Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05

as seemed to be his customary method of i'm
pertnence:
Last night, when you were roasting me.
you said something about my receiving salary
for deceiving people" He paused an instant.
while the old look of impishness crept back
into his eyes. Now l wonder if you think I'm
customs house official.
NO" said Valda. with lofty air, 81 don't
think it. l know i'll"
THIS time she did leave him.-left him for
good and all,-and moved away with
dignity and grace; while the man, thus crushed,
went back to his work-though, strangely, his
big. broad shoulders shook as he bent to his
degrading labors.
Valda left the deck and ordered breakfast.
1t was early, SO she had it alone; and, IN her
opinion, it was about the very worst breakfast
ever served by the ministerial Miggs. 1t was
Morson- Browns fault. of course! He ruined
everything His baleful influence even per
meated the shells of eggs. 1t muddied the
coffee. 1t made the toast a sort of irritating
brown-just like his horrid. disgusting name!
She saw clearly that this fox had tried to
deceive her second time. and she justly
angry. He had meekly admitted the justice
of her treatment of him,-that his story was
impossible and false,-then cunningly dropped
hint that the tale might not sound plausible
to her. merely because it had not happened to
her personally. In other words, he had pre-
sented an honest apple of cOnfession-and put
worm in it. Oh! but that was sly!-satanic-
ally sly and an one but wise and far seeing
person might easily have been taken in. And
then his master stroke of vulpine knavery in
asking her if she thought he was customs
house official To tell the truth,-the glazing,
naked truth,-then hold it up to artful ridiculel
No wonder the British Government was willing
to pay this fend an enormous salary! His re-
sources of deception were illimitable. She
could understand that wound on his scalp now
perfectly. He had bumped his head on pur
pose-just for local color!
THE unhappy young woman went on deck
again and sat down. but IN a locality tar
removed from the irritating rail polisher, and
there she waited with all her remaining pa
thence for the coming of Polly and Aunt Mary.
Both these carefree women rose at leisure,
dressed at leisure and en- joyed their breakfast
at still more leisure; then they came out JOY
ously and hunted up the mistress of the Spit
fire. finding her in a mental condition only to
be described by the word grim.
Ealda had diSagreeable duty to perform;
SO she went about it at once and without pre-
lude Aunt Mary" she began, and you too,
Polly, very sad and distressing thing has oc-
Cured on board our yacht.
" Good gracious me-" exclaimed Aunt Mary
" Has he taken cold!
No" said Valda with vindictive snap of
her sharp. white teeth. unfortunately he has
not! 1t is something worse than colds. Aunt
Mary. That is a shameless swindler"
Her two listeners stared at her In speeches.
lnCleuuuIy, Out Sdlld ull not give lHeIIl tlillc
for disconcerting questions. Such things are
always dangerous.
Last evening" she continued " purposely
made no mention of it, for fear of upsetting you;
and even this morning | give you little
detail. as the matter is connected with fathers
private business. But this l can say: Mr.
cr-Mr. Morson was not thrown from that tug
boat; but arranged the whole thing himself in
order to get aboard this yacht. with the sole
intention of injuring my father. His state
ments to false, by his own admission.
and while he may not have done anything
actually to place him behind the bars, STILL he
has principle and is utterly unscrupulous.
He is not fit person for any of us to associate
with, and have placed him where he belongs,
to work his passage, giving positive in
structions that none of this yachts company
shall hold any communication with him what
ever. Now, please, the matter is closed!"
But the matter was not closed. Both women
held set and individual views on the subject.
nor did they hesitate to state them. With
Polly it was thus Given young man of I'M
common personal promise, the high road
to perdtion, it clearly became the duty of
society to check his downward plunge If So
ciety failed to appreciate its opportunity. then
it incumbent upon some philanthropic
young person of the weaker to roll up her
sleeves and reform him. Marriage, she had
heard. was a most efficient evil checker, and
if applied consCientiously before all moral
tissue had been completely eaten away