Read Ebook: The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya Sacred Books of the East Volume 1 by Sankaracarya Commentator Thibaut G George Translator

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Ebook has 1525 lines and 185498 words, and 31 pages

Then she substituted a charming little blue hood edged with white for the thick crimson one which she had worn all night, wrapped a soft gray shawl about her shoulders, and went up on deck looking as bright and sunny as the morn itself.

She was very lovely. Short fluffy locks of her hair fell like a shining mist over her white forehead; her great azure eyes gleamed like bluebells after a shower; her cheeks were tinged with a delicate color, and a smile of joy at the return of fair weather parted her red lips, showing two rows of small white teeth between.

As she stepped out upon the deck, she espied her companion of the night standing aft, looking out upon the silver-tipped, dancing waves.

She glided to his side and saluted him with a sweetly spoken "good-morning," which fell like music on his ear.

He turned and looked at her, an involuntary smile parting his lips, which evidently were unaccustomed to such relaxation.

"You are rightly named--you look like a star," he said, abruptly, while his keen eyes were fixed intently on her bright face.

She flushed, but answered archly:

"Stars belong to the night; they are of no account in this glorious sunshine;" and she lifted her face up to the sun, as if in gratitude that its friendly beams were shining on her once more.

"Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," Star murmured, in a low tone, but with a thrill in her voice which told how she felt the words.

Again a sneering smile distorted the lips of her companion.

She saw it, and flushed a vivid crimson, and the tears sprang quickly to her eyes.

"There is the breakfast-bell," he added, in a light tone, as it rang out its keen notes. "Are you hungry?"

"Indeed I am, sir," Star answered, eagerly, adding, with a clear, sweet laugh that fell like music on his ear: "Eating has been an impossibility during the last few days, and I have considerable lost time to make up. That bell has a welcome sound."

"Then take my arm, little girl, and we will go down together; the boat is not quite steady even yet."

"Little girl!"

She flushed again, and shrugged her graceful shoulders.

Then she glanced up at him with a serio-comic air, and said, with a pretty pout:

She could not finish, because she did not know his name.

He laughed.

Star stopped short and looked up at him in surprise.

"How strange!" she exclaimed.

"Rather," Mr. Rosevelt returned; then asked: "How did you come by your middle name?"

"My grandmother gave it to me."

"Was her name Rosevelt?"

"No; her maiden name was Stella Winthrop."

Mr. Rosevelt started, then turned suddenly to look out over the sea, and to hide the pallor of his face. He asked no more questions, and all through breakfast he appeared absent-minded and taciturn. He scarcely spoke to Star during the meal--indeed, hardly noticed her at all--and she wondered if she could have offended him in any way.

Before she was half through he left the table, and she saw no more of him until late in the afternoon.

About three o'clock she left the saloon, where she had been trying to while away the time by reading, and went on deck.

It was very cold, but the sky was cloudless, the sea calm and beautiful, and, save an occasional call and response from the sailors, the distant thud of the machinery, and the swash of the water as they plowed the sea, there was scarcely a sound on board the vessel.

Star found a sheltered spot, and wrapping her shawl close about her, sat down for a little while to watch the white-capped waves and the speeding ship.

She had scarcely settled herself, thinking with a feeling of gratitude how lovely it was after the dreadful storm, when there came the noise of a dreadful explosion from somewhere forward, followed by a fearful rocking of the vessel; then the most horrible shrieks and cries rent the air; a column of smoke, sparks, and cinders went pouring up from the region of the engine-room, and immediately passengers and sailors began running about in great confusion, and perfectly frantic from fright.

Star was unhurt, but she sprang to her feet and stood as if paralyzed with fear, a look of horror on her young face, a feeling like death at her heart.

"Something dreadful has happened," she murmured, with white lips. "Have we escaped the storm only to encounter a worse fate?"

Then, as she saw the sailors getting down the life-boats, a sudden thought seemed to inspire her. She darted from the deck down into her state-room, where, opening a tiny trunk, she seized a package of papers, which she pulled up from beneath her clothing, and thrust it into her bosom. She then took from a pretty box several articles of jewelry, which evidently had belonged to her mother, and fastened them about her clothing, putting some of them into a pocket of a skirt and pinning it securely together. This done, she darted out and up to the deck again.

Here she found the captain, sailors, and passengers--those of them who were unharmed--hovering around the life-boats, eager to spring into them the moment they were lowered, and gathered, from what she could hear in the confusion, that the boiler had burst, and the accident had caused such serious damage to the vessel that she was fast sinking.

As she went nearer the captain she saw Mr. Rosevelt. He looked gloomy and anxious, and very pale, while he was eagerly scanning the faces of the people about him, and holding a life-preserver in his hands. His face lighted as he turned and saw her, and he heaved a long breath of relief.

"I was looking for you," he said, in a hoarse voice, while he immediately proceeded to fasten the preserver about her person.

He then drew her arm within his, led her to the side of the vessel, and stood quietly waiting until the boats were lowered and the captain should bid them enter.

"Yes, I have a few important papers and my mother's jewels. I went down to get them after the explosion. How did it happen?" she asked.

"No one knows. It was one of those accidents which cannot be accounted for. The whole fore part of the ship is nearly blown to pieces," he returned, gloomily.

Star shuddered, and then turned to watch the men let down the boats.

There were only three of them, the others having been destroyed or blown overboard. These were quickly filled by the frantic passengers and emigrants, who scrambled into them in spite of the orders of the captain to await his commands.

They took everything into their own hands, and as soon as the seats were taken, began to push off, regardless of the appealing cries of those remaining on board, the anger of the captain, and the threats of the sailors.

Mr. Rosevelt and Star were among those left, and the old man pleaded for a place for the young girl, calling them inhuman brutes to seek their own safety and leave a delicate girl to perish.

"The boats will hold no more!" the frantic creatures cried. "Every one must look out for himself in such a time as this."

A feeling of shame seemed to come over them; there followed a moment of consultation, a counting of those in the different boats, then a reluctant consent was gained to take her into one of them.

"Be quick!" they cried, as a rush of flame in the center of the steamer warned them that a new and terrible danger threatened; and Mr. Rosevelt led her toward the rope ladder swinging from the vessel's side.

Star was very pale, but her great blue eyes had a strange, determined gleam in them.

"Are you afraid to go down the ladder?" Mr. Rosevelt asked, as he paused before it.

"But I cannot; they will not take us both," he said.

She drew back from the edge of the vessel, and looking up into that aged face, said, tremulously:

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