Let's Kiss and Part

26

From the first moment, it was evident that the ship was doomed. The fire had gained such headway before it was discovered that its progress could not be checked. So the dread alarm, "Fire! Fire! Fire!" rang out in horror from anguished voices blending with the roaring, leaping flames, and the sullen roar of old ocean, both deadly enemies to mankind, and eager for their destruction.

Over the hurly-burly of wind and wave and fire rose the captain's voice, ordering out the lifeboats, and then the struggle for life began, intensified by the anguished shrieks of women and children, wailing and screaming in their despair.

The boats were lowered, but, alas, there would not be room for all Atlanta's freight of human souls!

In the awful glare of light that illuminated the sea and sky and the scene of terror, Hadden Jennings leaned against the deck rail with his arm about his daughter, pleading, praying the selfish wretches to take her in and save her, though he must himself perish.

In the lurid scene of smoke and flame's face shone clear and pale as a lily, as she clasped his neck, entreating him not to let her be separated from him.

"Oh, papa, darling, there is no one to love poor but you! Think how lonely I should be in the wide world without you, my only friend! If both cannot be saved, let us die together!"

The man's face, white already with the anguish of despair, grew more pallid still in the lurid light that glared on it as though her pathetic plaint went through his heart.

Clasping her close as though in the last embrace, he cried passionately:

"Oh, my darling, it is a cruel pass to which we are brought, but, as for me, I am growing old, and it does not much matter. My life has been a failure, and there are times when I have been tempted to end it with my own hands. But since I found you you have made it sweeter, so that I would fain live for you! But it cannot be. Even if I can persuade those selfish men to give you a place in the lifeboat, I must be left behind. In a moment we part forever! Listen, Angelina, my sweet daughter, to the last words of a dying man!"

She clasped her fair arms about his neck, and raised her lovely face, tear-wet and pain-drawn, to his own.

"Papa, darling, we cannot part. Do not send me from you!"

All this time a man had been lingering near them unheeded. He could see their agony, but he could not catch their words, drowned in the ocean's roar and the crackling of the flames, blunt with the wild cries of the panic-stricken passengers.

bent his convulsed face to his daughter's and pressed his lips to hers, then murmured solemnly:

"Darling, you will not be alone in the world as you said just now, and as I have made you believe in my selfish anger. You have your mother!"

"Papa!" she gasped.

The fire roared and crackled over their heads; the beasts still fought going down the ladder to safety, and the man close to them watched with impatience for the father to make some effort to save his child.

Hadden Jennings knew that his time was short. The last words must be hurried, and he continued:

"If you escape this horror, Angelina, go to New York to Mrs. Frensh. Tell her you are her daughter, sent to her at last by her erring husband. Tell her that in his last hour Hadden Jennings's heart was true to her as from the first hour he saw her beautiful face. Tell her he prayed her pardon for the impatient temper and cruel pride that turned her heart against him; that while both were wrong, he was most to blame; though if she had only looked back the day, she went she would have seen his arms extended to take her back, and he would have gone on his knees to beg her to stay! All are past and gone—the hopes, the fears, the longings, the despair, the vengeful anger that deprived her of her child—but I have loved her always—I could not thrust her from my heart!"

His strained voice broke in agony and he hid his face against her shoulder, all the anguish of more than eighteen years crowding on him, blunt with the horror of the moment.

But on deck, there were a score of people, two-thirds women, and children, who were preparing to cast themselves into the sea on frail planks and life preservers, their only refuge.

The last boat was filled, and there was but one woman in it. The rowers were putting off when a loud voice cried authoritatively:

"Hold! You can crowd in another and you shall take this lady, or I will sink the boat, by thunder, and send your selfish souls to Hades!"

It was a threat not to be lightly treated, and the rowers waited, turning their white, angry faces to the ladder where a man clambered down, assisting a beautiful young girl.

It was Frank who had broken in on Jennings's unheeded and uncared-for pleadings, crying abruptly:

"They will not hear you, sir, but give her to me and I will force them to take her in, or I will spring into the sea and overset the boat!"

And catching the astonished girl from her father's clasp, for the exigencies of the moment admitted of no ceremony, he made the bold stroke that insured her safety, placing her swooning form in the boat with the grumbling crew who yet dared not refuse his command.

Then they rowed quickly away out of reach of the storm of vituperations from the captain and other men who remained on the deck working away at a raft, on which they hoped to escape with the remaining women.

Frank looked back at Hadden as we may call him now, and the look on his face, the pain, the sorrow, was one never to be forgotten.

He cried out, though he could not catch the words:

"My God, what have I done? I have sent her from me, penniless, with the belt of jewels, all our worldly wealth, secured around my waist! I must follow and cling to the boat until I can remove it and leave it with her, my darling; then no matter what becomes of me!"

The next instant he sprang over the deck rail into the sea, and, guided by the light of lurid flames, swam after the vanishing lifeboat.

"Poor fellow, I was about to propose to share with him the spar I see floating yonder, but he is doubtless crazed with excitement! I will follow and try to help him, for he cannot swim long in such a sea without support!" thought Frank, springing into the sea and clutching the spar.

At that moment the first gray light of dawn shone over the sea, hailed with joy by scores of voices, and the raft was quickly launched, the rest of the passengers escaping gladly from the burning ship that was scattering them with firebrands and cinders.

But the raft so hastily constructed and overcrowded, began to give way, threatening instant destruction to those who had trusted to its frail support.

At that moment an empty lifeboat was observed floating near them, and they comprehended at once that the first lifeboat, overcrowded with selfish men, had somehow overturned and cast them all into the sea. They had no time to bemoan this new horror, they were too glad of this chance to save the imperiled women and children.