Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

have until five o'clock this afternoon YOU
know You can requisition all the help you
need | have already had the shutters taken
off and the windows opened. and I've got
man up there now putting in a telephone.
The minute you take command things will
begin to hum. You are to move up there, bag
and baggage. you know. and act their
hostess while they are here"
That's orders, is it," said the girl rather
ruefully.
THE chiefs own hand and SEAL" O'Brien
assured her. "by wireless at five o'clock this
morning"
Well" she said. 81 suppose it is my turn:
He has asked impossible things of all the rest of
you, and got them. We will be ready. Mr..
O'Brien. You shall find me in my best frock."
She had left the table and was pinning on her
hat while she spoke.
"It won't be so very hard said young
so on. isn't it,"
much you know about it," she retorted.
"You See" Rogers went on, turning to the
engineer. he has clearly given it up.-his
plan. you know With public reception and
all that, it's out of the question"
Florence was lingering in the doorway
waiting to hear what O'Brien would say to
that.
The engineer looked as puzzled as she felt
WELL" he said at last, '''Time Will Tell
That's one of the most comforting mottos in
the language: and Orders Is Orders. there's
another one. We had probably better leave
the thinking to him. He has always shown
himself competent to do it SO far
TT was on these two principles that the staff
proceeded that day. 1t was not very pleas
ant. this putting the island in gala dress for
their enemy. The only purpose such a pro-
cedure seemed likely to serve was to make
Beaumont all the more anxious to gobble it up.
But Smith Smith. and orders were orders.
So they worked with will and when the
Orpheus finally showed her nose round the
promontory of Fort Hill the reception was
ready.
The island itself had never looked SO lovely
to Smith before He was standing by Christa-
bells side In the bows of the tug when they
steamed into the harbor. But presently the
look in the girls face made him forget the
scene, made him forget the drama that was to
be enacted there.
She did not speak at all: her eyes, sparkling
with excitement caught from the scene before
her. swept the crescent shaped harbor, from
the bold. blunt mass of Fort Hill on one hand.
to the white lanCehead of sand. with the
of the breakers about it. which formed Gates
Point, on the other. The whole picture was
keyed as high as Natures palate could reach.
The water in the harbor lighter, shriller
blue than the deep ultramarine of the sea
it were shreds of ircandescent white that
capped the waves. In an almost Tin broken
half-ellipse the broad golden band of beach
and quay made frame for it all.
u,
half under her BREATH" bluer and lovelier!"
There came just then a step behind them
and Beaumont stood at Smiths elbow. It's
very fine" he said. cit doesn't beat the Bay
of Naples but it suggests comparison
81 suppose" said the girl. if l had seen the
Bay of Naples on my honeymoon with
mother. I'd never find anything that equaled
it. either"
Beaumont's only reply was to lay his hand
affectionately on the girls shoulder. and Smith
turned away, conscious of despairing wish
that the moral order of the world might be
simpler thing: that good people would be good
and bad people would be bad.
1t had been SO easy matter two days ago
to call Christopher Beaumont pirate and to
plan keeping him, by force or guile. on the
island; but the sight of him now. with his
caressing hand on his daughters shoulder and
a suspicious brightness of what looked like
tears in his eyes, discredited both the epithet
and the plan.
The next moment Christabel's seriousness
vanished. "Soldiers!" she cried. making out
the long rigid lines that dressed the quay.
But that's not the British uniform"
They are not soldiers" said Smith: they
are just the island nstabulary"
Your own private little army" she COM
mented. He was at loss to understand the
quick look of what appeared to be half awe
and half amusement which she shot at him
then And there are the Stars and Stripes
H. T.