Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-25
l 4

her laugh him. So he replied, ignoring the ques-
ton, Il want you to grant me one favor before we
leave the grotto. May | not come to your ship to
Lechner told at Saint Peters that you sailed on
the Cleopatra | am my way to Egypt also. and
going up to Luxor He did not then dare to tell
Mary that he going to Luxor because she was.
The Kendalls-Frauein Lechner also very kindly
told you would be with them at Luxor-are
friends of mine. Now, won't you let me see you
there? [ am told that it is such Jolly interesting
place. Won't you let me in on some OF your sight
seeing trips your desert picnics, etc. YOU South
erner ought to know how to sympathlze with the de-
feated to be gracious to the conquered
Mary dropped her eyes again. Was this English
man going to make declaration to her on such
short acquaintance She knew of Southern men who
did such things; but she had not thought English
man would be rash To ward off further senti-
ment, she fastened to answer, in a matter OF fact
way; ,,
to see you again. and am the kendalls will be
delighted to you at Luxor.
And may not come to the pier when you sail in
the morning, to say goodby: Hamilton said dog
gedly
Mary, yielding to stronger will again consented
to this also inwardy excusing herself by the refec
ton that she would have more time up the Nile to
dispose of this persistent soldier.
Nov you are kind!'' murmured Hamilton.
"Then show your gratitude by not thinking
of the grotto We shall have to leave to avoid
boatload of tourists from Naples Isn't this the
most beautiful bit of Natures work that exists
When Mary smiled at man like that, he granted
her anything.
MARY absorbed herself in the beauty of the
w grotto and Hamilton fell into her mood. Could
a man ask more than this, to be beside the girl he
loved in this sea palace of enchantrnent. For Love
the Ideazer had surely created this spot where heav
emily blue hued every feature and dyed even the at
mosphere into divine cerulean mist such might
have enveoped Aphrodite when she appeared to
men. The concave walls not of stone. but of
cleaning, glowing precious jewels, sapphires, and
pearls and amethysts. The floor Of the grotto
was not water but fluent molten turquoise, of blue
SO soft so tender that it unearthly. These
fisher boats of the outside prosaic profana
tons upon this exquisite sea- Only fairy barks with
purple wings outspread should enter here. Illusion,
enchantment, beauty!
Hamilton was drawn back to the remembrance of
another world outside only by the actions of the
three boatmen They were chattering excitedy,
gesticulating toward the entrance and the sea be-
meath them. Hamilton glanced down and to his dis
may the hitherto calm and smooth sea floor be-
ginning to undulate and ripple.
other boatmen to go first with the ladies and
lose moment" he quickly ordered in Italian, low
ering his voice.
"Signor it is too late for the women and the child
to go out. l myself take you through the
trance if you lie very still and low in the boat
But the ladies' they must here until the
low again. Who could have foreseen this wind :
Perhaps it lasts only an hour, perhaps three, four
five, hours; cannot tell.
Hamilton in dismay heard Mary say to Fraulein