The first officer said, "Captain,
I have never seen the mercury go down so rapidly. We are in for a nasty
time of it, I fear."
Early the sailors were scrubbing the ship while the spray helped to wash
the decks, and they tightened the fastenings of the life-boats. The
firemen too were busy dropping cinders astern. Fires in the cook's
galley were lighted, and the steerage passengers were aroused for
breakfast, but few responded.
Mrs. Harris often tried to dress, but every time she fell back into her
berth, saying, "Stewardess, I shall surely die. Isn't the ship going
down?"
"No, no, madam," the stewardess replied, "I will return with beef tea,
and you will soon feel better."
Lucille was helped to put on a dark wrapper; and after repeated efforts
at a hasty toilet, she took the stewardess's arm and reached an easy
chair in the library. Alfonso and Leo, who were both members of a yacht
club in New York, came to the library from a short walk on the deck. It
required much urging with Lucille before she would attempt an entrance
into the dining-room. Several men and a few ladies were present.
"Good morning, Miss Harris, how brave you are," were words spoken so
encouragingly by Captain Morgan that Lucille's face brightened and she
responded as best she could.
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