Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-31

NE2H~SA the world The aspect some
k$Q&ASNAASN thing the might be pre-
.B&TSEFNM sented by the inside of the linn
fXI74AlI2HtH CUISINE body of automobile
l03aG[IsM containing a good deal of the
kV88E@I N3s%A machinery More exactly, perhaps,
0S@S it resembled the interior of
ming tower broken away from warship and gone to
sea by itself All small yet clearly effective;
toylike, yet Enthusiastically grim.
The many brass and steel knobs and levers and
rods shone sharply under the hard electric light.
The subdued whir of machinery sounded and slightly
cred lockers along the longer sides sat man one
young and youngerly. and both clad in the uni
form of officers service of the United States navy
Through miniature companionway the heads of
sailors in small lower berth and then showed.
One of the officers bent with his chin his hand
staring before him; the other wrote slowly the
paper resting book on his knee:
YOU will perhaps better understand why l
writing as do when tell you the exact state
of affairs We have no reason believe that there
is any possibility of life for longer than three hours
more or less The compressed air in the tanks
under ordinary circumstances should be sufficient
plainabe leakage in the valves the supply will not
hold out for longer Unaccountaby the mischief
seems to have got into everything However, dear
You may remember that you asked about
the trial to-day Sweetheart.-I think may say
that now for really it's case of the last hours of
the condemned and about to die Salutes you,
and all that sort of thing,-the unexpected interest
you gave much to me then SO good to re-
member now, for it is all that have went quite
up in a seventh heaven of delight. It's down in
seventh hell now; but you understand l don't
want to make fuss about it. l am sending this to
you because l feel l may say now to you what
have never dared to say before Moreover, waiting,
just waiting for the end is not easy. and writing to
you in this way gives strength,-Just as the
thought of you has made my whole life in the last
month glorious and worth while and slgnltl
cant. That was one reason why when was as
signed to carry the experiments with this
submarine, l did not care. If had no hope with
YOU what hope there?
Sometimes l was SO bold, SO vain, as to think
that you might perhaps care-Just little. They
say when drowning relives his whole lifetime
in his last gasp. This is rather long drawn out
one-at the best the worst there will be three
hours more,-but certainly l have lived again all
of my life l have really lived.-the time l have
known you The least incident and word of each
occasion l have you is wildly clear before my
eyes. In what way you happened to learn that l
was with Commander Richard Bland my superior
to have charge during the trials of Falchon 2
cannot imag line. Bland is sitting opposite to me
now, in the stiff castron manner in which he
always carries himself with the glowering pre-
occupation for which you frequently laughed at
him He is martinez and walking textbook of
mathematics; but he used to flush angrily when
you made fun of him. He constantly appear
ing somewhere near you,-about congruousy
an ammunition lift, and with the effect OF
shutting things up as bulkhead door; SO wonder
you snubbed him.
HOW the least moment comes back to me,-but
II then it not the least but momentous
ment when you were of 1t. That time had taken
you in to dinner The sight and scent of the flowers
the glitter and glow OF the silver and crystal. the
gay voices and light laughter all already to be-
long to another world,-down, down. here. |
should not mind SO much if it was under the open
sky on free decks, like the chaps of the Brkenhead
who stood drawn up at quarters with COlorS flying
while the ship went down own fellows with
music playing who cheered the Englishman out Of
the harbor at Samoa l could even welcome it
and as boy when dreamed of the sea always
considered that was the finest kind of finish man