Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16

in command. AS it is, he's their chum, an
tn best way to spoil a sailor, next to
abuSin' of him, is to get chummy with him.
1 don't like him an 1 don't count on him,
an don't want you to like him, an don't
want you to count on him. Have you no
ticed anythin' queer about him and you?"
Wen" said Parton, he asks a good
many questions"
That's always when I amt around
amt it?" commented the captain in one of
those questions which New Englanders ask
without expecting an answer. Now, my
notion is that he overheard what we was
a-sayin' there that day. Mebbe he didn't.
If he did-you see I've wot to tell you this
or l wouldn't-Pm afraid that tn chance of
gittin' that big reward might go some con-
sid able distance further with him than it
would with some other folks that l can
think of. I'm John sorry! Quincy! l
wouldn't a-had it happen for new penny.
AT first thought l wouldn't say nothin'
to you about 1t, but presently when 1 see
| that he was a-tryin' to make up to you and
git friendly when he thought / wasn't by, 1
reckoned I'd better tell you what's perfect
| ly true, that don't trust him. neither. Only
don't git him mad at you. That might be
| jest as bad as TIL other"
From that time on Parton watched the
mate with some suspicion. He noticed with
new attention now that Mr.. Brown showed
| a singular curiosity about his past life and
was prone to ask many questions when they
were by chance thrown together out of the
captains earshot.
When the captain was by the mate kept
his distance and was anything but familiar
| in his manner. Parton, however, attributed
| a part of this to the habit of discipline into
which he knew a sailor must almost IN
voluntarily fall That he had tried to be
especially friendly in an inSinuating sort
| of way Parton now realized.
During the following week these marks
of a desire to establish an intimacy became
| even more pronounced, and Parton talked
| 1t over with the captain. They agreed
| that they could only let matters take their
course and trust in Providence. hoping that
| the mate had not overheard the converse
| ton.
| 1t was not long before Parton was glad
! that he had been put upon his guard, fol-
he saw a growing tendency on the part OF
: the mate to sound him on subjects which
| indicated that the captain had been right
| in his fears that the conversation that day
| by the open cabin skylight had been over
| heard.
| This came about in the most natural OF
| ways. The mate asked him some questions
! about South Africa, and Parton knew that
| he had never mentioned to him the fact
| that he had been there, although he re-
| membered very well the fact that it had
! been discussed in the course of that un-
| fortunately ungarded talk.
! Nothing definite was said about II, but
there seemed to be a calm assumption
| doubtless unconscious of what reflections
! and suspicious it might give rise to-that
Parton had been in South Africa and that
he knew that country pretty thoroughly.
| For few moments Parton put the sub
ject off without comment. He neither af-
! frmed nor denied that he had been at the
Cape and knew about that vast and largely
| UNEMPLOYED country which lies to the north
of the Transvaal. But one day the mate
asked him a point blank question about
Kimberley.
Parton may have changed color at this
direct confirmation of the captains sus-
picions; but he tried to conceal the trouble
that it gave him as he answered.
What In the world, Mr. Smith, makes
you think that have been in South
African"
The mate saw that he had made slir
and colored darkly underneath the ocear
tan.
"Oh, I don't know what did make me
think So" said the mate, and Parton knew
that he lied.