The Washington times., 1908-12-26

friendliest. squarest men that ever
grOwed- He'd go without vittels
sooner'n miss a chance to do you
favor. Meet him once, an he was your
friend, an he never forgot you, either
why. I remember the dast time 1
saw him II was down at Cape Town
IN April. and he was in this same slOOp.
The Streak Of Foam, too He came up
to me, an he sings out
But Helene made her escape 90 the
deck The subject OF Captain Kirby
had little interest for her. she thought
how mistaken sometimes are ones
judgmentsl-and she wanted 10 be
where she could watch for another
speck upon the waters which this time
should prove not a wreck, but a sea-
worthy little craft with the dauntless
figure OF her owner at the helm.
Watch as she would, though, no re
ward came to gladden. her straining
eyes. When the cry of sail, hO"' was
raised. her heart would thrill for
moment, and then sink back into
apathy as she discovered the pssser-
by to be but some red. rusty tramp
like their own, or a smart liner with
its four tunnels, or a slOw-moving
Chinese junk with its happinG ia:een
sails.
And so at last the unprOductive voy-
age was over. and they dropped anchor
in the harbor at Sydney.
What to do next Helene scarcely
knew. There was evidently no olhIng 10
be gained by this aimless seeking
through the Iabyrlnthine paths Of the
sea. and, moreover. the month was
nearly UP, at the end Of which Jim lad
promised she should hear from him.
In the end. she decided to return as
quickly as she could to Manila. and
there await either him or his message.
But the days came and went, and he
neither put In an appearance, nor did
any tidiugs from him arrive She
waited a week-waited for word from
him. as she had done at Paris and
Genoa, only now st was not in bitter
ness OF spirit and angry humiliation,
but with a deep and growing melan-
choly.
Daily II seemed TO become more Ger
tain that the storm which had wrecked
the Inflated Streak OF Foam had also
sent the Helene TO the bottom.
In vain the girl tried TO tell herself
that a sIoop which had lived out the
foundered in this lesser gale
Opposed TO that. Jim's own words
rang in her ear "I swear to you,
girl, that you viii either see me in
person at Manila or hear from me this
day month";" and she knew he would
never have failed in that promise IL
he had been still alive.
Yet she fingered on two weeks
longer, uncertain what TO do, unwiII-
ing to lose the chance that he might
turn up after al.
She had lost by this time the post
she had come out to accept; and since
good part Of her $4,000 windfall was
gone. ana i was imperative she do
something. IL was a question with her
whether to remain on in Manila in the
hope Of securing another opportunity
or 70 return 10 the States.
While she hesitated in indCcisiOn,
however. the matter was settled for
her. From Mr. Starr Spencer. in New
York. there came a cablegram re
questing her return thither on mat
ter Of important business.
She had been Indifferent, apathetic
in a degree as to whether she went
OF stayed, and It came TO her as a Ie-
lief to have the determination taken
out Of her hands.
It was good for her, too, she found,
to have some occupation for her mind
in arranging the departure Of Aunt
Margaret and herself. They secured,
by good fortune, a staterOOm which
had been given up at thS last mo-
ment, and sailed the very next morn
ing for San Francisco.
Six days out, a stowaway was found
on board and Helene happened to set
q glimpse at him. She thought he
seemed strangely familiar. but almost
forgot him in the absorp-
ton Of her sad thoughts.
1t was, however, the same man who
had shipped as a common sailor on the
tramp steamer, had Travelled first class
on the boat she took back from sgd
ney to Manila, had stopped at the
same hotel with her in both those
cities, and had, IN short, never let
her a moment from under his eye.