John Fleming Wilson

“ Half of us were in love with her. She never looked at any of us. She was at once our best of friends and yet aloof. And of us all but one man touched that secret spot which lies in every woman’s heart—and he went and married the McTodd girl. Nice enough, probably, and all that; but not in Harry Owen’s class nor in Kitty Melrose’s set. And Harry Owen threw away the Shearwater for Kitty’s sake.”
“But he hadn’t met her in years,” I persisted.
“Of course not!” Gorham retorted. “He was in love with her. He didn’t even dare think of her. He had tied himself up tight and fast to Sheila. ”

“ Gorham tapped the hot ashes out of his pipe thoughtfully.
“I don’t profess to understand women, but Sheila was angered by the indisputable fact of Harry Owen’s faithfulness to his marriage vows. She knew, as women do know those things, that he was living up to some one else’s standard. And try as she might, she could never ascertain even so much as the name of any woman with whom her husband had been in love. ”

“ The order was obeyed, though it took an hour, during which sea after sea came aboard the old Shearwater and the Western Pacific began frantic speech by wireless. However, the job was done.
“From now on the Shearwater was, you understand, almost helpless. It was cruel work and, at last, Harry himself took the wheel. Ten-inch lines, no matter how good they are, can’t stand up under such a strain as was inevitably put on ours. But Owen deliberately sacrificed his own vessel to save the Western Pacific.” ”

“ I said finally, and I walked to the window and stared out into the rain that was lashing San Francisco. Then I turned on him fiercely. “You don’t know what you are saying! I tell you Harry Owen, to my certain knowledge, never so much as went to tea with Kitty Melrose after he married Sheila. And of all women to accuse of being—of being—” I shook my fist at Gorham.
He did not move.
“I know!” he said quietly. “I tell you I was there. She was the first woman I saw when our boat finally reached the Western Pacific and we were literally dragged on board out of the boiling sea. ”

“ The Western Pacific wanted to be towed out of danger—a matter of forty miles. Transferring anybody was out of the question, for the sea was terrific. No boat could live in it. Both captains were pretty anxious. Finally Owen ran the Shearwater right up under the lee of the Western Pacific and threw his searchlight on her. She was all right, sea anchor out and riding fairly easily. But when Harry Owen laid down his binoculars he was a different man. ”

“ I couldn’t bear to see our old chum handling steam schooners and colliers in and out of the harbor where we had had our joyous and happy youth, while the rest of us went ahead and kept up the old associations and friendships and got a taste of happiness. ”

“ I do not remember the men pulling the lifeboat over to the Western Pacific—I recall nothing but the darkness of that tremendous and tragic problem and the incessant pressure of Sheila’s fingers into my arm. But when we reached the liner’s deck, I supporting Sheila, I saw a woman standing in a little recess of the deckhouse. It was Kitty Melrose. She was as lovely and witching as ever, her eyes shining, her lips parted gently.
“How do women know? ”

“ It happened that it was one of the liner’s boats and the mate in charge stared up at Owen expectantly. The Shearwater was almost awash. Still Harry made no movement to get into the boat. Instead, he thrust me in and I found myself seated with Sheila.
“‘Hurry up, sir!’ cried the mate in our boat.
“But Harry shook his head with a firm and determined movement.
“‘Shove off!’ he ordered, and the men obeyed like children. But their officer bawled out, again and again, vainly. Harry Owen stared at us all, rising and falling on the spumy seas, and then turned away and went into his own cabin. ”

“ Gorham lighted another pipe.
“Get this into your head: the big liner was on a lee shore, no help in sight; she would have gone on the rock in an hour had it not been for the Shearwater. But twenty miles south she would have been safe. Tugs were coming to her assistance. It was that twenty miles Owen was trying to make.”
“He was mad to try it,” I said. “No seaman with freight and passengers is justified in wrecking his own ship that way. And you tell me——”
“The chief officer and the engineer came to me about it,” Gorham went on. “That was their idea—that Harry Owen was mad. ”

“ He gave a brusque order to cast off the hawser and listened quietly to the chief officer and the engineer.
“‘A bad run of sea yet,’ was all he said, and went into his own cabin. I followed him, leaving the officers to get the boats ready for launching. Sheila was still crouched in that great chair, her fingers set into its leather arms. Harry looked at her and remarked very simply, ‘The ship is sinking. We shall have to take to the boats. There is time yet. You’ll find yourself quite comfy on the Western Pacific.
“She rose with a single movement. ‘This ship is going down? she cried. ”