Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-02
THE MYSTERY
BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE SAMUEL HOPKINS
BY C1ure &

conscious hitching forward Of chairs. He
had fixed his eyes on the captain. His
mouth worked. Obviously he was under a
tensity of endeavor in keeping his faculties
set to the problem The surgeon watched
him, frowning.
There was no fire. said the captain.
Slade leaped in his chair. mo fire! But
1 saw her, 1 tell you. When 1 went over
board she was one living fiamev'
You landed in the small boat Knocked
you senseless," said Trendon. Conclusion
of the brain. Idea of flame might have
been retroactive hallucination."
Retroactive rot" cried the other. II
beg your pardon, DR.. Trendon. But if you'd
seen her as l saw her BarnettI'
He turned in appeal to his old acquaint-
ance.
There was no fire. Slade,' replied the ex-
ecutive officer gently. mo sign of fire that
we could find, except that the starboard
rail was blistered.''
ooh, that was from the volcano" said
Slade THAT was nothing"
1T was all there was" returned Barnett.
Just let me run this thing over" said
the free lance slowly. You found the
schooner. She wasn't afire She didn t
even seem to have been afire. You put a
crew aboard under your ensign, Edwards.
Storm separated you from her. You picked
her up again deserted. Is that right?"
DAY before yesterday morning.
Then" cried the other excitedly, the
fire was smouldering all the time. 1t broke
Impossible" said Barnett.
"Fiddlesticks!' said the more downright
surgeon.
II hardly think Mr.. Edwards would be
even scorch his ship suggested the cap
tain mildly.
1T drove our lot overheard" insisted
Slade. do you think we were a pack of
thing broke loose, you had to go. 1t wasn't
fear. 1t wasn't pain. 1t was What
the use. You can't explain a thing like
that
Billy Edwards &as-disappeared,' unused
Forsythe.
And again. night before last" said the
captain.
What's thatr' cried slade. Where is
the Laughing Lass?"
I'D give something pretty to know" said
Barnett.
isn't she in tow"
I'm tow" said Forsythe: NO, indeed.
We hadn't adequate facilities for towing
her. Didn't you tell him, Mr. Barnett?"
Where is she. them" Slade fired the
question at them like a crossexaminer.
Ives and Mcclure that noon. We were
parted again, and haven't seen them since"
God forgive YOU said the reporter.
After the warnings you'd had, too. 1t was
1t was
my orders Mr.. Slade." said Captain
Parkinson, with quiet dignity.
''Of course, sir. 1 beg your pardon" re-
turned the other. "But-you say you saw
the light AGAIN."
The first night they were out" said Bar
nett, in a low voice.
"Then your second crew IS with your first
crew." said Slade, shabby. And they re
with Thrackles, and Pull and Solomon, and
many another black-hearted scoundrel and
brave seaman. Down there?'
He pointed under foot. Capt. Parkinson
rose and went to his cabin. Slade rose, too,
but his knees were unsteady. He tottered,
and but for the swift aid of Barnetts arm,
would have fallen.
"Overdone,' said Dr. Trendon, with some
irrita ton. Cost you something in strength.
Foolish performance. Turn in now
Slade tried to protest, but the surgeon
would not hear of it, and marched him in
continently to his berth. Returning, Tren-
don reported, with growls of discomfort,
that his patient was in fever.
Couldn't expect anything else" he
fumed. Pack of human Interrogation