5 J
T H
E
tn b -airched outside.
A comforting reflection truly, yet his
face bore no token thereof as he join
ed the lighthouse keeper, and several
of the Chinook's officers and men on
the gallery.
The wind had shifted another couple
of points to the north, and the sea,
apart from the reef, was running in a
heavy unbroken swell. That was the
tantalizing part of it. Any ordinary
ship's boat, properly managed, could
live in perfect safety in the open. f
But the iron toothed reef, with its
tnrtnmis channels and battling currents
ightehed his still limbs and . mPT, rQe bone uad been picked clean cuanging with every stage of the tide,
By ...
Lcuis Tracy,
Author of
"The
Wings
of the
Morning"
PILLAR of
IT TT W "KTT I
rhoneht Pvne. "Ifs a naraV tnmg to man would have been carrie3 away by
7but we ought to have the door a climbing wave had not his. mates
' -. r fniva win Tiwl iwrwivwl his danger and held him.
open, yuite u u.-. . - - " ... .va WArA
lie stra
sat up.
lie was about to feel in a pocket for
his pipe he experienced the worst
pnnps of hunger after waking In such
fashion when he saw a woman's head
and shoulders emerging out of the
stairway.
At first he thought it was Constance,
and he wondered why she had muffled
her face iu the deep collar of a -cloak,
but the visitor paused irresolutely when
her waist was on a level with the floor.
She uttered a little gasp of surprise.
"You. Charlie?" she cried. "I thought
you slept in the kitchen?"
"No. Mrs. Vansittart." he said. "I am
assistant keeper, and I am here most
all the time with Mr. Brand. But what
In the name of goodness"
"I was restless," explained the lady
hurriedly. "If I had remained another
minute among those women I should
have screamed aloud. How peaceful
you are here! Where Is Mr. Brand?"
"Guess he's gone outside to squint at
the weather. But come right in. I can
offer you a chair. Mr. Brand wants to
Bee you, and this is a quiet time for a
chat."
"How does he know me? What did
he say?"
Mrs. Vansittart pressed her left hand
to her breast. With the other she kept
the high collar over her mouth and
cheeks. Pyne could only see her eyes,
and the alarmed li'ht that leaped into
them increased his astonishment at her
unexpected presence.
"It seems to me," he answered, "that
if you just walk up four more steps
and sit down you can ask him all those
things yourself."
"Were you speaking of me to him?"
"I did happen to mention you."
"And he said he knew me?"
"Xo, ma'am. He said nothing of the
sort. But, for mercy's sake, what mys
tery is there about it?"
"Mystery! None whatever. I was
mistaken. I have never met him. I
came now to explain that to him.
Oh"-
She dived suddenly as the gallery
door opened. Brand caught a fleeting
glimpse of her vanishing form.
, "Who was that?" he asked.
ryue had found his pipe and was fill
lng it with tobacco.
"Mrs. Vansittart," he answered.
"raying her long deferred visit. I
suppose. She chose a curious hour."
"So I thought. But she just popped
her head in to tell you that she didn't
know you at all."
Brand smiled.
Toor lady!" he said. "She, like the
rest of us, is perturbed and uneasy. I
Imagine she is of a somewhat hyster
ical temperament."
"That's so," agreed Tyne.
There were puzzling discrepancies in
Mrs. Vanslttart's explanation of her
untimely appearance. Evidently she
did not expect to meet him there. She
thought she would find the lighthouse
keeper alone. The ready deduction
presented itself that when she did en
counter Brand she did not wish any
third person to be present at the inter
view. That Constance's father had no cause
to look at matters in the same light he
was quite certain. Anyhow, It was
not his affair, and he declined to trou
ble his head about Mrs. Vausittart's
vagaries.
So the young philosopher lit his pipe
and delivered a dictum on the sex.
"Some women," he said, "are made
up of contradictions. She is one. 1 1
i 1 . . 4 1t n vwl T I
uave Known uci iui auuic iimc, uuu .
thought nothing could feaze her. But
there must be a sort of society crust
over her emotions, and the wreck
broke it. Now, for my part, I like a
woman with a clear soul, one in whose
eyes you can catch the glint of the
Inner crystal."
"They are rare," said Brand.
"I suppose so. Indeed, it used to be
a mere ideal of mine, built up from
books. But they exist, and they are
worth looking for."
He waited, lost perchance the other
man should take the cue thus offered,
but Brand, for the twentieth time,
was poring over the records of the
days which followed the hurricane re
ported by a former keeper. The Amer
ican pursed his lips.
"Etc has had a bad time with a wo
man once in his life," he mused. "It
must have been Constance's mother, I
and that is why he doesn't believe In
heredity. Well, I guess he's right"
Had he seen Mrs. Vansittart cower
ing on her knees outside her bedroom
door, he might have found cause for
more disturbing reflections. She was
crying softly, with her face hidden in
her hands.
"Oh, I dare not! I dare not!" she
moaned. "I am the most miserable wo
man In the world. It would have been
better if I had gone down with the
vessel. The Lord saved me only to
punish me. My heart will break. What
shall I do? Where shall I hide?"
And her sobbing only ceased when
the noise of ascending footsteps drove
her Into the company of sorrowful yro
men, who would nevertheless have tor
gotten some of their own woes did they
but realize her greater anguish.
CHAPTER XI.V.
OMB people are never saps
fled. said Pyne, jwoOe be
! baistf the .took 9
s
of meat and marrow on the first day
after the wreck, but it occurred to
Enid that if it were broken up and
boiled she might procure some sort of
nourishment for the two children, who
were fast running down in condition.
"What is the matter now?" inquired
Constance, whose attentive eyes were
hovering between the cooking stove
and a distilling kettle.
All the flour and biscuits, with the
exception of two tins reserved for ex
tremities, had been used. She was
striving to concoct cakes of chocolate
out of cocoa, an article more plentiful ;
than any other food of its kind in
stock, but water could not be spared,
and eating dry powder was difficult to .
parched palates.
"There are two tugboats, a trawler
and a Trinity service boat not half a
mile away," said Pyne, "and the cliffs
at Land's End are peppered wim
people."
"Surely that is satisfactory. Dad
told me that the Falcon signaled this
morning he was to expect a special ef
fort to be made at half tide on the flow
and not on the ebb, as was arranged
yesterday."
"Yes, that is all right so far as it
goes." Pyne leaned forward with the
air of one about to impart information
of great value. "But the extraordinary
thing Is that while every nm on board
those vessels is thinking like steam
how best to get into the lighthouse, we
are most desperately anxious to get
out of it. So you see, as I said before,
some people"
"Oh. dash!" cried Enid. "I've gone
and burnt my finger, all through listen
ing to your nonsense."
"Are there really many people on the
cliffs?" demanded Constance.
Pyne pounded the bone viciously.
"I go out of my way to inform you
of a number of interesting and strictly
accurate facts," he protested, "and one
of you burns her fingers and the other
doubts my word. Yet, if I called your
skepticism unfeeling, Miss Enid would
be angry."
"I don't know why kettle lids are so
cantankerous," said Enid. "They seem
to get hot long before the water-does."
"The hottest part of any boll is on
top," said Pyne.
Enid smiled forgiveness. "I believe
you would be cheerful If you were go
ing to be electrocuted," she said pen
sively. "Yet. goodness knows. It Is
hard to keep one's spirits up this morn
ing. The sea Is as bad as ever. What
will become of us if we get no relief
today?"
"Mr. Pyne," Interrupted Constance
suddenly, "do you think tnat any oi
the men can have gained access to the
storeroom during the night?"
"I can't say for sure," he replied
"What has put that into your mind?"
"The purser and I examined all that
wna lpft this morninsr. and we both
agreed that some of the things had dis
appeared. It is very strange."
Pvne was not wholly prepared for
this mine being sprung on him, so he
essayed to gain time.
"It doesn't appeal to me in that light
There was a miscalculation about the
water. Why not about the food?"
"Because my father went through all
the stores personally and portioned
them out Some flour and tinned meat
have gone; I am quite sure of It. The
question is, Who can have taken themi
The flour at least must have attracted
attention if anybody tried to eat it'
"Did you say all that to the pur
ser ?" he as'icMl. sus-iendin his labors
and looking at her steadily.
"No; he could not remember exactly
what proportion of the various articles
there ought to be left'
"Then take my advice, Miss Con
stance, and keeD on forgetting," he
said.
A quick flush came into her pale
cheeks.
"You are not saying that without
eood cause?" she murmured.
"I have the best of reasons. If the
least hint of such a thing goes round
amone the men there will be ructions.
Constance went to the door and
closed it
"Enid." she said. "I believe father
and Mr. Pyne have got some dreadful
plan in their minds which they dare
not tell us about.
But the American was not to be cor
nered in such fashion. He opened the
door again and went out pausing on
the threshold to say:
"I wouldn't venture to guess what
might be troubling Mr. Brand, but you
can take it from me that what he says
roes. Talk about crasning a netUe-J
firmly! I believe your father would
grab a scorpion by the tail if he felt
that way."
And with this cryptic utterance he
quitted them, intending to warn Brand
at the first opportunity that the time
was at hand when he must harden his
heart and take the decisive Btep of
cutting off communication between the
service room and the remainder of the
building.
This could be done easily. The
flanges of the uppermost Iron staircase
were screwed to the floor above and
below. A few minutes labor would re
move the screws. The steps conk! be
lifted bodily Into the service room and
there utilised to seal the well.
"What a howling men&geri will
Then two life buoys were attached to
other ropes in case there might be
some slight chance of using them. The
tackle which the unfortunate captain
of the Chinook had cast adrift was
utilized to construct safety lines in .
the entrance way. Loops were fasten
ed to them, in which six of the strong
est men available were secured against
the chance of being swept through the
door to instant death.
Meanwhile the three vessels had
steamed close to the mooring buoy,
which, it will be remembered, lay in
full view of the kitchen window. Con
stance gave them a casual glance. Be
ing versed in the ways of the sea, she
instantly discovered that some unusual
event was astir.
She, called her sister's attention to
the maneuvers of the steamers. One,
the Trinity tender, lay broadside on to
the incoming tide.
"They are lowering a boat, I do de
clare," she announced after they had
watched the proceedings for a little
i while with growing curiosity. At the
! distance, nearly 600 yards, it was dif
ficult to discern exactly what was tak
j ing place.
, "No boat can live if it comes near
: the rock," cried Enid. And then a wild
thought brought her heart to her
; mouth.
"Oh. Connie," she cried in a sudden
panions could not understand what access of terror, "I feel sure that Jack
he turned to them with is aomg someuung ""a .-
They an know, dui
surrounded the pillar with an appar
ently impassable barrier, while the
lighthouse itself offered as frowning a
front as any of the black rocks which
reared their weed , covered crests at
low water.
Signals were being exchanged be
tween the gallery and the Trinity tend
er. Brand seemed to be very emphatic
In his answers to the communications
made to him by Stanhope.
"No, no." he muttered aloud, while
the anxious man near him wondered
why he was so impatient
"It is utterly impossible !" he said
again. "No boat can do it. Some one
should stop him. It means certain loss
of life."
At last beeomins aware that his
com
was going on,
passionate explanation.
"That brave fellow Stanhope says
that with two others at the oars, he
intends to row near enough to the rock
at half flood to endeavor to spring on
to the ladder. I cannot persuade him
that no man has ever yet succeeded in
such a mad project Look below and
see how each wave climbs around
eighteen or twenty feet of the base
The thing is wildly impracticable. He
will be swept off and smashed to pieces
before our eyes even if the boat es
capes." , "If the boat can come near enough
for that purpose, couldn't we heave a
line aboard her?" asked one or tne
ship's officers.
"We can try. I shall signal them to
that effect. Anything is better than to
sanction an attempt which is foredoom
ed to failure and must result in the
death of the man who tries It"
Thereupon more energetic flag wav
ing took place. Finally Brand desisted
in sheer exasperation.
"I cannot convince him," he cried.
"He has made up his mind. May the
Lord preserve him from a peril which
I consider to be a mortal one!"
"Has he put forward any theory V
asked Pyne. "He was doing a lot of
talking."
"Yes," explained Brand. "He be
lieves that a strong boat rowed to the'
verge of the broken water might watch
her oDDortunltv and dart in close to the
ladder on the back wash of a big wave, arui caught by Stanhope, wno mstant-
They understood. : Why had none of
them thought of it earlier? In its cold
granite depths the lighthouse carried
that which : had the power, to, subdue
the roaring fury of the reef. .
i The first man to reach the gallery
after Brand was .Pyne, who chanced
to be nearest to him when the hubbub
; arose. He found the other man fling
ing handfuls of the oil as far to wind
ward as the thick fl&d would travel.
k "Quick!" gasped Brand. "Don't pour
it out. It must be scattered!"
So the colza fell in little patches of
! smooth tranquillity into the white void
beneath, and before Stanhope had
piloted his boat half the remaining dis
: tance the wave currents surging about
! the rock3 ceased to toss their yellow
I mane so high, and the high pitched
masses of f aani vaniiliad ccrolGtelv-
us! Dad knows.
ttiev would not tell us. That is why
Mr. Pyne has not been near us for
hours."
"It cannot be. No one would permit
it. Father would never give his sanc
tion. Enid, my dear one, why do you
say such things? You frighten me!"
But Constance's lips were bloodless,
and her eyes dilated with the fear
which she, too, would fain deny.
, They were perched so high above the
sea that the dancing hillocks of green
water could not wholly obscure the
stoutly built craft which bobbed into
startling tirommence rouna me siem
of the tender.
"It is! It Is!" shrieked Enid. "Look,
Connie! There is Jack kneeling in the
bow. Oh, dear! Oh, dear: is ne maa:
Why don't they stop him? I cannot
bear to look. Connie, tell me shall I
see him drowned before my eyes?"
Tbe girl was distraught, and her sis
ter was in little better pugnt. fas
cinated, speechless, clinging to each
other like panic stricken children, they
followed the leaping boat with the
glassy stare of those who gaze open
eyed at remorseless death.
They scarce understood what was to
ward. "
As the boat, a strong craft, yet such
a mere speck of stanch life in the tum
bling seas, was steadily impelled near-
r they saw the tug lurch ahead of the
other vessels until a line was thrown
Additional Local.
allowing Its successor to lift her high
enough for an active man to jump on
to the rungs. , The rowers must pull for
their lives the Instant the wave breaks
and leave him clinging to the ladder as
best he can. There is more chance of
success In that way, he thinks, than In
trying to make fast a line thrown by
us even If it fell over the boat it is
all a Question of time, he argues, and I
have failed to convince him that not
onTy he Uut his companions will be
lost.
"Is there no chance?" inquired the
second officer.
"Look below," repeated Brand hope
lessly, and indeed, when they obeyed
him, craning their necks over the rail
to examine the seething caldron from
which the granite tower tapered up to
them, no man could say that the light
house keeper deplored Stanhope's de
cision without good reason.
They understood matters a little bet
ter, perhaps, when, one by one, they re
entered the lantern, the Falcon having
flitted away to make her final prepara
tions. Brand asked them not to make
known the nature of the pending under
taking,
"If I thought it would do any good to
the suffering people I r-ov.ld glidly
Bee them enlivened by the news," he
eald. "I confess, however, I expect
nothing but disastrous failure and
eentlenien Lieutenant Stanhope is
practically engaged to be married to
one of my daughters
What was to be said? They quitted
him in the silence that was the dom
Inant note of their lives just then.
Pyne ftne remained. He wondered
why one man should be called on to
endure so much.
Though each of those present on the
callery was loval to Brand's sorrowful
request, it was impossible to prevent
others from seeing that something of
exceptional interest was in progress
afloat and on the rock.
Brand did not know that the officials
of the Trinity house had only agreed
to help Stanhope's hazardous project
under compulsion. The sailor inform
ed them that he was determined to
carry out his scheme with or without
their assistance. So when the b aicon,
the tender and a strong tug hired by
Mr. Traill rounded the distant Cam du
headland at 11 o'clock the lighthouse
keeper felt that further protest was
unavailing. It behooved him to take
all possible measures to help the men
who were about to dare so much to
help him.
In the first place, he caused a rope
to be swung from the gallery to the
doorway. If any "doubt were enter
tained as to the grave risk attending
Stanhope's enterprise it was promptly
lv fastened it round his waist, xne
rowers wore cork jackets, but he was
aulte unprotected. Bareheaded, with
his well knit limbs shielded only by a
jersey, loose fitting trousers and can
vas shoes, he had declined to namper
his freedom of - movement with the
cumbrous equipment so essential for
any one who might be cast adrift in
that dreadful sea.
The girls, even in their dumb agony.
were dully conscious of a scurry oi
feet up and down the stairs. What did
it matter? They paid heed to naught
save the advancing boat now deep in
the trough of a wave, now perched
precariously on a lofty crest Whoevei
the rowers were, they trusted wholly
to the Instructions given by the gallant
youth who peered so boldly into the
wilderness ahead. The flying roam
and high tossed spray gave to the
lighthouse the semblance of alternately
lifting and lowering its huge frame
amid the furious torrents that encir
cled it Nerves of steel, strong hearts
and true, were needed by those who
would voluntarily enter that watery
inferno.
Yet the men at the oars did not falter
nor turn their heads. They pulled
evenly and well, with the short, deep
sunken stroke of the fisherman, and
Stanhope, now that they were almost
In the vortex where the waves lost
their regularity, produced a paddle
wherewith to twist the boat's head to
meet each turn and swirl.
Stealthily the powerful tugboat crept
in the wake of the smaller craft, until
it became clear to the girls' strained
vision that watchful helpers, lashed in
the vessel's bows, were manipulating
another rope as a drag, thus helping
the sailor's efforts to prevent their frail
argosy from being swamped by a
breaking sea.
Then a miracle did happen, a miracle
of science. When the boat was yet
200 yards away, Brand, looking out
from the gallery hi stony despair, sud
denly behaved as one possessed of a
fiend.
"Follow me!" he roared. "Come,
every man!"
He rushed into the lantern. As if he
wanted wings rather than limbs, he
swung nimseir Dy nis nanus io we
floor of the service room.
Galvanized into activity, those who
were with him on the ledge raced after
him. They knew not what had hap
pened. Their leader had spoken and
they obeyed.
Down, down, they pelted, taking the
steep stairs with breakneck speed, un
til they reached the oil room, with its
thousands of gallons stored in great
tanks.
Big empty tins stood there, awaiting
Carl Galligan arrived yesterday from
Hood River to register as an OAC fresh
man, ne will stay at Cautnorn nail.
Careless hunters a few days ago shot a
horse for some farmer residing just west
ot town. The names were not learned.
The animal was in a field or pasture aud
was shot in the breast, dying instantly.
Such work on the part of sportsmen is
the cause of so many trespass notices be
ing posted, as farmers are righteously in
dignant at such gross carelessness. The
incident should be a warning to others
who go gunning.
Jay Coopei, the deputy post-master,
left yesterday for Portland. He returns
Sunday.
Mrs. F. A. Woods has arrived from
Seattle to send her children to OAC. the
is located in one of the Price houses, near
the college grounds.
Mrs. John Irwin, who has been visit
ing here for several weeks, leaves to
morrow for her home at Waterville,
Wash. She will be accompanied by her
mother, Mrs. Maiy Horton.
Mr. G. A. Roberts has arrived from
the state college at Ames, Iowa, to accept
the position of Secretary of the Oregon
Agricultural College Y. M. C. A. for the
com mg year. .Darwin Thayer is to oe
the president, and he also has arrived,
from Portland. Mr. Koberts takes the
place formerly held by Clay Shepard,
and it is probable that the work of the
organization will now be taken up again
in earnest and that much will be ac
complished. Ed Andrews, an old OAC student, has
recentl purchased a restuarant at Dallas
and is doing well.
Ernest Applewhite arrived yesterday
from Tillamook, for a Visit with old time
friends.
Misfj Ella Johnson goes to Portland,
Sunday, on a brief business trip.
Darwin Nash, of Nashville, is visiting
Corvallis friends this week.
Miss Winnifred Gates leaves tomorrow
for Hays, Wash., for a visit with her
cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Horton.
Sue returns in time to open school at
Wells, where Bhe is to teach.
Miss Phoebe Lamberson, a graduate of
the Corvallis business college, left Wed
nesday for Dallas to accept a position as
stenographer for a business firm.
Miss Ruth Thayer arrives iu a few
days from Portland to enter OAC for tbe
coming year. She is a sister of Presi
dent lhayer of the college Y.M.C. A.
at 7 :3d p. m. Subject, "The Co-operation
ot the Saints in Heaven and the
Saints on Earth."
. .A number of Corvallis people were in
Portland, Saturday night, to attend the
closing night of "The Crisis" by one of
the best companies ever in Portland. It
was given iu the Baker theatre and the
house was packed to the doors.
Miss Grace Huff ia attending the
teachers' institute in Albany this week.
There was an enrollment of 123 on the
opening day.
Thomas Nolan was a business visitor
in Albany Wednesday.
Chester O. D. MasoD, who was taken
into custody a few weeks ago by Deputy
Sheriffs Minto and Esce, when found
living with a . young girl, at the Skiff
house on Liberty street, whom he had re
presented as his wife, was discharged to
day after a hearing in Justice of the
Peace Webster's court The examina
tion was held behind closed doors, all
spectators being excluded from the court
roem. Since his arrest Mason has been
out on bonds, which were furnished by
his mother, whose home is in Corvallis.
Last night Mason became beastly intoxi
cated and was taken into custody by
Officer Busick and locked -up in the city
jail. Statesman.
p p p
is n Hjco i is J!
Presbyterian Church. M. S. Bush,
pastor. Bible School at ten, worship at
eleven. Subject, "Repentance." C,
E. meeting at 6 :30 and evening service
Put yourself in the may
of Success.
J What life work do you elect for
yourself, young man or young wo
man ?
Are you starting out in the way
that means drudgery and small
wages, or are you getting in line
for success and preferment by tnak
, ing yourself competent to do the
work that demands high remunera
tion? J The "Holmes Business College
has started hundreds of young men
and women on the road to success.
IJ We have a whole index file filled
with letters from our former stu
dents who are now occupying posi
tions of honor and trust.
J All over the Pacific Coast and in
fact in every part of the world you
will find Holmes Business College
graduates in the professions,, man
aging businesses of theie own or
occupying places of trust in banks
or other large financial institutions.
CJ The Holmes Business; College
prepares you for success, by intro
ducing you into an atmosphere of
success the moment you step with;
in the doors of the College. . ,
J Write for folder giving detailed
information about the courses of
study, .tuition, etc. It is worth get
ting and worth keeping. It will be
sent you postpaid by return mail.
Write today, mmmmam
HJMLP
Ml
BUSINESS COLLEGE
WASHINGTON -TENTH STS.
PORTLAND. ORE
Write direct to Principal, Room 534.
IBBiiirisiffii Always B
m
dispelled by the extreme difliculty met the next visit of the tender, and Brand
with In accomplishing this compara- wrenched the cover off the nearest da
tively simple task. Even a heavy tern. He scooped up a tinful of the
piece of wood slung to the end of the 0iL
ninety odd feet of eord necessary did "Bring all you can carry," he snout-
not prevent the wind from .lashing the j and was off again with an energy
vetented e&d la fuKooa ptaacea sea
ward. At Wat ft aflo caught the
r noMaw tm
that was -wonderful in a man who bad
endured the privattena and bardaalp
of so. nwmx.honra-
Agetable Prepatalionfor As-
slrhialfoil liicFcodandBcgsila
ilarf dttSikiucfc ondBcftvels of
promotes Dige3L:on.Cheerfur
nessandRest.Contains neither
Opium,Morplune nor Mineral.
TfOT HARC OTIC .
iave
ought
Zopc ofOUJk-SmJELFmmR
flmp&M Seed'
jtlx-Seout
IlodUt Soltt
jinijir. Srett
Jhzpermint -JjiCjuiotuiteSociii
fUrmSemd .
Clroiiitd Sugar
tutieryen TattR
A perfect Remedy forConslipa
fion, Sour Stotnach.Diarrhoea
Worms .Convulsions .Feverish
ness and Loss OF SLEEP.
Facsimile Signature of
NEW YORK.
Bears the
Signature
of
AM
ri em
J3
EXACT 0QPV OT VBXBBBL
3
n
Use
or uver
Thirty Years
1
re
bece.vihen. they