Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21

But you want to go to your sleep t am selfish
DO you want me to stay?" asked
Yes" she said: You see she paused.
| very young.
81 am not so lonely when you stand on the
deck and l can see you" she said, and of
course | am not lonely now
l stayed till the first glInmer of dawn, and
| she told me her story. 1t concerns others than
herself and contains many things that must not
be told. l cannot set it down here. l sighed at
the end
Il am glad that your share in these things
was more, Abdullah," l said "As you say,
cannot realize the circumstances and l will
not judge; but | am glad that the deeds were
not yours.
And you can be my friend?" she asked
81 was your friend before you told me-"
said, and whatever you told me could not
alter that
And Abdullah, a fugitive for her life, threat
ened with assassination and starvation, laughed
under her breath and clapped her hands softly.
And if they hurt your little friend" she
asked, what would you do? Think of that
before you judge our society. We had friends
who died in Russia Goodnight, and the dear
God reward you my kind friend! That is the
prayer of-of your little black slave"
"Of my little white Princess" / contra
dicted.
Then l helped her on top of the crates and
handed up the rug and cushions, and she
climbed up the ropes and went to my cabin.
There was far faint light in the sky, and
stood at my cabin door and watched till Mega
dor rose gray out of the darkness They look SO
clean and dignifed at a distance, those Moorish
towns and those Moors!
THE next day 1 obtained sandwiches and
boarded them, closed up in box, to keep
them fresh. l looted the table of biscuits and
fruit at every meal. l put my early morning
tea into flask and saved it for her. did not
60 ashore; but stayed watching the unloading.
| talked to the second officer, and he remarked
upon the wearisomeness of tallying. l offered
to keep his tally while he had cup of tea, and
| went down into the hold
hid a bag of provisions and the sandwiches
and the flask between two crates, and, while
the Moors were yelling at one another as they
stacked the cargo, called and told Abdullah
where to find them.
1t was well that did So for we left Mog-
ador at six that night, Thursday and, the
weather was rough, they put on the matches and
did not open them till we came to Las Palmas
on Saturday. l was sick with anxiety, i'll with
it during the day; for they were loading till
we left at midnight, and it was two o'clock
Sunday morning before l got down in the
hold to Abdullah. And when l found her l
did.
She had been sick on the passage, and was so
weak thai sh. could hardly crawl over the
crates to me. They had put in much cargo
CQat now she came up 1ISCcdu OI UOWH one
could scarcely sit up, and held her in one arm,
with her head against my shoulder, and fed her
and gave her water, and stroked her hair as if
she was little child.
81 fought they would shut the hold again,
she said and then you would tell the Captain
and he would give me up. You had better let
me starve if they shut it up again, than do
that"
I'll break into the hold frst!'' 1 declared.
The next day we were at Teneriffe. l went
ashore and bought a couple of blankets and
stock of provisions, including cooked fowl.
When we were on the way to Madeira in the
early morning l took them down to my little
| charge. She kissed my hands when l gave
them to her.
Now" she said II can live all the way to
| England, even if they close the matches; but
| hope they won't, because like to look up and
see you standing by the smoking room, and l
like it best when you come and talk to me"
They did not close the hatches,-thank God!
and every night or rather early morning, l
| went down and talked to Abdullah, and every
day pondered more and more anxiously upon
| the problem of her escape when we reached
England; for she insisted strenuously as
ever that nothing could save her if she was dis
covered.
| We talked it over every night, and at last hit
upon plan. l will not set down the discus
sions, only the result.
WE were due Monday morning. Sunday
w night l took down a drenched flannel,