Argosy All-Story Weekly, December 4, 1926 — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

404 ain’t—haven’t ever—no! [I have never heard it properly spoken!” She looked at him triumphantly. “You see, it will be quite easy for you to learn,” he decided. ‘‘ That sentence was quite all that it should be. Just remember what you learned in school, and forget the way you have heard it spoken, and there you are; very simple.” “ Yes,” agreed Judith, “ but habits ain’t —are not so easy—easy—easily dropped.” She appeared to be talking to herself. “My voice is hoarse as a raven’s, ain’t —isn’t it?” “ No, your voice is quite all right,” as- sured Stephen. The doctor was standing by the railing when Stephen and Judith emerged from the companionway for their constitutional. “ Ah, there you are! I was just wonder- ing if you had survived the storm?” greet- ed Stephen. “ Survived!” echoed the doctor. “ Wasn’t that an artistic bit of storm, though? I thought we were due in Davy Jones’s locker - all right. How is Miss Stowaway this morn- ing?” “ Quite all right, thank you,” said Judith gravely, imitating Stephen’s way of talking. The doctor looked at her, a little puz- zled frown appearing between his eyes. “Miss Gray has consented to walk with me. Will you come?” asked Stephen. “Sorry. Have a lot to do this morning. Some of the seamen were disabled last night. I just came up for a breath of air. Heard you were on deck during the worst of it.” “ Ves, for my sins. Solid land would have looked good to me for a while. Sorry you can’t come with us.” “Sorry, too. See you later,” said the doctor, who went below still with the little puzzled frown puckering his brow. Poor transparent Judith, who was strug- gling to make herself over, would have worn a more puzzled frown than did the doctor could she have known his thoughts. The day wore away with the Psyche still cruising around in the vicinity where she had last heard the S O S call. No more calls came; so it was evident to Captain ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Lang that the schooner’s wireless must have been put out of commission by the storm. 7 During late afternoon Allerton thought he descried dim on the western horizon, the outline of a hull, which might or might not be that of the luckless schooner. Later, through binoculars, the captain made sure of its identity. The crew of the schooner must have spied the yacht before their abandoned ship was sighted by the lookout; for on the face of the heaving gray wastes, already halfway to the Psyche, were two moving specks. A half an hour dragged by, while the yacht moved toward the specks, which con- tinually grew larger. Then she lay to while faint shouts came over the water. Lights flared to life over the yacht’s deck. A searchlight sought out the boat- loads, close together, and directed them to the side of the Psyche. Stephen stood by the deck railing, watching them approach. Judith had gone below. Now the ladder was lowered over the side. Up it wearily climbed the refugees, garbed in the uniform of the English merchant marine. There were about twenty of them. They replied weakly to the hearty welcome and expressions of sympathy ten- dered by the yacht’s crew. Several of them dropped, apparently exhausted, upon the deck. The second boat was now alongside, and the attention of Lang and his men was transferred to the men from this boat, whom they helped over the side. Almost under Stephen’s feet lay one of the seamen, who had collapsed there. With feline stealthiness, he gathered himself on hands and knees, as if about to spring; his eyes were narrowed. The other brine-soaked figures about the captain came to that same stealthy posi- tion, like a cat about to spring. Intuitively Stephen divined an amazing situation. With a wild cry of warning he cast himself headlong at the crouching fig- ure at his feet. The next moment the deck of the reene was like a madhouse. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK com Ghbooks (E@)