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THE
... By ...
Louis Tracy,
PILLAR of
Author of
'The
Winds
of (he
Morning"
Many lines of Clean and Perfect
Merchandise Radically Underpriced
LIGHT
Copyrltfht. 1004, by
Edward J. Clode
(DIDSUHElt
BflRGfllNS
(COXTIXL'KD.)
BurtTIFhouF was" grudged" by fate.
They could plainly hour tin hoarse
blasts of tin steamer's fog horn, and
again a rocket spurted Its path to tho
clouds.
She was barely a mile away and, If
anything, In a worse position than bo
fore, as the wind remained fixed In the
southwest, and the tide at this stage
curved In toward the laud ere It began
to tlow back again to the Atlantic.
"Can nothing be done?" screamed
Constance, rendered half frantic by the
thought that the steamer would go to
pieces before their eyes.
"Nothing," was the answer. 'Tray
for them. They are In the hands of
God."
In growsorno distinctness they watch
ed the vessel's appronch. The siren
ceased. Had those on board abandon
ed hope? Pitching and rolling In a
manner that suggested the possibility
of foundering In deep water, she came
on with fatal directness. Suddenly a
.dreadful thought came to Brand's
mind. The lighthouse stood on the
easterly and most elevated portion of
the wef, whose bearings ran southwest
by west nnd north-northwest. At low
water some two acres of Jagged rocks
are exposed. On nil sides the sound
ings fell to sixteen and eighteen fath
oms. What if this helpless levlnthan
of 10,000 tons or more dead weight
were to strike the pillar? This was
Ulto possible with the tide at Its pres
ent level. It all depended whether her
bows wore raised or lowered at tho mo
ment of impact. In the one case she
-would smash away mnny feet of rock
and perhaps damage tho foundations
of tho lighthouse; in tho other, her
sharp prow would stab into the vltala
of the granite and the lingo column
might collapse In common ruin with its
colossal assailant.
One of tho girls, he never reniembor
cd which of them, spoke to him. He
could not answer. For a second time
that night lie knew what fear meant. He
watched tho onward plunging of tho
Tessel with stupefied eyes. He saw, as
in a dream, that her otllcers and crow
were still making desperate efforts to
weather the reef. But, with the utter
malignity of fate, though they might
liave swung her to port, she would not
Inidge a yard to starboard, for now
both wind and waves assailed her most
Tehemently on the starboard quarter.
Then when she was little more than
twice her own length distant he was
certain that a dim form on the bridge
signaled to tho chart house. With a
miraculous deftness, on the assumption
that her wheel was put hard over, sho
fell away from the racing sens. Her
Ted light disappeared, her green light
curved Into full view. Tho next wave
lifted her bodily, with a mud Joy that
Jt should bo able to use her to batter
its enemy, tho rock.
Then she struck, with n sickening
crush that was plainly audible above
the roar of the reef. This was not
enough. Another rush of foaming wn
ter enveloped her nnd smashed her
iigain on an tuner ledge. There sho
lodged, falling Inertly over to star
board. And Brand fouud his voice once
more, for, as sure as this terrible night
would have its end so surely had the
gallant captain of the steamer refused
to imperii the lighthouse when all hope
of saving his ship had vanished.
The tears were in Brand's eyes. His
arms encircled the two girls. ?
"There goes a lino ship commanded
l)y a brave man!" he cried.
And that was tho beginning of tho
captain's requiem.
CIIAFTER VII.
EUST as the spin of n coin may
mean loss or gain In some
trumpory dispute or game of
the hour, in like manner ap
parently are the graver Issues of life
or death determined at times. It Is not
so, we know. Behind the triviality on
which men fasten with amazement as
the governing factor in events there
lies an Inscrutable purpose. Yet, to
those watcuing the destruction .of tho
splendid vessel, there was llttlo evl
leuco of other than a blind fury in tho
fashion of her undoing.
The hoarse words had scarce left
Brand's lips before a third wave, high
er nnd more truculent than its prede
cessors, sprang right over tho lost ship
and smothered her in an avalanche of
wnter. No doubt this monster swept
awny some of tho otllcers nnd crow. It
was Impossible to be certain of aught
snve the one thing that the stenmer
would surely brenk up before their
eyes. Tho wind, now blowing In flerco
gusts; tho sea, rising each minute; tho
clouds of spray chasing ench other in
eerie Jligjits. through .space; tho jjrhiu.
fug, incessant, utterly overwhelming
noise of the reef, made nil sights ami
sounds Indefinite, nebulous, almost fan
tastic. But when the giant billow receded,
leaving the ship like a dark rock in the
midst of Innumerable cascades, the ca
tastrophe took place which Brand
would have foreseen were his thoughts
less tumultuous. With the support of
the sea withdrawn from half its length
tlie huge hull must either slip buck
into deep water or break In two. Tl.
Blender steel shell of an ocean liner is
not constructed to resist the law of
gravity acting on full 5,000 tons. So
the solid looking colossus cracked like
a carrot, and the after part fell back
Into the watery chasm, there to bo
swallowed instantly amid a turmoil
which happily drowned the despairing
shrieks of far more than half of those
on board.
Constance and Enid screamed bitter- i
ly in their woe. but again they were
saved from utter collapse by the ex
igencies of the moment. Brand, who
expected to see the remainder of tho
ship blown up by the inrushlng of the
sea to the furnaces, dragged them forc
ibly below the level of the protecting
balustrade.
Vet nothing of the sort took place.
A vast cloud of steam rushed. upward,
but it wns dissipated by tho next
breath of the gale. This incident told
the lighthouse keeper much. The ves
sel hnd been disabled so long that her
skillful conunnnder, finding the motive
power of no further avail and certnln
that his ship must be driven ashore,
had ordered the fires to be drawn and
the steam to bo exhausted from all
boilers except one. Therefore her sliaf t
was broken, reasoned Brand. Proba
bly the accident had occurred during
tho height of the hurricane, nnd her
steering gear, of llttlo use without tho
driving force of the engines to help,
might have been disabled at the same
time.
When the horror stricken watchers
looked again at the wreck tho forward
part had shifted its position. It was
now lying broadside on to the seas,
and tho lofty foremast thrust Its truck
to within a few feet of them.
They wore spared one ghastly scene
which must surely have bereft tho
girls of their senses. The mnjorlty of
the first clnss passengers had gathered
in the snloon. Some clung like limpets
to the main gangwny; a number, most
ly meu, crowded together in tho draw
ing room on the promenade deck. Far
ther than this they could not go, as tho
companion hatchways had been locked
by the officer of tho watch, tho decks
being quite impassable.
Winn the hull yielded, the spacious
paloon was exposed to the vicious
waves. Finding tills new cavern opened
to them, great liquid tongues sprang
into the darkness and licked out hap
less victims by the score. Of tills ap
palling incident those In the lighthouse
knew nothing until long afterward.
When the ship struck, the electric dy
namos stopped, and all her lights went
out. Tho lighthouse lamp, owing to its
rays being concentrated by tho dioptric
lens, helped not at all to dissipate the
dim and ghastly vision beneath, but
tho great frame of the fore part of the
vessel served as a breakwater to some
extent nnd temporarily withheld the
waves from beating against tho col
umn. Hence Brand, straining his eyes
through the Hying ruck, fancied he
could make out tho figure of tho cap
tain as he left the bridge and, with
some of the crew, took shelter behind
the structure of the library and state
cabins on whnt remained of the prom
enade deck. At the same moment tho
frenzied occupants of the library aud
gangway contrived to burst open the
door of the main companion.
If they had to die, they might as well
die in the open and not boxed up in
Impenetrable darkness. As n matter
of fact, the bolts were forced by a man
who fired his revolver at them. The
sea quickly discovered this now outlet.
Tho next wave, passing through the
snloon, sent tons of wnter pouring,
through the open hatch. Ono good re
sult accrued. The strong canvas awn
ing which prolonged the spar deck was
carried away, and tho group of surviv
ors, benumbed with cold ami wholly
overcomo by their desperate position,
could see tho entire height of the gran
ite column In front crowned with Its
dindem of brilliance. The liberated
passengers snw It for tho first time.
The sight brought no hope. Between
ship nnd lighthouse wns a true mael-
' Gtrom of more than sixty feet of wnter
created by tho backwash from tho
' stonework nnd the shattered hull.
Even if tho passage could bo made, of
what avail was It? The Iron entrance
door was full fifty feet, above the pros-
Wash Fabrics.
Challlos at fie per yard.
Organdies and Dimities nt 8,
0, 10, 12a nnd lot.
Madras nt 10, 12'., and 1fh
Taffeta till'eets fit 12'.,, IB, 25
and Mtf.
Fancy White floods at'10, 12f,
15, SO, 'JTi nnd Xio.
White Linon for Shirtwaist
Suits:(5 indies wide, only 20o,
regular price 'Joe.
Ladles' Collars.
To make room for now goods:
Turnover Collars at fie to 2"o.
Other wash Collars at 15c to
50o.
Those aro BARGAINS.
A three months' trial subscription to
to the Delineator for 25c.
You know our reputation for square dealing. Test it
F. NEWHOUSE, Dry Goods, Laces.
ent" level of the sea". It could only be
approached by way of the rungs of
Iron imbedded In the granite, and ev
wv wnvn. ovoii In t lit I'otnnnrntlvo
" , ' :. "... , -,-",.-,. .'...; 1
moderation ciiuscu ny uie uoswucuuk
wreck, swept at least twenty feet of the
smooth stone 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 exposed, the sea usually so tur
bulent under the least stress of wind,
that no human being can retain baud
hold or footing.
Yet there was ono 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 spectral man climbing up the
shrouds of the foremast. On a steamer,
whose yards are seldom used for sails,
the practicable rope ladder ceases at '
the fore, main or mlzzen top, as the
case may be. Thenceforward a sailor
must climb with hands and feet to the
truck, n feat which mny occasionally
be necessary when the vessel Is in
dock. It is hardly ever attempted at
sea.
Tho venturesome Individual who thus
suddenly made himself tho center of
observation carried a line with him.
Not, until lie essayed the second portion
of his perilous ascent did ltrand realize
what tho other Intended to do, which
was nothing less than to reach the
truck, the very top of tho mast, and en
deavor to throw n rope to the gallery.
And he might succeed, too that was
the marvel of it. The tapering spar
came very nenr to them, perhaps
twelve feet distant, and the wind
would certainly carry the rope across
the, chasm if carefully thrown. A few
strong aud active men might use this
aerial ferry. Well, better they than
none. Brave fellow! "Would that the
Lord might help him!
Higher and nearer swung tho stal
wart youngster, for none but a lithe
and active boy could climb n pole with
such easy vigor. At last he reached
the truck, and a faintly heard cheer
from beneath mingled with tho hyster
ical delight of Enid and Constance, j
when, with legs twined round tho mnst, 1
he rested his arms for an instant on
the Hat knob of the truck.
Here his face came into tho lower
focus of the light strong, clean shav
en, clear cut features, a square, de
termined chin, two dark, earnest eyes
and a mop of ruflied black hair, for
his deerstalker cap had blown off ere
ho clenred tho spar deck. I
"Look out for tho line," they henrd
him shout. The wind brought his volco
plainly, but evidently he could distin
guish no syllable of Braud's answering
hall:
"Shall I make fust?"
"Can't hear a word," ho cried. "If
you can hear me hold a hand up."
Brand obeyed.
"Cntch the line," he wont on. "It Is
nttached to a block with a running
tackle. Haul in nnd mnke fast."
"Tho megaphone!" shouted Brand to
Constance. She darted away to bring
it, nnd when the adventurer clinging
to tho foremast had thrown a coll suc
cessfully, Brand took the Instrument.
"Why don't you come tills way? The
others will follow," ho bellowed.
"There are women and children
down below. They must bo saved first,
and they cannot climb tho mast," was
the reply,
Gloves.
Long wrist, black or while,
silk or lisle thread.
Long wrist, black silk laoo
Mitts.
Black aud white silk, double
tipped llngeis, at 50c.
Lisfo thread Gloves at 23o.
Corsets.
An odd lot of Corsets at 25,
10, 70 and 85o. Those Corsots
liavo also sold at from -10c- to
81 or.
Some American Bounty Cor
sots at 70o each.
Tho host f)0o Summor Corset
in town.
Hadbags, 25c to $1.50. An all-leather
handbag, with coin purse, at 75c.
"All right, but send up a coup'e i
sailors. We are short handed here.''
"Itight-o." sung out the other ehec:
lly, though he wondered why three me:
should anticipate ditMculty.
Down lie went. W!tho'.:t wall! . -Brand
and the girls lrtr.'e-! l,:".'l!.v 1 '
tho rope. It win no child's pliy t
hoist a heavy pulley and several lr":i
ilred feet of stout conhge. More tha
onco they feared tho tlrst thin rop
would break, but it was good hoTp
nnd soon the block was hoo';eil to t!
strong Iron stanchions of the railing.
To make assurance doubly sure, Brand
tnld Enid to take .several turns of the
H;ntY cord around the hook nnd 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 llgure clinging
to it. Soon lie was close to tho gallery.
Catching him by nrnis nnd collar they
lifted him Into snfety. He was one of
tho Junior otllcers, and Constance,
though sho hardly expected It, experi
enced a momentary feeling of disap
pointment that the first man to escape
was not the handsome youth to whose
cool daring some at least of the ship's
company would owe their lives.
Tho newcomer was a typical Briton.
"Thanks," he said. "Close shave.
Have you a light? Wo must signal
after each arrival."
Enid brought the small lantern, and
the stranger waved It twice. Tho rope
traveled back through the pulley, and
this timo it enrried a sailor man, who
said not one word, but stooped to tie
his boot lace.
"How many are left?" inquired
Brand of the officer.
"About eighty, all told,, including
qomo twenty women and children."
"All wet to the skin?"
"Yes; some of them unconscious, per
haps dead."
"Can you hold out?"
"Yes. A nip of brandy"
"I will send some. We must leave
you now. These with mo are my
daughters."
At last tho crust of Insular self pos
session was broken. The man looked
from ono to the other of the seeming
lighthouse keepers.
"Well, I'm"- he blurted out in his
surprise. "That American youngster
wondered what the trouble was."
A shapeless bundle hovo in sight. It
contained two little girls tied Inside a
tarpaulin nnd lashed to the rope. This
evidently wns the plan for dealing with
the helpless ones.
Brand instantly divided his forces.
Enid he dispatched to make hot cocoa
in the quickest aud most lavish man
ner possible. Constance was to give
each new arrival a small quantity of
stimulant (the lighthouse possessed a
dozen bottles of brandy and whisky)
and act as escort. Tho women and
children were to bo allotted tho two
bedrooms. Any hnd cases of Injury or
complete exhaustion could be disposed
of In tho visiting olllcer's room, while
all the meu fit to take caro of them
selves were to bo distributed between
tho entrance, tho coul room, the work
shop and the stairways. Tho kitchen,
storeroom and service room were to
bo kept clear, nud'tho storeroom door
locked. Eighty! Brand wns airendy do
ing problems hi simple arithmetic.
A similar probloui,w!th a different
Summer Underwear
Children's slcovoloss Vests, 5c,
Children's long sleeve Vests
at 15c, wore 2.V.
Nazareth Waists, 20c. each.
Ladies' .sizes, Si.,, 10, 12i.,,2.-o.
Extra largo sizes, 12K, 10, 25c
Union Suits at 25, 10, 50e.
Union Suit", long sleeve and
long tight cuirs, at50o.
Gauze Drawers, lace trimmed,
nt 15c.
Hosiery.
Hoso at 10, i:ii, 15, 18, 25, ,T.
Embroidered Hose, 15, 18, !J5o.
Ladies' lace Hoso, 15, 25, !i5c.
Children's aud Missos' Hose,
lxl rib, 10, 12 , 15, 25c.
point to be determined, was occupying
the active mind of the "American
youngster" who had solved the knot
tiest proposition put forward during
that eventful night.
He watched the forwarding of tho
shrieking, shuddering or inanimate wo
men. Ho timed the operation by his
watch, as the reflected light from tho
lamp was quite sulllclent for the pur
pose. Then lie 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," was tho
I answer. "Perhaps half an hour. Forty
minutes at the utmost."
I "Then you'll have to boost this thing
along a good deal faster," said the
cheerful one. "They're going up now
nt the rate 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."
Tho captain, who nppenred to bo In a
stupor of grief, roused himself.
A few short and sharp orders chang
ed the aspect of affairs. Frightened
nnd protesting ladles wore securely
tied togetiier nnd hoisted, fqur at a
time, like so many bags of wheat.
When it came to the men's turn even
less ceremony nnd greater expedition
were used.
Indeed, already there were emphatic
warnings that much vaiuablo time had
been lost in the early stage of tho res
cue. Though tho wind wns now only
blowing a stiff gale, the sea, lashed to
frenzy by the hurricane, was heavier
than ever. Tho ship was vanishing vis
ibly. A funnel fell ' with a hideous
crash and carried away n lifeboat.
The rest of the spar deck and nearly
tho whole of the forward cabins wero
torn out bodily. By repeated thumping
on the reef the vessel had settled back
almost on to an even keel,' and the fore
mast, which hnd so providentially near
cd the summit of the lighthouse, was
now removed far beyond the possibility
of a ropo being thrown.
The survivors on deck worked with
feverish energy. The timo was draw
ing short. They did not know tho sec
ond that somo unusually tempestuous
I wave would devour them utterly.
"Now, Mr. I'yue, you next," cried tho
chief oflicer, addressing the young rhll
ndclphiau, who, mlrabllo dietu, had
found nnd lighted a cigar.
"Guess I'll swing up along with tho
captain," was the answer.
"Up with him!" shouted tho cnptaln
fiercely, himself helping to loop Tyno
to the fourth oflicer.
AH others had gono. Tho officers
were leaving the ship In order of sen
iority, the Juniors first. Just as tlto
quartet were about to swing clear of
the ship tho captain grasped Pyne's
hand.
(To bo Continued )
A Certain Cure for Chilblains.
Shako into your shoes Allen's Foot
Ease, a powder. It cures chilblains,
frostbites, damp, sweating, swollen
feet. At all druggists and shoo stores
25 cents. Samplo free. Address
Allon S. Olmsted, LoRoy, N. Y.
--
Now is the time to subscribe ono
dollar buys Thk Ciiikk ono year.
11
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