The San Francisco call., 1901-11-03


be here in a few minutes
''They can't get ANYTHING but steerage
now, sir. Everything else is gone.
Are you sure they haven't taken pas
sage?" asked the bewildered Lorry.
weakly.
You can see for yourself answered
the young man curtly.
Lorry was again in a perspiration, this
time the result Of vague, growing suspi-
cion that had forced itself into his mind.
He wandered aimlessly away, his brain a
chaos of speculation The suspicion to
which he had given countenance grew,
and as it enlarged he suffered torment
untold. Gradually he came to the conclu-
sion that she had fooled him. had lied to
him. She did not intend to sail on the
Wilhelm at all. 1t was all very clear to
him now, that strangeness in her manner,
those odd occasional smiles. What was
she? An adventures! That sweet-faced
girl a little ordinary coquette, liar? He
turned cold with the thought Nor was
she alone in her duplicity. Had not her
uncle and aunt been as ready to deceive
him? Were they trying to throw him off
their track for some subtle purpose? Had
they done something for which they We're
compelled to fly the country as quickly
as possible? No! Not that! They GER
tainly were not fleeing from justice. But
why were they not on board the Kaiser
Wilhelm?
Suddenly he started as if he had been
struck. and an involuntary exclamation
of pain and horror escaped his lips. Per-
haps something unforeseen had happened
AN accident-ilness-eve DEATH
The changing of bells broke upon his
ears and he knew that the great ship was
about to depart Mechanically, disconso-
lately he walked out and paced the broad,
crowded wharf. ALI was excitement. o
There was the rush of people. the shouts,
the cheers, the putting of tugs, the churn-
ing of water. and the Kaiser Wilhelm was
off its long voyage. Half-heartedly,
nliserably and in a daZed condition he
found a place in the front row along the
rail. There were tears in his eyes. tears
of anger, shame and modification. She
had played with him!
Moodily he watched the crowd of voy-
ayers hanging over the rails of the NOV
ing leviathan Of the deep. A faint smile
of irony came to his lips. This was the
boat on which his heart was to have been
freighted from native shores. The craft
was sailing. but it was not carrying the
cargo that he had, in very good faith,
consigned to Graustark. His heart was
certainly not on board the Kaiser Will
helm der Crosse.
Gloomily his disappointed eyes swept
along the rail of the big steamer, haif
interested in spite of themselves. Twice
they passed a certain point on the for-
ward deck. unconscious of a force that
was attracting them in that direction.
The third time he allowed them to settle
for an instant on the group of faces and
figures and then stray off to other parts
of the ship. Some strange power drew
them again to the forward deck, and this
time he was startled into an intent stare.
Could he believe those eyes2 Surely that
was her figure at the rail-there between
the two young women who were waving
their handkerchiefs so frantically His
heart began to jump up and down, wildly.
doubtingly, impatientiy. Why could not
that face be turned toward the wharf as
the others were? There was the Dlre
coat but not the blue cap. A jaunty sailor
hat sat where the never-to- e-forgotten
cap had perched. The change was siighz
but it was sufficient to throw him into
the most feverish state of uncertainty.
An insane desire to shout a command to
this strange young woman came over
him.
The ship was slowly opening a gap be-
tween herself and the wharf, and he
knew that in a few moments recognition
would be impossible. Just as he was los
ing hope and was ready to. groan with de-
spair the face beneath the sailor hat was
turned squarely in his direction A glaze
obscured his eyes, numbness attacked
his brain. 1t was Miss Guggenslocker!
Why was her name omitted from the
passenger list? That question was the
first to whirl through his added BRAIN
He forgot the questionings, forgot every
thing moment later, for to his amaze
ment and delight and discontinue he
saw that she was peering intently at him.
A pair of big glasses was leveled at him
for a second and then lowered. He plain
ly saw the smile her face, and the
f1uttering cambria in her hand. She had
seen him, after alI-had caught him in
a silly exhibition of weakness. Her last
impression of him, then, was to be one
of which he could not feel proud. While
his heart burned with shame, it could not
have been suspected from the appearance
of his face. His eyes were dancing his
mouth was wide open with joy, his lips
were quivering with a suppressed shout
his cheeks were flushed and his whole
aspect bespoke ecstacy. He waved his
hat and then his handkerchief, obtaining
from her vigorous and unrestrained signs
Of appreciation. Her face was wreathed
in smiles as she leaned far over the rail-
the picture of animated pleasure.
Making sure that her uncle and aunt
were not visible, he boldly placed his fin
gers to his lips and waited kiss out
over the wateri
NOW she'll crush me" he cried to him
self, regretting the rash act and pray
ing that she had not observed it.
Her handkerchief ceased huttering in an
instant, and, with sinking heart he real
lied that she had observed. There was a
moment of indecision on the part Of the
fair one going out to sea, and then the
little finger tips of both hands went to
her lips and his kiss came back to him!
The people near him were surprised to
hear a wild yell from his lips and then to
see him wave his hat so madly that there
was some danger of its being knocked
to pieces against the railing or upon the
persons of those who stood too close to
escape the whirling consequences. So un-
expected had been her reception of what
he considered a calamitous indiscretion
that he was to be pardoned for the ebul-
lition Of relief and joy that followed. Had
she drawn a revolver and fired angrily
at him he could not have been more as
founded. But, to actually throw a. kiss
to him-to meet his imprudence in the
same spirit that had inspired it! Too
much to believed In the midst of his
elation, however, there came a reminder