Milford chronicle., 1905-04-21

know-Yale 80. Amt we enough Aale
men here to give him the yell"
Out Of all time and tune, but with a
vigor that made up for both. the mu-
sicians banged into a patriotic air.
Jerry, standing on a chair that itself
was standing on the platform, led half
a dozen frantic men in the long thun-
der of the "Brek- -kek-kek-kex, cock,
cO-exw
Around the edges Of the hall excited
girls, and chaperons themselves no less
agitated, were standing up on chairs
and benches. splitting their gloves and
breaking their fans in their enthusi-
asm, while every male dancer on the
fioor-ensigns in their gold faced uni
forms and ''rovers" in starched and
immaculate shirt bosoms-cheered and
cheered and struggled with one anOth-
er to shake hands with a man whom
two of their number. old Yale grads,
with memories of athletic triumphs
yet in their minds, carried into that
ballroom, borne high upon their shoul-
ders.
And the hero of the occasion, the
center of all this enthusiasm, thus car
ried as if in triumph into this assem-
bly, in evening dress, in white tulle
and whittier kid. odorOus of delicate
Bachets and scarce perceptible per
fumes, was n figure unhandsome and
unkempt beyond description. His hair
was long and hanging over his eyes;
a thick, uncared for beard concealed
the mouth and chin. He was dressed
in a Chinaman's blouse and jeans, the
latter thrust into slashed and tattered
boots. The tan and weather beattngs
of nearly half year of the tropics
were spread over his face, a partly
healed scar disfigured one temple and
cheekbone; the hands, to the very fin
ger nails, were gray with CRIME; the
Jeans and blouse and boots were foul
ed with grease, with oil, with pitch
and all manner of the dirt of an un-
cared for ship. And as the dancers Of
the cOtillOn pressed about and a hun
dred kid gloved hands stretched to-
ward his own palms there fell from
Wilbur's belt upon the waxed floor of
the ballroom the knife he had so grim
" used in the fight upon the beach,
the ugly stains still blackening on tht
haft.
There was no more cotillon that
night. They put him down at last, and
in half a dozen sentences Wilbur told
them of how he had been shanghaied-
told them of Magdalena bay, his for
tune in the ambergris and the fight
with the beachcombers.
'You people are going down there
for target practice, aren't yOuY he
said, turning to one of the Monterey's
officers in the crowd about him. Yes?
Well, you'H find the coolies there, on
the beach, waiting for you. All but
one" he added grimly.
1--WE marooned six of them, but the
seventh didn't need to be marooned.
They tried to plunder US of our boat,
but, by -, we made it interesting for
emf
Il say, steady. old manr' exclaimed
Nat Ridgeway, glancing nervOusly to-
" dLu LAlG SAAAo III AAAN SUI AbAAANAA-s
group. This isn't Magdalena bay,
you know"
And for the first time Wilbur felt a
genuine pang of disappointment and
regret as he realized that it was not.
Half an hour later Ridgeway drew
him aside. Il say, Ross, let's get out
Of here. You can't stand here talking
all night. Jerry and you and l will go
up to my rooms. and we can talk there
in peace. I'll order up three quarts of |
izz, and
"Oh, rot your fizz!" declared Wilbur.
IF you love me, give me Christian to-
Dacco."
LTO BE cONrrrUrD.J