Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

82 “You are very thoughtful,” she told him gently. Thorpe flushed. ‘“‘T’ve never had to look after a woman before,” he said shortly. “I’m afraid I shall prove very awkward.” They walked slowly forward, their bod- ies swaying to the movement of the ship. The Barbuda’s movements were uneven, as she rolled or pitched, according to which- ever way the seas caught her. But she was not particularly uncomfortable. After a fairly good meal—Thorpe had the steward’s keys, and had found enough things in the ice-box to set out a relishing cold supper—there came the time Katrina had dreaded. The last evidence of the storm had disappeared, and a bright moon hung high in the heavens. At least Captain Buchanan should clear for strange ports beneath a calm sky. Katrina looked up apologetically at Thorpe. ‘“ You may think it foolish,” she said haltingly, “ but I’d like to play Cap- tain Buchanan’s favorite sea-piece on the piano. He was very fond of music and— oh, we can’t just let him go without any— any of the decencies!”’ Thorpe nodded gravely. “Of course not. You go into the social hall and play, while I—I’ll get him in readiness.”’ Katrina’s tears were very near the sur- face when she sat down before the piano. She bowed her head, a moment—not so much in prayer as in silent communication with that something so vague she couldn’t claim understanding of it. “ Daddy,’ she whispered finally through the dark, ‘‘ Captain Buchanan is coming to join you, wherever you are. I wish I were coming, too! Oh, I wish I were coming, too! I’m going to play what you always called a sea-lullaby, dear—MacDowell’s ‘ Starlight.’ Perhaps—I don’t know—per- haps you and he can hear me!”’ | She brushed a quick hand across her éyes and played, Softly, reverently, the notes sounded beneath her gentle fingers, a melody that was as much a part of the night as the stars, the moon and the now quietly undulating sea. She finished, and then, gathering her courage in her two hands, she went out on _ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. deck, where Thorpe had laid a still for in an odd shroud close to the rail. 2 “Is there a lantern lighted anywhere# she asked in what was scarcely more than § whisper. ‘“T left one in—his room.” “I want his prayer-book,” Katrina eq plained, and she went forward to what ha been the captain’s quarters. In a minute she had returned, prayes = book in one hand and lantern in the othes Ben Ali followed her, stepping daintily. Kneeling beside the still form, Katrin opened the prayer-book, and by the ligh of the lantern read aloud in her softly mod ulated voice the service for the burial a dead at sea. “We therefore commit his body to deep ”—the words rose into the loneli night, and as the Barbuda heeled gentl , Thorpe eased the quiet form through a ga where the rail had been smashed away i the hurricane. | As the weighted shroud slipped into th cool, dark waters, Katrina bowed her heag between her hands and softly wept. 4 me) - od Zz Ten days had passed since the hurricang that had stripped the Barbuda of her pro- peller. Abandoned—a derelict, according to maritime classification—the ship s i remained afloat in the beautiful, cobalt seayt The sun was shining and the air was so it and mild. Katrina—or was it Katrina, new creature, flushed of cheek and spare kling of eye?—was hard at work, cleaning up her ship. Thorpe was assisting. The days of enforced work, plain food, and fresh air had worked wonders on both Thorpe and the girl. Katrina showed it mainly in cheek and eye. But Thorpe— Thorpe was a new man. The dread loneliness that had encom- passed each of them in New York’s crowd- ed streets had left them, here in this vast world of sea and sky. MHere they had found calm—they had found service, if only the service of caring for three bleating sheep, a Persian kitten, a riotously happy canary, the ship herself—and each other. For the first time in his life Thorpe was responsible for the protection of a woman, It was good for him. And for the first time ecomiclooolkks (CO