Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-29

friends wife, by virtue or her office, per-
haps had come nearer to this mans grim
and lonely heart than any other woman.
He had never defined this feeling; he had
not even gone back to it's source a wo-
man would have done, or he might have
discovered that the gentle air of question,
or of waiting in her eyes which was not
always there but only when he looked for
it, had been there long ago on a summer
voyage before she was Capt. Dixon's wife
at all.
All through his long swim. to shore, all
through the horrors Of that November
night and the long-drawn pain of the sue
ceeding days he had done his duty with n
steady impa ssivsness which was In keeping
with the square jaw, the resolute eyes, the
firm and merciful lips OF the man; but he
had only thought of Mary Dixon. His one
thought was that this must break her
heart.
1t was this thought that made him hard
and impressive. In the great Office in London
he was received gravely. With dull sur
prise he noted a CULVER in the lips of the
managing director when he shook hands.
The great business man looked older and
smaller and thinner in this short time; for
it Is terrible thing to have to zeal IN
human lives, even If you are paid heavily
for doing SO.
There will be an official inquiry-you will
have to face it, Stoke
Yes" he answered almost indifferently.
And there is Dixon's wife. You will
have to go and see her. | have been. She
Guietly-unlike some of them
And two hours later he vas waiting for
Mary Dixon in the little drawing room of
the house in a Kentish village which he
had helped Dixon to furnish for her She
did not keep him long; and when she came
into the room he drew a sharp breath; but
he had nothing to say to her. She was tall
and strongly made. with fair hair and deli
cate coloring. She had no children though
she had been married six years. and Nature
seemed TO have designed her to be the
mother of large, strong, gentle men.
Stoke looked into her eyes and immedi-
ateiy the eXpectant look came into them
There was something else behind them-a
sort Of yelled light.
1T was kind ST you to come so soon,"
she said, taking a chair by the firesde
There was only one lamp in the room and
its light scarcely reached her face
But for all the good he did in coming it
would seem that he might as well have
stayed away; for he had no comfort 20
offer her He drew forward a chair and
sat down with that square slowness OF
move ment which Is natural to the limbs of
men VINO deal exclusively with nature and
action, and he looked into the fire with
out SAYING word. Again it was she who
spoke. and her words surprised the man
Who had only dealt with women at sea
where women are not seen at their best.
DO not want you to Srieve for me- she
SAID quietly. You have enough trouble of
your own without thinking of me Y0u
have lost yGur friend - and your
ship"
He made n little movement of the Inns
and glanced at her slowly. He held his
lip between his teeth as he was wont Ia
hold it during the moments OF SUSPENSE he
fore letting so the anchors in a crowded
roadstead as he stood at his post on the
1oTecastie head awaiting the captains sig
nal. She was the first to divine what he
ship had been to him. Her eyes were wait
ing Tor mis- They were alight with a gentle
glow. which he took to be pity She smoke
calmly, and her voice was always low and
NE, tCaeI but he was quite sure that her
Htaft was broken, and the thought mus;
nave been conveyed 10 her bv the silent
passenger that passes TO and fro between
klndrsd minds. For she Immediately took
Vi his thought
J., II is not, she said rather hurriedly, "as
IL II Would break my heart. Long ago |
useu 10 think 1t would. ] was very proud
VI am and Of his-p0pu3a rity. But
ana she said no more. But sat with
dreaming eyes looking into the fire After
long pause she spoke again
30 YOU must not grieye for me-" She
SAD returning perststently to her point
one was quite simple and honest H4rs
10 the pure in heart: for they see through
INTO the soul of man ands ift out the honsst
IRON among the false.
II II seemed that she had gained her ob-
Ject, Tor Stoke was vSiblyi relieved He
too her many things which he had with
held from other inquirers He cleared
Dixon good name from anything but that
llaplil'y TO error which is only human. and
SPOKE OF the captains splendid nerve and
steadiness in the hour of danger Insan
sinlv they iapsed into a low-voiced discus
SION OF Dixon as of the character of a lost
friend equally dear to them both
lhen ne rose to take his leave before IL
was really necessary to go in order to catch
ms train, impatient to meet her ewes
"hlch We're waiting for his-for a moment
as as they SAD goodbye. as the man who is
r,tt
the time when he can give way to it.
he went home to the rooms he always
occupied near his club in London. There
ne Iound number of letters which had
peen sent on from the steamship company's
once The first he opened bore the post
marx OF ST Just in Cornwall. 1t was from
the coast guard captain of that remote
western station, and 1t had been originally
Dear Sir he wrote. zone of your crew
or passengers has turned up here on foot
he must have been wandering about for
nearly a week and Is destitute, At times
his mind is unhinged. He began to write
a letter, but could not finish it. and gives
of him.
Stoke opened the folded paper which had
dropped from the envelope.
Dear Jack it began. One or two SEN
fences Followed but there was no sequence
or sense in them. The writing was that of
Capt. Dixon without its characteristic firm
ness cohesion.
STOKE glanced at his watch and took up
ms pag-a new bag hurredy bought in
r FALMOUTH stuffed full Of a few necessities
pressed upon him by kind persons at st.
heNerhe When he stood among them in the
clo!hes IN which he had swum ashore,
Whlch mad dried upon him during a long
November night. There was just time TO
eaten the night mail to PenZance Heaven
was Kind to him and gave him no time to
think
The coach leaves Penzance at 8 in the
morning for two hours climb over bare
moofland to St. Just--a little gray, remote
town on the Western sea. The loneliness
OF the mis- is emphasized here and there by
the rum OF an abandoned mine. ST. Just
itSeII-tne very acme of remoteness-is
yearly diminishing in Importance and pop
ulatlon, sending forth her burrowing sons
TO those places in the world where silver
and copper and gold are found.
me coas't guard captain was awaiting
Stoke arrival in the little deserted square
Where the Penzance omnibus deposits it's
passengers. The two men shook hands with
that subtle and silent fellowship which
draws together seamen of all classes and all
nations. Ihey walked away together in the
calm sfeechlessness Of two Eng,ishmen
thrown together on matters of their daily
business.
He doesn't pick up at ALL" said the
coast guard captain at length. Just sits
mum all day. My wife looks after him,
but she can't stir him up. If anybody