Miss Brewster made her way to the captain's room and rapped at the door.
On being told to enter, she found that officer seated at his table with
some charts before him, and a haggard look upon his face, which might
have warned her that this was not the proper time to air any personal
grievances.
'Well?' he said briefly as she entered.
'I came to see you, captain,' she began, 'because an outrageous thing has
been done on board this ship, and I desire reparation. What is more, I
will have it!
'What is the "outrageous thing"?' asked the captain.
'I had some despatches to send to New York, to the _New York Argus_, on
whose staff I am.'
'Yes,' said the captain with interest; 'despatches relating to what has
happened to the ship?'
'One of them did, the other did not.'
'Well, I hope,' said the captain, 'you have not given an exaggerated
account of the condition we are in.'
'I have given no account at all, simply because I was prevented from
sending the cablegrams.'
'Ah, indeed,' said the captain, a look of relief coming over his face, in
spite of his efforts to conceal it; 'and pray what prevented you from
sending your cablegrams? The mate would have taken any messages that were
given to him.'
'I know that,' cried the young woman; 'but when I was in my room writing
the last of the despatches, a person who is on board as a passenger
here--Miss Longworth--came into my room and held me prisoner there until
the boat had left the ship.
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