Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-01-06
GrauStark
BY GEORGE BARR McuTcHEoN
Copyrighted, 1901, by Herbert s. stone.

rank idiocy of the thing. And suppos
she should see me staring at her GU
j there on the pier? What would sh
think of me: I'll not go another foo,
won't be fool.'
He was excited and self consciou
1 and thoroughly ashamed of the tril
i into which his impet,lous Alteration
had driven him. Just us he was tug
/ ging mt the door In the effort to open
that he might order the driver to tax,
him back to the hotel n sly temple
whispered something III his ear. Hi
fancy was caught. and he listened:
why not go down to the pier nne
look over the passenger list Just to Sc,
| If she has been booked safely? Tha
would be perfectly proper and sensi
BILE, and. besides. it will be satisfac
ton to know that she gets of all right
Certainly. There's nothing foolish il
that. - Especially as am right OF
the way there. And as I hnyy
come SO far there's no sense ii
going back without seeing whether
she has secured passage. car
hhd Oul III u ullnutC ullu lIlCu EO u0ulle
- There won't be anything wrong
! In that. And then may get glimpse
OF her before the ship leaves the pier
She must not see me, of course. New
er! She'd laugh at me. How I'd hate
to see her laughing at me" Then
sinking back again with smile of
justification on his face, he muttered
I'VE won't turn back; we'll go right
ahead. Well be kind Of fool. but
not so foolish as to allow her to see us
| and recognize us as one"
Before long they arrived at the
wharf, and lie hurried to the office
near by. The clerk permitted him to
look over the list. First he ran
through the first class passengers and
was surprised to find that there was
no such name rs Guggenslocker in the
list. Then lie went over the second
class, but still no Guggenslocker
Hasn't Mr.. Guggenslocker taken
passage" he demanded, unwilling to
believe his eyes.
Not on the Kaiser Wilhelm, sir"
Then, by George, they'll miss the
boat" Lorry exclaimed. Maybe they'll
be here in Il few minutes"
They can't get anything but steer
age now, sir. Everything else is gone"
Are you sure they haven't taken
passage?" asked the bewildered Lo.ry
weakly.
You can see for yourself" answered
the young man curtiy
Lorry was again in perspiration.
this time the result of vague. grow
ing suspicion that had forced itself in
TO his mind. Gradually he came to
the conclusion 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 strange.
ness in her manner, those odd OCCASION
al smiles. What was she--an adven-
turess? That sweet faced girl little
ordinary coquette. liar? He turned
cold with the thought.
The changing of bells broke upon his
ears, and he knew that the great ship
was about to depart. Mechanically,
disconsolately, he walked out and paced
the broad, crowded wharf. All was
excitement. There were the rush Of
people, the shouts, the cheers, the pun
ing of tugs. the churning Of water, and
the Kaiser Wilhelm was of on Ats long
voyage. Half heartedly, mtserably
and in dazed condition he found
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!
Gloomily his disappointed eyes swept
along the rail OF the big steamer. half
in spite of themselves, Twice
they passed q certain point on the for
ward deck, unconscious OF force that
was attracting them in that direction.
The third time he allowed them to set
tie for an instant On the group Of faces
and figures and then stray of 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
eyes? Surely that was her figure at |
the rail-there between the two young
women who were waving their hand
kerchiefs SO frantically. His heart be-
gan to Jump up and down, wildly,
iinpatiently. Why could
not that face be turned toward the
wharf as the others were? There was
the blue coat. but not the blue cap; a
|aunty sailor hat sat where the never
o be forgotten cap had perched. The
,hange was slight, but it was sufficient
% throw him into the most feverish
state of uncertainty. An insane desire
o shout q command to this strange
young woman came over him.
The ship was slowly opening gap
between herself and the wharf, and he
Knew that in few moments recognt-
ion would be impossible. Just as he
vas losing hope and was ready to groan
With despair the face beneath the sail
n hat was turned squarely In his d. y
ectlon. A glaze obscured his eyes; a
lumbness attacked his brain. 1t was
Hiss Guggenslocker!
A pair of big glasses was leveled at
lin for second and then lowered. He
'lainly saw the smile on her face and
he fluttering cambria in her hand. He
waved his hat and then his handker-
hief, obtaining from her vigorous and
signs OF appreciation. Her
ace was wreathed in smiles as she
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