Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-20
CHAPTER I.
The Wreck of the Sirdar,


far east. In Hong Kong she was known as
the Mandarin" Her powers of merciless
inuuisiton suggested torments long drawn
out. The commander of the Sirdar. home
ward bound from Shanghai knew that he
was about to be stretched on the rack when
he took his seat at the saloon table.
rs 1T true, captain that we are running
into a typhoon?" demanded her ladyship.
From whom did you learn that. Lady
Tozer?'' Captain Ross was wary, though
somewhat surprised
From Miss Deane. 1 understood her a
moment ago to say that you had told her.
'I?"
Didn't you? Some one told me this
morning. I couldn't have guessed it, could
~" Miss Iris Deanes large blue eyes sur
veyed him with innocent Indifference to
strict accuracy Incidentally, she had OBJ
tanned the information from her maid,
nose-tilted coquette who extracted ships
secrets from a youthful quartermaster
''Well-er-I had forgotten, explained the
tactful sailor.
rs it true?'
Lady Tozer was unusually abrupt today.
But she was annoyed by the assumption
that the captain took mere girl into his
confidence and passed the wife of the
ex-chief justice of Hong Kong.
Yves. il is" said Captain Ross, equally
curt. and silently thanking the fates that
her ladyship was going home for the last
time.
How horrible,' she gasped, in unaffected
alarm. This return to femlnlnlty sootheo
the sailors ruffled temper
Sir John. her husband, frowned judicially
That frown constituted his legal stock-in-
trade yet it passed current for WISDOM WITH
the Hong Kong bar.
''What evidence have you?" he asked.
$40 tell US" chimed in Iris, delightfully."-
unconscious of interrupting the court. Iio
Won find out when you squinted at the
SUM-"
The CAPTAIN smiled. You are nearer the
mark than possibly you imagine, MIss
Deane" he said. when we TOOK our ou
sarvations Yesterday there was very
weird-looking halo around the sun. I'M, iLls
morning you may have notlceu seNela a IL ~
squalls and smooth sea marcy aro,,,eter is
ally by strong ripples. the paroiiie.ei +ha
falling rapidly, and l expect that, as .Ile
day wears, will encounter henS S
swell. If the sky looks wild tonlgnt, an az
asneciallv if we observe heavy panh VI
clond approaching from the northwest you
will see the crockery dancing ABOUT me
table at dinner. l am AFRAID you are H W.;
GOOD sailor, Lady Tozer. Are you' MISC
Deane?" o raaI
.Capitali 1 should just love to see a rea l
storm Now promise me solemny ma 80
will take me up into the cnarlhouse WIZ -.
this typhoon is simply tearing 'hines ~
"Oh. dear, do hope it will not very PAD a
Is there no way in which you can avoid IT,
CAPTAIN? VIII it last longP
The polite skipper for once preferred 10
answer Lady Tozer. There is no cause Tor
uneasiness,'' he said. 'Of course, typhoons
in the China sea are nasty thlngs Wnile
they last, but a ship like the Slrdar is not
troubled by them She will drive through
the worst gale she is likely to meet here
in less than twelve hours Besides, l al
ter the course somewhat as soon as L dis
cover our position with regard to Its CEN
ter You see, Miss Deane-
And Capt. Ross forthwith illustrated on
the back of menu card the spiral shape
and progress of cyclone. He so thoroughly
mystified the girl by his technical REFER
ences to northern and southern hemi-
spheres, polar directions, revolving air-cur-
rents, external circumference, and dimin-
ished atmospheric pressures that she was
the bridge
Then the commander hurriedly excused
himself, and the passengers saw no more
of him that day
But his short scientific lecture achieved
double result 1t rescued him from request
which he could not possibly grant, and re-
assured Lady ToZer To the non-nautical
mind it Is tine unknown that is fearful A
storm classed as periodic whose velocity
can be measured. whose duration and di-
rection can be determined beforehand by
hours and distances, ceases to be terribly
ing. 1t becomes an accepted fact akin to
the steam engine and the electric telegraph
marvellous vet commonplace
SO her ladyship dismissed the topic as
OF no present interest. and focused Miss
Deane through her eyeglasses
Sir Arthur proposes to come home in
June, L understands she inquired
IRIS was remarkably healthy young wo-
man. large banana momentarily engaged
her attention. She nodded affably
~ GU Will stay with relatives until he or
rives" pursued Lady Tozer
Inc banana is a fruit of simple charac-
aeflstles The girl was able to reply. with
touch of careless hauteur in her voice:
Relatives! We have Monochrome whom
we especially cultivate that is / will stop
IN town day or two to interview my
dressmaker and then go straight to Helm
dale, our place in Yorkshire "
Surely you have a chaperonp'
chaperoni My dear Lady Tozer did
my lather impress you one who would
permit a fussy and stout old person 10
make my life miserable?"
=. me acIdlty of the retort lay in the word
stout But Iris was not accustomed To
raoss-eXa rlinati ton, During three months
iesIoehce on the island she had learned
no" 10 avoid Lady ToZer. Here il was i'm
possipie and the older woman fastened
upon her asp-Ike. Miss Iris Deane was
toothsome morsel for gossip. Not vet TWEEN
ty-one, the only daughter of a wealthy
baronet who owned Il feet of stately ships
the srdar amongst them-a girl who had
Nii AiiSNiSSS o. ner fatfer'S house since
her return iron, Dresden three years ago
young, beautiful. rich-here was a combjna-
non Tor wmcl men thanked a judicious
heaven whilst women shifted enviousIy
business etained Sir Arthur A war
cloud oVershat owed the two great divisions
or the yellow race. He must wait To see
now matters developed. but he would nor
expose Iris TO the insidious treacherv Of a
Chlnese spring. So. with tears they sepa
rated. She was conided to the persona II
charge OF Captain Ross. At each point of
can the COMPANY agents would be solic-
ltous Tor her welfare. The cables teIe-
graphic eye would watch her progress as
lhat OF some princely maiden sailing in
royal Gravel This fair slender well-in-
formed girl-delightfully English in face
anu ngure-wlth her fresh, clear complex
ION, limpid blue eyes and shining brown
mar was personage of some imp 5rtan9e.
Lady Tozer knew these things and sighed
complacently.
Ah, We'll" she resumed Parents had
olnerent views when | was a girl But 4
assume Sir Arthur thinks you should be-
come used to being your own mistress in
view or your approaching marriage"
roaching-nlarriager' cried Iris
now genuinely amazed
Yes. Is II not true that you are going
TO marry Lord Ventnor?"
a passing SteWar ri heard ft,a ,,o;,,4 ~.