Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-01

am sure you wouldn't do anything bad or dis
honorable as / am that he wouldn't.
There was unconscious irony about that which,
in spite of him, twisted his lips into wry smile and
he turned away from her to hide it. But in
ment he saw things more largely mock is nothing
but part Of truth He turned back to her again.
Thank you, Christabel." he said.
They had come by to the veranda.
But don't you want to 60 away? Not rum
Just be somewhere else when the Pheasant comes
in?'
NO" he said well see it out here
THE moment Smith had seen the girl safely into
the house, he turned about and literally blew
down the hill to the town, the little public
square and up to his own tiny shack on the other
side Here he 1attened against the door, and
would have had some difficulty getting and getting
it shut after him. had not the big black servant who
acted as his factotum been within to help him.
Flowers-for that was the poetic name in which
the negro rejoced-had already caught sight of the
Pheasant making her way toward the harbor mouth,
and in anticipation Of a visit from the Governor,
which always meant great parade Of ceremonial in
the way of gunfre, side boys, and file of marines,
was ANXIOUS IN spite OF the storm, for permission
to go out and take his own humble part in the
festivities. He had been, in fact, on the point
of setting out when Smith was blown against the
door.
The manager took up his glass and kept it trained
on the approaching gunboat for minute or two be-
fore he answered the request Flowers made.
The Governor is not aboard, he said, as he put
the glass down. She's not flying his jack. With
the sea that running the bar YOU are more likely
to bad accident than anything else out there;
but you may go if YOU like.
Flowers awaited himself of the permission with
alacrity, and Smith was left alone
AS of fact, his anxiety for the Pheasant's
safety, until she got within the bar kept him from
thinking very much how serious a disaster her ar
rival would mean for him Once she had dropped
her anchors in the almost landloCked BAY the
thought of his personal danger came back upon him.
1t all the stronger for the natural reaction of his
spirits from the glow that Christabels declaration
of faith in him had produced.
Restlesslv he watched the gunboat pitching at
her anchorage for awhile, until he them making
preparations to lower boat. They were going to
have visitor, after all visitor Of official
sequence, evidently too from the fact that it
the Captans cutter they were lowering away. He
none of the officers would come ashore in
weather like this, though their craft safe
in the harbor. He was little puzzled as to who the
visitor might be- the absence of the Governors
jack eliminated the only likely one. But he didn't
much care, after all.
He turned away from the window seated himself
at his desk and tried to work; but the effort was
beyond him. His game was up The good fight he
had meant to make over before it well begun.
The storm would blow itself out in the night. and to-
morrow or the day after Beaumont and-Christabel
would sail away As to what might happen to him
after that it didn't much matter
TT was an hour later that he heard Flowers letting
himself in at the back door The big negros face
when on the pretense of having heard Smiths bell,
he came into the room was fairly lumined by one
vast pervasive grin.
u Didn't ring, sub. he asked Il was plum
sho heard 70 bell,
"Nonsense' said Smith, smiling family. What
is it you want to tell me? Out with it,!
"Yass subj > said the man. = 1t sutainv
of de stranges sights evan in nah life!'
But Flowers to be deprived Of the satisfaction
of telling his tale for before he could begin it thud
against the front door announced the arrival of
visitor.
Smith and Flowers between them, opened the
door and succeeded in shutting it after the they
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