Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-15

what right have we to marry!
"Eh? What?'' calculated Wickery, star
ing blankly at his finance
For moment Isabel Vantyne stood gaz-
ing in silence upon the phosphorescent
water in the yachts wake.
''You see, Teddy, I've been thinking
ITO my manifest misfortune" said the
man bitterly.
THAT neither of us contributes anything
to the betterment of the void. Your father
is super-rich, and so is mine"
lis that our fault?' interrupted Wickery
hotely.
You have ridden. driven, sailed and
motored your way through life and l have
danced mine, while other people have been
walking and working their way to some end
that is worth while
well, what do you want me to do?" ask
ed Wickery, folding his arms and leaning
p back against the rail. Give all my goods
to the poor?"
Don't Teddy! Don't be sacrilegious.
Pehaps because it's Lent-perhaps 1t Is the
quiet all around us, the mighty expanse of
heaving water, but somehow I've been think
ing thar our marriage would be a grave
mistake-the mere union of two idle lives.
Neither one of us is fit to pick up the bur
den of life if were brought face to face
with misfortune. Your great-grandfather
carried skins his back to a trading
post
b II must say it is rather unkind of you
/ to remind me of the fact"
"And mine titled the SOIL pursued the
girl calmly You could do neither one nor
the other. Your mother and mine had So
cial position to struggle for. Ours came
to clearly labeled and assured. Why,
Teddy, look at US tonight. We are drifting.
We don't know when where will land.
Some day we may suddenly decide to drop
into some port"
"Weu, that's your fault. You said that
= Bobby was sick, your mother and you were
both tired, tired of town, tired of Long
Island, on Europe and bored with
Florida. Perhaps now you are bored with
mCt'
Isabel flashed him a wistful little smile.
mo, Teddy, you always amuse me-that
is the trouble. l want some one who can
more than amuse. You. with your wealth,
should marry girl who could teach you
unaccustomed to pampered womanhood.
would force me to make something of my
self l want my freedom, Teddy, that is
all
Wickery drew himself up very straight
The freedom is yours. Isabel: In looking
over our relations in the past, L think you
will at least admit that have never denied
your slightest request-and this is not
slight. / trust you may find your-eh-
Utopan hero. For myself-may take you
below? Mrs. Fahnestock will be Tuning for
bridge
With quiet courtesy he saw her safely.
down the companionway, then with an un-
lighted cigar between his HARDEST teeth
he paced the deck. Not even to himself
would he acknowledge how hard he was
hit. He had always known that Isabel was
different from other girls, but his somewhat
extensive studies in girlology offered no
solution for this problem.
I'VE are drifting. We are drifting"
The words came back again and again, as
II they held some hidden message for the
man. Suddenly he flung aside his I'M
smoked cigar and strobe toward the pilot
house
''Drayne" he said to the man at the
wheel, head her for Cape Maysi. Well be
AYE, aye, sir" responded the pilot, salut-
ing.
Il may be the useless son of a disgust
ingly rich father Wickery said to himself
he went down to the salon. but Isabel
Nantyne can't slip through my fingers as
easily as she imagines. BY Jove! I'll show
her that there's some fight in me- even If
never carried pelts on my back to trading
post"
And perhaps because of this resolution
Wickery fell quickly and easily into the
sleep of the just, while Isabel lay staring
at her port hole with wistful, tired eyes.
Night grew old and dull and gray. The
man at the wheel, who knew her and loved
her even in her dullest, grayest moments
stared into her eyes and wondered why
clearly By and by his gaze became fixed
The hand on the wheel seemed heavy as
lead. weight, a merciless, constantly in
creasing pressure. was bearing down upon
his heart He stretched forth his arms APP
pealingly. The good old wheel-it had never
failed him-never. II did not fail him now,
but held him in position. silent figure on