Judge — October 2, 1920 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

found one of the ship's rafts still lying on the deck. 1 gathered together such irticles as might be of use and con trived, though how I do not know, to launch it into the sea. On my second morning on my raft 1 was sitting quietly polishing my boots ind talking to myself when I became aware of an object floating in the sea close beside the raft. Judge of my feel ngs when I realized it to be the inani mate body of a girl. Hastily finishing 9 my boots and stopping talking to my- ~~” @f¥-——— self, I made shift as best I could to —{ r( draw the unhappy girl towards me with hook After several ineffectual attempts I at last managed to obtain a hold of the girl’s clothing and drew her onto the raft. She was still unconscious. The heavy life-belt round her person must (so I divined) have kept her afloat after the wreck. Her clothes were sodden, so I reasoned, with the sea water. On a handkerchief, which was still sticking into the belt of her dress, I could see letters embroidered. Realizing that this was no time for hesitation and that the girl's life might depend on my reading her name, I plucked it forth. It was Edith Croyden. As vigorously as 1 could I now set to work to rub her hands. My idea was (partly) to restore her circulation. I next removed her shoes which were now rendered useless. as I argued, by the sea water, and began to rub her feet I was just considering what to remove next, when the girl ed hereyes. “Stop rubbing my feet,” she sa ‘Miss Croyden,” I said, “you mistake me. I rose, with a sense of pique which I did not trouble to con- cecal and walked to the other end of the raft. 1 turned my Drawn by Pare Reser Drarn by CW. Kaunas “WILUE, LET Me HEAR YOU COUNT UP TO TEN.” “One, TWO, THREE, FIVE, SIX, EIGHT, NINE, TEN.” “Wronc! You sxirreo two numpers.” “WELL, THAT'S THE WAY MY FATHER COUNTS.” Is YOUR FATHER AN EXPERT ACCOUNTANT?” “No'm! we setts Gasoune.” His Nastesake back upon the girl and stood looking out upon the leaden waters of the Caribbean Sea. The ocean w calm. There was nothing in sight I was still searching the horizon when I heard a soft footstep on the raft behind me, and a light hand was laid upon my shoulder.“ Forgive me.” said the girl’s voice. T turned about. Miss Cr standing behind me. She had, so I argued, removed her stockings and was standing in her bare feet. There is something, I am free to confess, about a woman in her bare feet which hits me where I live. With instinctive feminine taste the girl had twined a piece of sea weed inher hair. Seaweed asa rule, gets me every time. But I checked myself Miss Croyden,” I said, “there is nothing to forgive.” \t the mention of her name the girl blushed for a moment and scemed about to say something, but stoppe “Where are we?” she queried presently “TL don’t know,” I answered as cheerily as I coule um going to find out.” How brave you ar Miss Croyden exclaimed. Not at all,” I said, putting as much heartiness into my voice as I was able to. The girl watched my preparations with interest With the aid of a bent pin hoisted on a long pole I had no difficulty in ascertaining our latitude. Miss Croyden,” I said, “Tam now about to ascertain our longitude. To do this I must lower myself down into the sec Pray do not be alarmed or anxious. I shall soon be back.” With the help of a long line I lowered myself deep down into the sea until T was enabled to, ascertain, approximately, at any rate, our longitude. A fierce thrill went through me at the thought that this longitude was our longi tude, hers and mine. On the way up, hand over hand, 1 ob- served a long shark looking at me. Realizing that the fellow, if voracious, might prove danger ous, I lost but little time, indeed, I may say I lost absolutely no time, in coming up the rope. The girl was waiting for me. “Oh, Tam so glad you have come back.” she exclaimed. clasping her hands. “It was nothing,” I said, wip ing the water from my ears and speaking as melodiously as I could “Have you found our where abouts?” she asked. “Yes,” I answered. “Our latitude is normal but our longi- tude is, I fear, at least three degrees out of the plumb. I am afraid, Miss Croyden,” I added, speaking as mournfully as I knew how, “that you must recon- cile your mind to spending a few days with me on this raft.” Ss now len was “but I iat cca comicbooks.com