The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-03-02
-, MARCH 2, 1905.

Il 0ASAeAA0 SOoASSN 61ulO u pdLflOIlC dlr.
Jerry, standing on chair that itself
was standing on the platform, led half
dozen frantic men in the long thun-
der of the "Brek-kek- ek-kex, cock.
i co-eX!'
1 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-
assn, while every male dancer on the
foor-ensigns in their gold faced uni
forms and ''rovers'' in starched and
| immaculate shirt bosoms-cheered and
cheered and struggled with one anoth-
Ell to shake hands with 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 Shout
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 tulIe
and whittier kid, odorous Of delicate
|
fumes, was 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 beatings
of nearly half year of the tropics
were spread over his face. a partly
healed scar disfgured 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 Gil, with pitch
and all manner OF the dirt of an IN
cared for ship. And as the dancers Of
| the cotiilon 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 the
haft.
There was no more cotillon that
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 you?' he
said, turning to one Of the Monterey's
ut in Jon oh Il;
Well, you'll 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 plumber us of our boat,
but, by -, we made it interesting for
'em!".
II say, steady, old man!' exclaimed
Nat Ridgeway, glancing nervously to-
ward the girls in the surrounding
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 will go
up to my rooms, and we can talk there
in peace. I'll order up three quarts of
fizz, and"-
"Oh, rot your fizz!' declared Wilbur
IF you love me, give me Christian to-
baccO."
AS they were going out Of the ball
room Wilbur caught sight of Josie
Herricl, and, breaking away from the
others, ran over to her.
"Oh!' she cried, GREATNESS. ITO
think, and to think of your coming back
after all! No, don't realize it can't
1t will take me until morning to find
out that you've really come back. I
just know now that I'm happier than
l ever was in my life before Oh!'
she cried, "do I need to tell you how
glad am? It's just too splendid for
words! Do you know, 1 was thought
to be the last person you had ever
spoken to while alive, and the re-
porters and all-oh, but we must have
such talk when all are quiet again!
And our dance-we've never had our
| dance. I've got your card yet Re-
| member the one you wrote for me at
the tea? A facsimile of it was publish
ed in all the papers. You are going to
be hero when you get back to San
Francisco. Oh, Ross, Ross!' she cried
| the tears starting to her eyes. you've
really come back, and you are just as
| glad as I am, aren't you-glad that
you've come backbone back to me?''
Later on, in Ridgeway's room. Will
bur told his story again more in detail
to Ridgeway and jerry All but one
portion of it. He could not make up
his mind to speak to them-these So
ciety fellows, clubmen and city bred
Of Moran. How he was going to order
his life henceforward- life, that he
felt to be void of interest without her
he did not know. That was a question
for later consideration.
| sWo'11 olive another cotillon ox