Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05
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that you were shipping vessel under the name
of King; but had little difficulty in tracing you
Mr.. Fenshawe's yacht, and do not feel justified in
recognizing your unnecessary alias Again, advise
you to return. am that your employer, most
estinlable will not place any difficulties in your
way. If you leave the APhrodite at Port Said
1srnailia and send cablegram, shall remit by
cable funds sufficient for your needs
Dick had deemed this disturbing problem dead
and done with. He had not hesitated at Marseles,
nor he less decided now. He held out the letter
to Kerber frankly, little thinking how close
scrutiny had been given to his face while he
learning its contents.
Read it, he said, and you will see for yourself
that l am in way responsible.
Won Kerber seemed to be taken aback by this dis
play of confidence. No, no. he said loftly. u
do not wish it. have your word; that is sufficient.
May ! send an answer?'
Yes, from Suez.
The incident might have ended there had it
not been brought into sharp prominence that even
ing. Tagg took the first watch, from eight o'clock
to midnight. Under ordinary conditions, Royson,
who was free till four in the morning, would have
gone to his cabin and slept soundly; but, like many
another who passes through the great canal for the
first time, he could resist the fascination of the
ships noseless, almost stealthy passage through
the desert.
After supper while enjoying pipe before turning
in he went forward and stood behind the powerful
electric lamp fitted in the bows to illunne the
row water lane which joins east and west. The
broad shaft of light lent a solemn beauty to the
bleak wastes on either hand. In 'front.' the canals
silvery ribbon shimmered in magic life. Its nearer
ripples formed glitterng corsage for the ships
tapered stem, and merged into witches way Of
blackness beyond. The red signal of a distant
station, the white CLEAN of an approaching YES
sells masthead light. shone from the void like low
pitched stars. Overhead the sky was of deepest
blue, its stupendous arch studded with stars of
traordinary radiance, while low the could be
the paler sheen of departing day. At times his
wondering eyes fell some Arab encampment
the neighboring bank, where shrouded figures sat
round fire, and ghostly camels in the background
raised ungainly heads and gazed at the mys-
ferrous sight of the moving ship.
The marvellous at intimate and
mote. Its distnguishable features had the of
nearness and actualty of some piece of splendid
stagecraft; yet he seemed to be peering at the
rigid outlines of time but rather into the vague, al
most terrifying depths of eternity. And it
bewdering fact that this glimpse into the portals of
the desert was no new thing to him. Though never
before had his mortal eyes rested on the far flung
VISTA he absorbed its soothing glamour with all the
zest of who back a familiar horizon after
valleys. 40 f'' 0'-'N'0 gnu NV ''''''1e1
Time and again he strove to shake off this eery
feeling; but it was not to be repelled He fought
against its dominance and denounced its folly; vet
his heart whispered that he not mistaken, that
the majestic silence conveyed some thrilling message
which he could not understand. How long he stood
there and how utterly he had yielded the strange
prepossesson of his dream he scarcely realized until
he heard soft voice close behind him.
rs that you Mr.. Royson?" it said, and he was
called back from the unknown to find Miss Fenshawe
standing near
Il beg your PARDON he stammered Il was so
taken up with this to me most enhancing
perience-"
That you did not hear my fairy footsteps" she
broke in with quiet laugh. Do not apologize for
that am wearing list slippers; so my ghostlike
very greatly relieved at having found you at all I
was afraid you had left the ship without my know-
edge"
But how could that be possible, Miss Fen
shaver! he asked, startled out of his revere by her
peculiar phrase
Please don't speak so loud, she said dropping