Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21

Flhkney Thorpe was twanCinR n tar,
patch ne mad picked up in Samoa: Bertha
nartoe' ioiiing with his feet higher than
Ills heao' sang softly to his guitar. CRANKY
smoked steadily and the Boy was crouched
Ia the bow with his arms over the rail and
his head on his arms
Just at this juncture Ping Wing appear
ed at the stairway. He Respectfully ad
dressed the cap of the master of the yacht.
VINO lay on his back blowing smoke sky
ward.
Genlen hab dinner samee alice day?"
Tell him, somebody" said the master.
NO. Just had luncheon" spoke Thorpe.
What do you say. GRANNY"
CRANKY knocked his cigar ashes on the
rail-
supper at nine and the twilight
straight"
Good. Boy. does that suit your"
But the figure I'm the bow said nothing.
Hes asleep. So be it,"
The msster of the yacht addressed the
waiting celestial without turning his gaze
from the sky
All, quite So Wing, no dinner Supper.
you know: Crabs and all that at two bells.
MI CRANKY says So"
oh, come now" began GRANNY as the
celestial withdrew
Granny. you did say so. Your mind is
my chief luxury, and Wing has already en-
uowed you with the wisdom of seven ce-
lestlal what-you-call-'e
Its the glasses" said Berthe Bartoe.
:, III 8 way Gran has" said Thorpe. He
lies low and says little. and every one
Iairiy breaks his neck to do what he might
man."
CRANKY only laughed and Thorpe having
tuned Inc tarapatch TO his satisfaction pro-
ceeded TO accompany Berthe Bartoe. who
The master of the yacht resigned himself
to fresh cigarette, and CRANKY, having
thrown his cigar end overheard faced the
subdued light of sky and sea and proceeded
TO eye the Boy, who was TO all intents and
purposes-except Granby's-asleep
The Boy-so called from his blonde beau
ty rather than from his youth-had just
passed majority, and possessed a laugh
which impressed the world with two things
"a young heart and fine set of teeth
Eut the laugh had been missing from re-
cent 1estlV1ty. Dovey Bristol gave it UP at
once, saying that every one on board should
enjoy himself in his own way, as he him
| self intended TO do. Thorpe soon wearied
OF Ringing sentimental jokes. and BERTHE
Bartoe was in too exalted a state over the
| last girl at Carr Island to descend 10 any
| thirg short of Thorpe's insinuation that
| with black sunshade she would have
been absolutely plain; it was the red one
| that did 1t all So only CRANKY knew that
| the Boys nights had been lonely vigils
! ana that since letter received the day be-
| fore he had not touche ed food.
They caught the last mail at Carr Is
| land. CRANKY delivered it after they were
| urder way. He had stopped short at sight
| of the handwriting on deliberately scaled
| square envelope addressed to the Boy, His
| face grew straightway stern, and he had
| paced the deck once before calling the
others. -.A
The BOY caught his letter with flush on
| his face lie went up in the bow alone.
and CRANKY. opening papers saw him
| glance at the contents. clutch the letter in
| his hand and seize the rail. He stood 50
for second. then strobe back. showing a
| White face. The others were standing apart
arguing over an island in the distance.
Can land anywhere?'' asked the boy
| between his teeth.
mot for six days" said CRANKY, adding
| three to the prescribed time
| And might have gotten this before We
| left,' muttered the other. Then he went
| below and threw himself face downward
| in his berth. with the letter i'm his hand
| CRANKY joined the others and told them
| that the Boy was not well and did not wish
| luncheon. He followed this with a story
of sea serpent he had seen off the Sand
witch Islands, which Thorpe matched with
| enc about man he knew whose father
| had an encounter with mermaid
So il was CRANKY alone who discovered
| that all night long a solitary figure crouch
| ed in the bow. end when the Boy appeared
| in the morning his pallor was attributed
| to irdisposition.
And now in the nameless light preceding
tyranny was nflllnS the sum total
! OF a problem. The guitar and the tara
| patch ceased to sound and Thorpe, who
| had tried to make CRANKY talk and failed
| signally proceeded 10 reeite THE Yarn of
That goes right along with the sea-"
said BERTHE Bartoe
| Everything goes to the sea-" spoke
| CRANKY, suddenly. 1.-THE sea is in touch
| with every human emotion. 1t is the heart
of creation; the only perfectly restful rest
lessnCss"
| Thorpe broke in
Il knew a man once who was haunted
| by n green and white ghost"
| $50 did l." said CRANKY.
'But my man Was sailor"
| "kIine wasn't. lie WIS fool"
"Then he wasn't the same man." said
| Thorre animateiiy. "He vowed he'd never
| set foot CT land to STAY and he did, you
| know, and a green ghost with white hair
| came and hunted hira down til he had to
| leave his wife ashore and go back to sea.
| It's the truth"
Il don't believe 1t, Pink,e." said BERTHE
| Bartoe "You always know a man when
| any one else knows one. How about your
| ghost. Granby?'
she was a ghost" said CRANKY. but the
| man didn't know 1t until too late. He
| thought her a wonderful reality in green
pale, watery green. like that sky was a
while ago That was the first night he met
| her. you know. Her hair wasn't white.
| though. but yellow. like Sicilian wiLe She
| was altogether the most beautiful and al
Turing of her race. with a power few could
| resist The fellow she haunted was a per-
verse and resistive creature who had never
| believed in ghosts. but the more he tried to
! evade her the more subtle her spell became
until, on che occasion, when he had made
| up his mind to be utterly impervious. she
conquered him.
| He gave himself over heart and soul to n
mad infatuation. But he did not know his
| fancee was a ghost. nor that she possessed
| an insa tiate appetite peculiar to her kind
| namely for gold. She fed upon IL. This
| was revealed to him on the day before his
| wedding which was to have been. when her
| phostship eloped with his cousin, who had
| unexpectedly come into fortune just in
time
| "Oh, pshaw," said Thorpe.
| Fact, indeed. He was so determined to
| believe in her that he came awftsly near
| blowing his brains out, but was fortunately
| delirious, or unconscious, or something. Just
| in time and came to In a hospital, where he
! had ample opportunity to weigh his own re-
| sponsib!lity In token thereof, he concluded
| that his life was worth that of two ghosts,
| and he straightway picked up and went on
again"
| CRANKY clasped his hands behind his head
| and looked laziiy out through the dusk.
That's just like you, Granny" said Ber-
| tie Bartoe. II thought 1t was going to be q
| regular ghost" He swung his guitar trou-
| ba dor fashion and strOlied to the stern sing