The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, October 06, 1916, Page 2, Image 2
B
Aboard The G
Crew of a Water-Logged Shii
By RALPH I
A woman waited patiently in a fa
long, long aisle of desks at which li
spruce clerks were busied with bills
of lading, manifests, and accounts, jtt
Through the nearest window she saw m
the crowded waterfront of Liverpoolj
and the jostling trattic of the Mer- ti
sev. She was waiting in the hope o: a!
u unci miciiicn nun OH JUIIU'S ISilOO SI
Norcross. Handsome she was even t e
when anxiety had made her haggard.'?
Sir James had many other matters j
far more important to occupy this d
valuable morning. His secretary ex- w
plained this to the woman, but her h
persistence was unshaken. |h
At length the great man was in- tl
formed that the wife of one of hi- It
shipmasters could not be got rid of. | tl
She was very quiet and descent cl
about it. Perhaps a word or two a
would satisfy her. Sympathy for S
femininity in distress throbbed be-: S
neath the white waistcoat of Sir e;
James I3abb Norcross. Caressing his tl
neat gray whiskers, he blandly told
the secretary: tc
"You may admit her. I can spare P'
five minutes. Her husband com- ai
mands one of my vessels? Ah. what hi
name?"
"'The Chilton Orange." she says,; v<
sir. The steamer left New ^ ork ten gi
days ago." ' w
Sir James pursed his lips, and tn
something like a scrowl shadowed hisi^
m -sive features. The annoyance j si
was momentary, however, and his w
tn dlow geniality reasserted itself as >'<
he said: d<
The Chilton Grange? Let me see.
That would be Captain Nelson Sack- s*
ett. A capable master but inclined ui
to borrow trouble." a:
He remained seated as the woman
entered, hesitant, abashed, her cheok
oriKiiuy nusneu. It was an
mensely audacious enterprise for hei j
to thrust herself upon the notice of I
Sir James Habb Not-cross. In her ,f
hand was a letter, folded and con-!'*1
coal-d. which she did not expect to "
disclose: but it cave her courage,
and was the reason she had waited ''
so patiently. ^
P
Tlte ship owner graciously indicated
a chair, but she preferred to
stand. The sight of him somehow
braced her resolution. Her shapelv
* c;
figure was held erect, the poise of j
her head was challenging, and her
breath no longer fluttered between
.in , d
parted lips.
'Mrs. Sackett? I have not had!,
the pleasure of meeting you, al- "
though your husband has been for
many years in my employ," sono- ,,
vously declaimed Sir James Norcross.
y
"I am Judith Sackett," she an- j
sw.-rod, regarding him from beneath
black, level brows. s
Her voice trembled a little, but
she controlled it as she went on to ^
tfay:
r
"I must ask your pardon for put- ^
ting you to the trouble of seeing t
me, but I am beside myself with
worry, and your clerks could give
me no proper information?at least n
it wasn't sufficient to make my mind p
easy?" 01
Sir James stirred in his chair with y
an air of disquietude and found hiniself
avoid.ng the gaze of Judith Sack
n
ett. He lumbered to his feet as he
xclaimed:
r>
"You are agitateu, my dear wo
vian. I beg of you to be seated. I
am wholly at your service." 1 ^
As though she heard him not. Judith
Haikett nervously twisted the *'
letter in her lingers and moved to a
Oj
window where she leaned against the
r<
ledge. Toward the beefy, pompom
shipping magnate she felt a vague
sense of physical repulsion. She
wished him to keep his distance.
"I came to ask if the Chilton ^
..rang- had been reported since she (
sailed from New York." the woman i ^
tl
explained. "They told me in the
other room that she had not been
spoken."
"Which was quite correct, Mrs.
Sackett," pleasantly replied Sir.
James. "Hut there is not the slight- a'
eat ground for alarm. Our smaller |a"
i w
rhips of the Chilton Orange class arf,|t|
not yet equipped with wireless. Tt
' w
sometimes happens that the steamer
Ttakes the Atlantic without being J'
?nce spoken The Chilton Grange
las been at sea only ten (lavs. I am r
S
surprised that you should feel at all
toncerned about her."
"I am always anxio>.s when mv ''
t 1
husband is afloat," said Judith
Sackett. "It is the cross that we
wives of seafaring men must hear. ''
What I wish to beg of you is that Jl
you will surely sena word to my n
house whenever the steamer is heard "
from. If I leave It to a clerk, he 0<
may forget or delay it. If you com- ?
mand it, I can depend upon getting a'
the news. It will be the greatest|b
TI
I
iilton Grange
? Mutinies in Mid-Ocean
i
I). PAINE
ivor in the world to me and my
ttle boy."
Sir James coughed, fumbled with
>e papers on his desk, and delanded:
"What is there about this par- ,
cular voyage to make you feel
larmed? A summer passage in a ,
anch, well-found steamer with an
xperienced master?why, I should
ot mind being along myself!"
"I have had bad dreams, dreadful
reams." she evasively returned. " V
oman weaves strange fancies when
er man is tar away. 1 am not the
ysterical sort, but 1 feel things, and
icy come true. You will promise to
>t me know? I have been tracing
te voyage with a pencil 011 an obi
hait, setting down every day an
verage run for the Chilton Grange,
he must he in mid-ocean by now.
hips should he passing her on the
astbound track. Is it fooiish to ask
lem to look for her?"
At last her restless mood seemed
i have communicated itself to the,
ortly Sir James. He flung out hisj
rm in a jerky, emphatic gesture as
p affirmed:
"But. mv dear Mrs. Sackett, the!
*ssel is not overdue. She is jogng
along at eight or nine knots,
ith a voyage of three thousand
iles to make. And I have the great-j
it confidence in your husband. 1
tall be glad, however, to comply
ith your request. The office haiur
address. I am at a loss to un
prstand your fears. If they did not
luse you so much real distress. 1
lould be inclined to laugh at them,
pon my word! Captain Sackett is
* safe in the Clinton Grange as
lough he were on dry land. Have
?u been having any trouble with
our nerves that might account for
lis!"
Judith Sackett was no longer able'
) dissemble her contempt. It blaz-.
rl in her dark eyes and curled her
fmI lips. I'ntil now she had watchu
11 y held her speech under restraint
>st she might jeopardize her liusand's
interests with his employer, j
till the monstrous hypocrisy of Sir,
allies Bnhh Norcross made hei
hrow discretion to the winds.
He was crassly lying to her, andj
he knew it.
Smoothing out the erimpled letter;
1 her hand, she moved (loser to the;
esk.
"And so you would not mind be
ng along with Captain Sackett fo>
his voyage in the Chilton Grange, j
he cried, mocking and tempestuous.
It will go hard with him. no doubt,
r he comes through safe, after I tell
on the truth to your face. Hut ran'
listen to the cruel nonsense of an
wner who holds sailors' lives and
ailors' widows so cheap?"
Sir James looked amazed, his
orid features became mottled with
ighteous indignation. He was about
o ring for his secretary and have
he woman removed, but she ronronted
him. oeautifui and fearless.
Judith Sackett read aloud the
tessage from Captain Nelson SackIt
as he had written it to her in his
iibin just before sailing from New
ork:
"I expected to stay here longer for
pairs in dry dock, but Sir James
abb Norcross tells me by cable to
roceed at once. I mailed a report
? him as soon as we came in front
in. The vessel has strained herself
trward, and we had to keep the
nmps going. There is eight feet of I
ater in the forepeak now. and wej
tn't seem to gain on it much. The
ason why the owner orders me to
ait and go into dry dock in Liverool
is that the job will cost him four
r live hundred pounds less than if
had it done in .New York. With
lir weather the Chilton Grange will
e able to make the passage, al-i
tough it will be slow -and you must
ot worry.
"The owner takes no risk on her,
>r the steamer is well insured, and
9 is going in for bigger ships which
re more profitable to run. 1 might
d|< Lloyd's agent in New York:
hat he thought of starting acrossj
le western ocean with eiglu feet of,
ater in the forepeak and the pumps i
nnhle to clear it. He would order'
le vessel into dry dock or cancel the,
isurance, but I can't afford to do it. I
ir James Dabb Norcross would give
le the sack and blacklist me in Kng-:
sh ports. A shipmaster has to take
lings as he finds them these days."I
Judith Sackett's voice faltered and
led. She stood waiting for 8lr|
limes to answer the damning indict-j
lent. Her words had been like the,
illing of a bell. Their intonation j
mveyed her belief that ttoo Chilton
range would never see port, again,I
s though her dreams of disaster,
ad been prompted by means moro,
IE LANCASTER NEWS FR]
subtile and mysterious than wireless T
telegraphy. n
At this moment the great man's fi
secretary entered hastily, a packet of st
letters in his hand. tl
"The American mail, Sir James." ti
said lie. "And you will be delighted, ei
I'm sure, to see the handwriting of tt
Mr. Ilnyden Norcross again." s,
"Ah, thank you." was the eager, o
beaming reply, the woman forgotten.
"No doubt my son has written to tell n
me in what liner he has taken pas- 1<
sage for home. A White Star boat, d
or a Cunarder. I suppose." r<
The storm had almost blown itself ti
out. and the swollen seas that reared h
against a leaden horizon were sullenly
subsiding. The Chilton Grange tl
rolled as though weary of the battle tl
for survival. Captain Nelson Sack- <
ett marked how slow and heavy was h
her motion, her natural buoyancy h
v eil nigh gone. His first mate stood h
beside him. a man whom life had n
whipped into uncomplaining forti- ('
tude. It was part of the scheme of a
existence, as he knew it. that mari- s
ners should be forced to go in un- b
seaworthy vessels to eai n their
bread. in
"Will she last through another s
night, sir?" he asked without emo- b
tion. g
"I doubt it. Mr. Ithoades. When f
she settles a little lower we will try s
to get the boats away. I'm hoping f
something may happen along to pick <1
us off before the poor old hooker I
founders." ;b
"She never had a fair chance this'*
voyage, sir. Crippled to begin with. ^
and luck went against her."
"Bight you are." said Captain a
Sackett. "and I feel sorry for her."
"Queer?awful queer, isn't it. sir. '
that the owner's son should have s
shoved himself aboard the way he
did -and tt.tn the voyage turn out!*
this way?" N
"Strange it is. Mr. Ithoades. and ^
perhaps not so strange. You and 1
believe in the judgments of God. ^
They can overtake a man as power- .
fill as Sir James Babb Norcross."
Havden Norcross had climbed to
11
the bridge and annroached them 1111
' c
observed. He heard the voice of
Captain Saekett. solemn and devout. (
deliver this condemnation as one (
who knew whereof he spoke. White
and shaking, but not with fear, the
young man stepped between the two (
officers and cried:
"Why have you been hiding things
from me ever since we left New
York? What is the trouble with
this ship? Is she haunted? What's J
this nonsense about my father and!
the Judgments of God?"
The mate sighed and went for-!
ward, methodical, unhurried, as always.
Captain Saekett laid his hand
upon Hayden's shoulder as he
said:
"The Chilton Orange is dropping
from under our feet. 1 have tried
to keep the truth from you because
I could not raily hold you responsible.
Hot now you ought to know
If yflu come out this alive, I want you
to remember for the sake of other
sailors."
"Remember what?" exclaimed
Hayden Noreross. discerning that in,
this extremity there was no room for,
anything except the truth, naked and j
brutal.
"That your father sent this steamer
to sea when he had the facts to
prove she wasn't fit to go. He did |
it to save no more money than you
fling away in a month. And jolly
little he cared if we poor devils never!
saw Liverpool!"
"It's a lie! It must be a lie!"]
shouted young Noreross, but hi9
voice faltered. You are trying to
cover up your own neglect. You have
listened to the silly ravings of the
crew. My God, to say such a thing j
U K that a ll/lllt MIV t'atlmci" 11
From his s'aIt-stained blue coat1
the shipmaster pulled out ? oopy.ofi
the report he hnu mailed to Sir 1
James Babb Norcross and the cabled
reply. Without anger he gave them
to the son. The e\idence required
no comment. It was final, complete.
When Hayden Norcross hud read
it. slowly, unflinchingly, he forgot
that death was so near. The expression
of his face was no longer boyr
ish.
"No wonder the men were cursing
me!" he said after an abstracted
silence.
"I am eating my own conscience
before the ship goes under," quoth
Captain Sackett. "I failed t<* warn
you. Fan you forgive me for that?
It seemed like a decress that I had
no right to meddle with."
'"I can't hold it against you. of
course." was the manly assurance.
"You could have done nothing else.l
How long can we stay afloat? There
are the boats, you know."
"Yes, there are the boats, Mr. Norcross,
but only one is worth launching
overside. The others are old
and rotten. The pain hold them together."
Hayden winced and turned away.
The captAtn resumed his last watch i
on the bridge of the Chilton Grange.1
t it >.
DAY, OCT. 6, 1916.
lie day wore on Into a misty afteroon,
which curtained the wallowing
"eighter from the sight of other
earners. The men were deserting
leir post- The tires had been exnguished.
and the puuips no longr
throbbed. Armed and indotniible.
Ceaptain Sackett drove the
?amen and stokers away from the
ne seaworthy boat.
Suddenly there raged'in the more
iittianlv of the crew the resolve to
eave young Norcross behind to
rown. Shoving Norcross into a
Dom. Captain Sackett whirled to
roe the onset. They swarmed about
itu like wolves.
His warning shout failed to check
Hem. With a feeling of pity, he shot
tie leader, and the mob broke.
, Obedience and disciplined to the
ist. Rhoades and the second mate
allied Noreross toward the boat, uneeding
his frantic protests. The
10b rallied and streamed after them.1
aptain Sackett raced on ahead,
nd stood with his back to the boat,
triving to repel the rush as the ship
egan to sink.
In the mournful obscurity of the
Hist there suddenly loomed the
hape of a huge liner. eastward
ournl, which slackened way and bean
to drop her rescuing boats with
nagical celerity. The crew of the
inking tramp leaped into the sea beore
the suction could drag them
lown. Captain Sackett flung his
lassenger overboard and dived as
lis forlorn ship lunged and rolled in
he closing moment of the tragedy.
They fought clear of her, and were
ished out by the seamen of the liner,
n offlcer explaining:
"We had special orders by wireess
to look out for you. A close
have, that."
The shipping magnate was afraid j
0 meet his only son. and his natural
joy was profoundly shadowed
layden shook hands, but his mood
vas taciturn, and he was more like
1 stranger until they had quitted the
rowd. Then he said, grave, inflexble:
"I have sailed with a man. father,
i better man than you. He kept his
rew from killing me. It was Tor
he sake of other sailors. You can
ake your choice. I step into the
lusiness and change its methods?do
.'ou understand that??or we part.'
Sir James turned to gaze at Julith
Sackett and her man and their
II
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TANLAC HAS BEEN WORTH '
$500 TO HIM HE SAYS
Richardson Declares "Two Years
Have Passed Since Tanlac
Restored My Health."
ONCE LIVED ON MILK.
Removed by Tanlac, He Says
"Pve Had No Return of Any 1
of My Old Troubles."
a lew ciays ago, Frank Ilichard- '
son, a well known employe of the s
Byrd Printing Company. residing at
52 West hake St., Atlanta, came in 1
to Jacob's Pharmacy and in relating
his experience with Tanlac, said: I
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the statemnH that M wouldn't take
$500 for tli^goodfTanlac did me.
Well, I just ^aut wo tell you I still
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Tanlac/gave me relief when
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"My diet was restricted to milk
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only son as they passed from the hairhorside.
Brokenly he muttered:
"'I may have made mistakes, Hayden.
If you think you can mend
them?why, I need your help. We
want no more disasters like the Chilton
Grange. 1?I too have suffered.
Will you come home with me!"
"On those terms I will go horn?
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new head of the house of Norcrost.
(The End.)
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