ly secured with strips of wood
nailed across.

"I understand," she said finally. "Will you take me to Karen's room?"

I could see no reason for objecting; but so thorough was the panic that
had infected us all that I would not allow her in until I had preceded
her, and had searched in the clothes closet and under the two bunks.
Williams had not reached this room yet, and there was a pool of blood
on the floor.

She had a great deal of courage. She glanced at the stain, and looked
away again quickly.

"I--think I shall not come in. Will you look at the bell register for
me? What bell is registered?"

"Three."

"Three!" she said. "Are you sure?"

I looked again. "It is three."

"Then it was not my sister's bell that rang. It was Mr. Vail's!"

"It must be a mistake. Perhaps the wires--"

"Mrs. Turner's room is number one. Please go back and ask her to ring
her bell, while I see how it registers."

But I would not leave her there alone. I went with her to her sister's
door, and together we returned to the maids' cabin. Mrs. Turner had
rung as we requested, and her bell had registered "One."

"He rang for help!" she cried, and broke down utterly. She dropped
into a chair in the chart-room and cried softly, helplessly, while I
stood by, unable to think of anything to do or say. I think now that
it was the best thing she could have done, though at the time I was
alarmed. I ventured, finally, to put my hand on her shoulder.

"Please!" I said.

Charlie Jones came to the door of the chartroom, and retreated with
instinctive good taste. She stopped crying after a time, and I knew
the exact instant when she realized my touch. I felt her stiffen;
without looking up, she drew away from my hand; and I stepped back,
hurt and angry--the hurt for her, the anger that I could not remember
that I was her hired servant.

When she got up, she did not look at me, nor I at her--at least not
consciously. But when, in those days, was I not looking at her, seeing
her, even when my eyes were averted, feeling her presence before any
ordinary sense told me she was near? The sound of her voice in the
early mornings, when I was washing down the deck, had been enough to
set my blood pounding in my ears. The last thing I saw at night, when
I took myself to the storeroom to sleep, was her door across the main
cabin; and in the morning, stumbling out with my pillow and blanket, I
gave it a foolish little sign of greet