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

a
raging unicorn" This was. perhaps. Slight
exaggeration; but Aunt Mary certainly spoke
her mind.
'Valda Girard, she said, this is not your
yacht 1t belongs. from stem to stern, to my
half brother Marcus | knew him twenty
years before You did, and will not take orders
from his foolish child. You may put me in
irons, you may cut my head off: but tell you
fatty will speak with Mr. Bruce Morson when
and where | choose! In years you are old
enough to know better: in commonsense YOU
are young enough to be spankedH'
With this final slur upon Valda's capabilities
as yachts master. Aunt Mary swept ma es-
tically away, to put her threat of speaking with
Bruce Morson into Immediate execution.
Now this was open mutiny; but mutiny
always starts that way, for if everybody did
exactly what everybody else wanted done,
there never would be any mutines at all.
Polly moved off in state of unholy glee.
A S for Valda. she hunted up Captain Joe for
consolation and advice, but mainly for
consolation To that worthy seaman she re-
cited as much of the recent occurrences as she
could without placing Marcus Girard in a
metaphorIcal lookup; and while much of the
smuggling detail was perforce suppressed, still
the prevarications of Morson-Brown were
brought out very clearly.
Captain Joe listened with grave attention.
He even lit his pipe in order to give the matter
every chance of earnest. level minded thought;
but when she had finished. he scratched his
chin, pulled clouds of smoke, and shook his
grizzled head. Miss Valda" he observed con-
templatively. Il guess he did lie some; but
then again, YOU can't be certain. Now if |
was to tell you how once, down Jamaica ways,
| went to sleep and tumbled off the stern of the
Lucy Allen and come mighty near to being
snapped up by big black shark"
But Nalda was not interested IN sharks. at
least not real ones; so she delicately limited at
the fact. The Captain grinned and changed
the subject.
Well" he tempo.ized Il tell you what
We'll do. III have talk. in private with this
Morson lubber and hear what he's got to say,
and then"
Valda interrupted him. Captain joe" she
said, and her tone was charged with stern
authority, You will do nothing of the kindi
You are already unreasonably prejudiced
against Mr.. Ormond and Mr. Tracy, and will
be only too willing to be taken in by that
scalawags nsidious Establishments. Really.
Captain Joe. you don't know, but-but he's
plausible! It's his regular, wicked business!
And therefore l must ask you not to discuss
comes to you. Just keep him in his place.
register him on the yacht books as George c.
Brown, and see that he does his work:
"All right agreed the Captain with a care
less shrug: its all one to me- My sailing
orders are straight and simple. TO reach New
York by the twentieth.-and III do it If God
spares me and her boilers last
NALDA went back on deck and sat down
alone. Apparently there was nothing else
to do; for everyone was against her. Captain
Joe was against her,-he showed it plainly.
Polly was against her, and at this very moment
was gggling like silly little idiot; and Aunt
Mary was in open mutiny- Valda could see
that woman now, returning from her defiant
interview with the reprobate; and human
curiosity got the better of contempt.
We'll" she asked, with just shade of
casm, did your cherub unfold his wings?"
mo, he did not" replied the placid one.
steadying herself against the rail, for the Spit
fire was wallowing her way through a cross sea:
he unfolded very little" Aunt Mary looked
a trihe puzzled, then admitted candidly: do
you know. my dear, that odd young man is
extremely reticent as to his past. talked with
him for fully fifteen minutes, and while he was
at all times most courteous and agreeable, still
there is a something in his air-an almost
humorous something-that creates barrier.
l think l shall lie down for a little
Valda smiled, for the first time in two hours:
but it was grim sort of smile. without much
pleasure in it. She was glad that some one else
was getting a taste of Morson-Brown: but
even this could not bring back her perfect hap
piness. The man worried her. He was on her
nerves. and refused to be forgotten, even for
the smallest fraction of minute.
Yes she admitted grudgingly to herself.
he's just like spot on your back that itches
and you cant reach it.
tn J., C,,nd1v