Argosy All-Story Weekly — 'The Metal Monster' — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

88 breath. Worn riding-breeches and puttees covered her gracefully relaxed legs. Gordon-Channing had expected to find a man—perhaps several men—aboard the Barbuda, if any one survived at all. But not a woman. Certainly not this woman. He stood, staring speechlessly, Larsen at his elbow, joining him in open-mouthed as- tonishment. Ben Ali, returning, sprang lightly upon the settee and started to curl down under the girl’s chin. The movement awakened her. _ Without opening her eyes she said drow- sily: ‘“‘ Ben Ali, you’re a wonderful alarm- clock, but I dom’t want to get up yet! I suppose you’re hungry, though!” Then suddenly sensing the presence of others, the girl sat bolt-upright, her eyes wide open. Clutching the kitten to her breast, she sprang to her feet. For a moment Katrina and the mate of the Victorine gazed at each other. Then their hands reached out simultaneously. “Clay! Clay Gordon-Channing!” . “ Katrina! You’re alive!” There was a deep, resonant note in the man’s voice. It brought the swift color flying into the girl’s cheek. “Oh, yes! I’m alive, Clay! I'm glo- riously alive!’ she answered. Then she laughed weakly and added: “ Please tell me I’m awake and not dreaming. I was think- ing of you last evening, just before the storm broke. Is it really you, Clay?” “Tt is I, Katrina! But you—you were reported as lost. Where are the others? The papers said the captain, chief mate, and one or two others were left aboard the ship. Where are they? And how did you happen to be reported lost?” Katrina shook her head sadly. ‘“ It was the others who were lost, Clay—that ter- rible night. Only Mr. Thorpe and I are left?” “Mr. Thorpe?” The Englishman vis- ibly stiffened. ‘‘ Mr. Thorpe? Isn’t that the name of the other passenger listed as missing?” — “I dare say he was supposed to be lost. He and I were left aboard accidentally. It was our own faults. But you—where did you corhe frome” ~ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “Tm off the Victorine. She’s standing by. I’m her mate. Downie—you remember Downie, who used to be chief officer of the Magdalena?—he’s her skipper.” He paused abruptly. Then he turned to Larsen. “You go below and tell the boat to stand by to take off two passengers.” As the man left, Gordon-Channing turned back to Ka- trina. “ Where is this—this Mr. Thorpe?” Something in his tone sounded unpleas- antly in the girl’s ears. She flushed slight- ly, as she replied: : “I dare say he’s sleeping, down in his room. He was up all night, keeping steady watch. We sighted smoke late yesterday afternoon—I suppose. it was your ship— and we were afraid you might ride down upon us in the dark and storm. We stood by, all night, with lights and flares in readi- ness to warn you off. This morning at day- break Mr. Thorpe made me turn in. I suppose he followed suit as soon as he con- sidered it safe.” Gordon-Channing’s lips sharpened into a straight line. Katrina had forgotten that Gordon-Channing could look like that— that sharp signal of jealousy about the mouth. “Yl go find Larry,” she said, using Thorpe’s first name for the first time. ‘“‘ He'll be surprised to learn we have com- »? “T'll find him,” Clay answered shortly. ‘“ What’s the number of his room? I can find him without any trouble.” Katrina stared at him for a moment. She had been dreaming of him over the space of years—dreaming of the moonlit nights with - him, on the old Magdalena, when her fa- ther, yarning with Captain Buchanan, then skipper of the Royal Mail boat, had left her to find her first romance—only to take it away from her again in stern disapproval of the young Englishman who held such a modest berth. Katrina stared at Gordon-Channing in the flesh and tried to feel the thrill for him that she had always felt in her dreams of . him. Perhaps she was just tired. After all, she had had a terrible experience, the night before. Perhaps after she was rested— “If you'll tell me the sumber of this (CO E DOOKS UL (CO ~