. The expected wave hud come, tho ves sel was smothered In a vortex of foam, tlio tall foremast tottered and fell, and when tho water subsided again all that " was ttiondcrlno what had become of you." was visible of tho great steamer wns some portion of her hull and the sol idly built bow, which was not wrench ed from the keel pluto until another hour hnd passed. Tho agonized cry of a strong man Is n woeful thing. Constance, by reason of tho gathering at the side of the gal lery, was uuablo to see all that was taking place, but the yell which went up from tlio onlookers told her that something out of the common oven on this night of thrills had occurred, "What Is it, dad?" she naked as her father came to her. ' "The end of the ship," ho said. "Tho captain has gone with her." "Oh, dear, why wasti't he saved?" "I think ho refused to desert his ship. His heart was broken, I expect. Now, Connie, duty tir.st." Indeed, she required no tolling. As each of the shipwrecked men entered the lantern she handed him a glass of spirits, asked If he were Injured nnd told him exnetly how ninny flights of stairs ho had to descend. But cocoa and biscuits would be brought soon, she explained. Greatly amazed, but speechless for the most part, the men obeyed her directions. One of the last to clahn her attention wns tho young American. Mr. Pyne. Her face lit up pleasurably when she saw him. "I was wondering what had become of you," she said. "My sister has ask ed me several tlin-s If you had arrived, and I Imagined that I must have miss ed you by some chance." Now, all tfds was Greek to him. or nearly so. Indeed, had It been Intel ligible Greek, he might have guessed Its purport more easily. Holding tho ghss In his hand, he looked at her In frank, open eyed won der. To bo halle 1 so gleefully by a good looking girl whom he had never to his knowledge set eyes on wns somewhat of a my-tery, and the puzzle1 was made all the more difficult by the fact that she had dlscnrded the weath-j er proof accoutennents needed when sho first ventured forth on the gallery. , "I'm real glad you're pleased. My j name 13 Charles A. I'yne," he said slowly. It was Constance's turn to bo bewil dered. Then the exact situation dawn ed on her. "How stupid of me," she cried. "Of course you don't recognize me again. My sister nnd I happen to be alone with my father on the rock tonight. Wo were with hlrn on the balcony when you ncted so bravely. You see, the light shone clenr on your face." "I'm glad it's shining on yours now," he said. "You must go two floors below this," said she severely. "I will bring you some cocoa and a biscuit as quickly us possible." "I am not a bit tired," he comment ed, still looking at her, "That is more than I can sny," she answered, "but 1 .1111 so delighted that we managed to save so many poor peo ple." "How many?" "Seventy-eight. But I dare not ask you how many are lost. It would make me cry, and I have no time for tears. Will you really hel;- to carry a tray?" "Just try me." At the top of Hie stairs Constance called to her father "Anything you v.-int, dad?" "Yes, dear. Find out th,Q chief ofllcer and send him to me. He can cat nnd drink here while we talk." CHATTER VIII. LEASE be careful. Theso stairs are very steep," said Constance, swinging the lan tern close to her companion's! feet as they climbed d'Tiu the topmost flight. "If I fall," he assured her, "you will be the chief sufferer." "All the more reason why you should not fall. Walt here a i:- ment. 1 must have a look at the hosp uil." The vlsltlug ofllcer's room, which also served the purposes of a library and , recreation room in normal times, now held fourteen injured persons, Includ ing two women, 0110 of them a stew ardess, and n little girl. Most of the sufferers bad received their wounds cither In the saloon or by collision with the cornice of thu light house. The worst nccldent was a bro ken nrm, tho most alarming a case of cerebral concussion. Other Injuries consisted for the most part of cuts and bruises. Unfortunately, when the ship struck, the surgeon had gone aft to attend to an engineer whoso band was crushed ns the result of some frantic lurch caused by the hurricane. Hence tho doctor was lost with the first batch of vlctlms. Enid discovered that among the few steerage passengers saved was n man who bad gained some experi ence In n Held hospital during the cam paign In Cuba. Aided by the plain di rections supplied with the medicine chest of the lighthouse, the cx-hopltal orderly bad done wonders already. "All I want, mKs," he explained In answer to Constance's question, Ms some wnter and some linen for band ages. The lint outfit in the chest is not half sufficient." She vanished, to return quickly with n sheet nnd a pair of sclssois. "Now," she said to Mr. Pyne, "If you como with me I will send you back with a pall of water." She took hlni to the kitchen, whero Enid, aided by a sailor, pressed Into service, was dispensing cocoa and bis cuits. Pyne, who remained In the stairway, went off with the water and Constance's lantern. The Interior of the llghthouso wns utterly dark. To move without a light nnd with 110 prior knowledge of Its Internal arrangements wns positively dangerous. All told, thero wero seven lamps of various sizes available. Brand had one, four wcro distributed throughout the apart ments tenanted by the survivors of tho wreck, two were retained for transit purposes, nnd tho men shivering In tho entrance passage had no light at all. Constance took Enid's lantern In or der to discover tho whereabouts of Mr. Ennnett. the first officer, the tray car rying sailor offering to guide her to him. When Pyne came back ho found Enid In the dark and mistook her for Constance. "They want somo more," ho cried at the door. "Somo more what?" she demanded, ft was no time for elegant diction. Her heart Jumped each time tho sen eprang at the rock. It seemed to bo so much worso In tlio dark. "Wnter," said he. "Dear me! I should havo thought everybody would be fully satisfied lu that respect." E He held up the lantern. "Well, that's curious," ho cried. "I Imagined you were tho other young lady. The water Is needed In tho hos pital." "Why didn't yon say so?" she snap ped, being In reality very angry with herself for her flippancy. Sho gave him a full pall, and he quitted her. Constance, having delivered her fa ther's message to Mr. Ennnett, was greeted with a tart question when she re-entered the kitchen. "Why on earth didn't you tell me that young man was attending to the Injured people? Is be n doctor?" "I think not. What happened?" "He came for n second supply of wn ter and nearly bit my head olf." "Oh, Knldl I am sure ho did not mean anything. Didn't you recognlzu him? It was he who climbed the mast and flung tho rope to us." "There." fiald En Id, "I've gono nnd done Itl Honestly, yo.u know. It was I who was rude. He will think mo a perfect cat." "That Isn't what people nro saying," explained Mr. Pyne, whoso approach wns deadened by the outer noise. "There's a kind of general Idea floating round that this locality Is an annex of heaven, with ministering angels in at tendance." w In the half light of the tiny lamps be sould not seo Enid's scarlet face. There was a moment's silence, nnd this very olf possessed youth spoko again. "Tho nice things wo all have to tell you will keep," he said. "Would you mind let'tini? me know In which rooms you have located the ladles?" Constance, as major domo, gave tho Information asked for: "They aro In the two bedrooms over head. Poor things! I am at my wits' end to know how to get their clothing dried. You see, Mr. l'yne, my sister and I have no spare clothes here. We only came to tho rock this afternoon by tho merest chance." "That Is just what was troubling me." be answered. "I am sort of in terested in one of them." "Oh," said Constance, "I do wish 1 could help: butj Indeed, my own skirts ore wringing v?rt." "From what I can make out. then, my prospective step-aunt will catch a very bad cold." The queer phrase puzzled tho girls, but Constance, rnrely for her, Jumped at a conclusion. "Your prospective step-aunt. You mean, perhaps, your fiancee's aunt?" she sucgostcd. "I don't know the lady. No, ma'am. I was right first time. Mrs. Vansittart I Is going to marry my uncle, so I keep , an eye on her stock to that extent." "How stupid of me!" she explained, while a delighted giggle from Enid did not help to mend matters. So Con stance became very stately. "I will ask Mrs. Yansittnrt to como out aud speak to you" she began. "No, no! I don't wish that. You might tell her 1 nm all right. That Is the limit. And may I make a sug gestion?'' "Pray do." "It will help considerably If tho wom en folk take It In turn to get Into the beds or bunks. Then some of theii linen could be dried nt the stove. I will take charge of that part of the business If I may; otherwise some of them will die." The girls agreed that this was n cap ital idea. Constance went upstairs. Iu tlio first room she inquired: "Is Mrs. Vansittart here?" "Yes," said a sweet but rather queru lous voice. A lady who had already appropriated the lower bunk raised herself on an el bow. The little apartment, like every part of the building save the rooms reserved by Brand's directions, was packed al most to suffocation. This, If harmful In one respect, was beneficial In an other. The mere animal warmth of so many human beings was grateful aft er the freezing effect of the gale on people literally soaked to the skin. Tho girl, not unmoved by curiosity, bold thu light so that It Illumined Mrs. Viinslttnr't. A woman of forty, no mat ter how good looking and well pre served she may be, is In sorry plight under such conditions. Constance saw a beautiful face, deathly white and haggard, yet animated and clearly chiseled. The eyes were large and lus trous, the mouth firm, tho nose and chin those of a Greek statue. Just now there were deep lines across tho base of the high forehead. The thin lips, allied to a transient hnwkllko gleam In the prominent eyes, gave a momentary gllnipe of a hardi, per haps cruel disposition. A charming smile promptly dispelled this (lectin ' Impression. Instantly Constance was aware of having seen Mrs. Vansittart before. So vivid was the fanciful Idea that sho became tongue tied. Do you want me?" asked the stran ger, with a new interest aud still smil ing. Constance found herself wonder ing if the smile were not cultivated to hide that faintly oaught suggestion of the bird of prey. But the question re stored her mental poise. "Only to say that Mr. Pyuo" she began. "Charlie Is ho saved?" Mrs. Vansittart certainly had the faculty of betraying Intense Interest. The girl attributed tho nervous start, the quick color which tinged the white cheeks, to the natural anxiety of a wo man who stood In such approximate degree of kin to the young American. "Oh. yes," said thu girl, with ready sympathy. "Don't you know that all of you owe your lives to his daring? Ho asked me to-to say ho was all right, nnd-thut ho hoped you wero not utterly collapsed." The addendum was a kindly one. No doubt Mr. Pyne bad meant her to convey such a message. Mrs. Vansit tart, It was evident, had received n shock. Perhaps she was a timorous, shrinking woman, averse to tho sudden stare of others, "I know nothing," sho murmured. "It was all so horrible. O God, shall I ever forget that scene In the saloon? How tho people fought. They wero not human. They wero tigers, fierce tigers, with tho howls and tho baleful eyes of wild beasts." This outburst was ns unexpected ns her staccato question. Constance bent over her nnd placed a gentlo hand on hrr forehead. "You must try to forgot all that," sho suld soothingly. "Indeed, It must havo been very terrible. It was dreadful enough for us, looking down ut things through n mist of foam. For you But therol You are one of the few who escaped. That Is everything. God has been very good to you!" She wus stooping low nnd holding tho lantern lu her left hand. Suddenly Mrs. Vanslttnrt's eyes gleamed again with that lambent light so oddly at variance with her smile. The slight flush of excitement yielded to a gboatly pallor. With surprising energy sho caught Uie girl's arm. "Who nro you?" she whispered. "Tell me, child, who are you?" "My father Is the lighthouse keeper," said Constance. "I nm bore quite by chance. 1" "But your namol what Is your niimu?" "Constance Brand." "Brand did you say? And your father's name?" "Stephen Brand. Itcally Mrs. Van sittart, you must try to compose your self,. You aro overwrought, and" Sho was about to say "feverish." In deed, that wa n mild word. The strange glare In Mrs. Vanslttart's eyes amazed her. She shrank away, but only for an Instant. With n deep sigh, the lady sank back on the pillow nnd fainted. Constance was then frightened be yond question. She feared that the sel sure might be n berlous one under the circumstances. To her great relief an other woman, who could not help over hearing the conversation and witness ing its sequel, came to the rescue. "Don't bo alarmed," she said. "Mrs. Vansittart is very highly strung. Sho fainted In the saloon. She does not realize that Mr. Pyne not only saved her. but nearly every woman hare. when the door was broken open. Now, don't you worry, my dear. I will look after her. You have a great deal to do, I am sure." Constance realized that the advice was good. She could not attend to ono and neglect many. Telling the women of tho plan to-dry their underclothing In sections, she ask ed them to help her by arranging mat ters so that their garments should bo divided Into lots. Then she went to tho second bedroom and made the same suggestion. Tho case of tho sufferers In the hospital required more drastic measures. Tbo little girl she stripped with her own hands and clothed her In one of Brand's flannel shirts nnd n commandeered reefer Jacket. Two of Brand's spnro suits nnd a couple of blankets enabled the two in jured women, who wero nble to walk, to get rid of their wet garments in the crowded room beneath, nnd the lockers of Jackson and Bates made It possiblo J for the men who most needed attention to be made comfortable by the invalu able hospital orderly. Constance was kept busy flying up and down t the kitchen, while Euid, having met all Immediate demands iu the matter of a hot beverage and some thing to eat, supplemented her lubors. I'yne worked like a Trojan. As each pile of sodden garments was delivered to hlni he squeezed out as much water as possible with his hands and then applied himself to the task of baking them dry. Ho did this, too, In a very efficient wny, speedily converting the kitchen Into a miniature Turkish bath. At the end of an hour ho had succeeded so well that more than one-half of the females were supplied with tolerably dry and warm underclothing. With their heavier garments of course noth Ing could bo done. Once, on the stairs, Enid detained Constanco for a moment's chat. "Mrs. Vansittart is odd," she said. Constance, so taken up was she with many errands, had forgotten tlio lady. "How thoughtless of me," she cried. "Is she better?" "Yes, but when I went In just now to give her her clothes she said to me, 'Are you the sister of the other of Constance Brand?' It was no time for explanations, so I Just said 'Yes.' She gave 1110 such a queer look nnd then smiled qulto pleasantly, apologizing for troubling me." Constance laughed. "Perhaps she knew dad years ago," sho said. "What do you think Mr. Pyne said about her?" "How can I tell? Did you speak of her to him?" "I told him she had fainted when you delivered his message. He said, 'Guess she can faint ns easy as 1 can fall oft a house.' Isn't he funny?" "I think he Is spleudld," said Con stance. The wreck was now wholly demolish ed. ' The first big wave of the retreat ing tide i-nveloped the lighthouse and smote It with thunderous malice. Screams came from the women's quar ters. "Go, Enid," said Constance. "Tell them they havo nothing to fear. They must expect these things to happen for nearly two hours. Tell them what dad said. Twenty-five years, you know." Brave hnnrts! What Infinite penetra tion Inspired the man who first said, "Noblesse oblige!" "H7io are yauT" ie whispered. Constance looked In at tho kitchen. Pyne loomed through a fog of steam. "Pay no heed to these" she was In terrupted by another mighty thump and cataract roar "these blows of Thor's hammer," sho cried. "Play me for nn anvil," he returned. Sho descended to tho depths to reas sure tho men. Talking with shrill cheerfulness nt each doorway was easy. It helped her to go down, down, 1 feeling stone and Iron trembllns as every surge was hurled many feet nbovo her head. At last she stood on the lowest floor. Beneath her feet was naught but granite nnd Iron bars. Hero was solidity. How grateful to know of this Arm base, rooted In tho very world. Her heart lenped to her mouth, but not with fear. She was proud of the lighthouse, strong In tho knowledg of Its majestic strength. Nevertheless In this place, the soured of her own sense of security, she found uneasiness among the men. They wera nil sailors In this lowest habitable rcglfn. Their preconceived Ideas had been rudely reversed. The ship, tha noble structure which doflod the storm by yielding to Its utmost fury, had foe them 110 terrors. But tho stark plllut which flinched from no assault be wildered them. It was Impossible to believe that It could withstand th strain, na! Listen to that. Tho bat terlng ram of ocean applied to a thin Khaft of stone. Surely It must be pounded Into fragments. Said ono with Indefinite bellow amid tho black turmoil: "I can't stand tills, mates." "Up aloft for mo!" cried another. "Let's die with our eyes open, any how," chimed In n third. But a light flashed In tho rolling orbi of tho man who was already on thu stairs. Astounded, ho drew back, Constance stood In their midst, a mere girl, radiant, smilingly unconcerned, addressing them lu calm words broken only by the fitful noises. "Sorry your quarters so very un pleasant. Only last a couple of hours, Twenty-five years fr worse galas Want any more cocoi?" "Thank you kindly, miss, we're qulfi comfortable." This from the man win wished to die with bis eyes open. "Please, miss, may we smoke?" said he who couldn't stand It. Constance hesitated. Blithely unenn sclous that a whiff of mutiny had swept through the storm tossed foul, she pondered the problem. Sho saw no harm In It. "Yes," sho said. "Smoke by all means. I will ask my father, and If it should be dangerous I will come bark and let you know. Iu a few hours 11 will be daylight and If tho sea falls ha will come and open the door." By sheer Inspiration she had uttered the formula destined to annihilate tho necromantic bluster of the hammering waves. Open tho door! j3o this pon derous racket was .1 mere tidal trick, n bogy, which each passing mlnuU would expose more thoroughly. "All right, miss, an' Gawd bless yer" growled one who had not spoken hith erto. There wns a chorus of approval Constance gave a little gulp. The cul tured and delicatu lady lying In tin bunk above had not spoken so. "Indeed," she gasped, "God has blessed some of us this night." Then she fled, further utterance fa'l Ing her. Nearer the sky Brand tended tin lamp and discussed matters with Chk-t Ofllcer Emmett. The sailor, with the terse directness of his class, told how tho Chinook had made an excellent voyage from New York until she rat Into bad weather about 4(H) miles wcr. of the Lizard. "It seems to me," ho said, "as if w dropped on to the track of that hurri cane after it had curved away to th norrard and that the blamed thli'5 I swooped down 011 us again when we were abreast of the Bishop light." Brand nodded. This surmise agreed with his own theory of the storm a? Indicated by the sea. Mr. Emmett hold out a clinched fist With thumb Jerked toward the reof. "I wouldu't breathe a word If h wasn't gone," ho said, "but tlio old mail was drlvln' her too hard. I knew It, and the chief know It" he meant tha chief engineer "but he wouldu't listen to cither Mac or me. Fact Is, ho was fair crazy to set up a new record for 1 tho boat. She's beeu crossln' the At 1 lantlc forty times a year for upward ' of twenty years, and the recent alter ations, although they added fifty feet to her length, only Increased her en gine power In proportion." "You surprise me," broke In Brand. "You speak as If the Chinook wera nearly as old as this lighthouse, yet I have never even heard her namo be fore." "You know her well enough all the tame," said the other ruefu'ly. "This Is her maiden voyage since she was al tered, an' they rechrlstoned her, too always an unlucky thing to do, I say Bless your henrt, man, sho Is the old Princess Royal. F.h? What's that?" lie guffawed mournfully at Brand'i Involuntary exclamation. "Certain! Well, surely I ought t know. I have passed most of my serv lco with the company in her, end when I took a crow to Cramp's to navigate her to New York after sho was smart ened up I little Imagined I would set her laid by forever the next .time ws saw the lights of old England. My goodness, even what was left of the old girl ought to know her way better's that." "But what did really happen?" "Drlvln her, I tell you -drlvln' het full pelt to land the malls at South ampton twelvo hours ahead of sched ule. With that awful sea llftln' het nud a shaft twenty feet longer, whal could you espect? Poor Perkins! A rare hard worker too. Now he's gone down with his ship an' over 200 passen gers an' crew." "Judging by the number saved I feared that more were lost." "It's tho off season, you know. Th 1 passenger list wos light. For the Lord's sake, think of what It might have ucen in May or June!" "It is bad enough ns It Is. All has not ended with the dlsappearanco of the vessel." The sailor shot a sharp glance at Brand. "Yon can't bo thlukln' any ono was to blame" ho comtneueed. But Brand waved nsldo tho faucled Imputation. ."Blamo!" ho said. "With a broken shaftl In that whirlwind! No, uo. I sent for you to talk over the new diffi culty which has to be faced. There are food, water and fuel here for three men for two months. If you do n little sum you will find that tho nvallnble stores on tho basis of full rations will maintain elghty-ono people for two days nnd a quarter." "But wo're only six miles from the mainland." Mr. Emmett had not yet grasped the true meaning of the fig ures. "I have been here more than once for six weeks nt a stretch, when, for all the nsslstauco wo could receive, i