The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21

Il sye, 'ow did you come to get the
Impression there was q party named
Almanack aboard this wessel?'
"Calendar-"
ceded, gracefully.
There isn't. is there?'
You card me-"
Then" said Kirkwood, sweetly. I'm
sure you wouldn't be interested"
The captain pondered this at leisure.
You seemed pretty keen abaht seein'
i'm" he remarked, conclusivelY.
st was"
seems to me I di4 ear the nyme
sunw'eres afore." The captain ap-
peared to vrestle with an obdurate
memory "Ow" he triumphed. Il
know. z was q chap UP Manchester
wye. Keeper in a loon2tic asylum, .
was. That yer party?'
NO said Kirkwood, wearily.
''I didn't know but mebbe twas. Ex
cuse me. Thought as 'ow mebbe you'd
escyped from is tender care, but, ind
In the world cold, chynged yer mind
and wanted to gov back"
without waiting for a reply he
lurched into his room and banged the
door to. Kirkwood, divided between
amusement and irritation, heard him
stumbling about for some time; and
then a hush fell grateful enough while
it lasted; which was not long. For no
sooner did the captain sleep than
penetrating snore added itself unto the
cacophony Of waves and wind and
tortured ship.
Kirkwood, comforted at first by the
blessed tobacco. lapsed insensibly into
dreary meditations. Coming after the
swift movement and sustained excite
ment Of the Is hours preceding his
long sleep. the monotony Of shipboard
confinement seemed irksone 10 q mad
dening degree. There was absolutely
nothing he could discover TO occupy his
mind. II there were books aboard. none
was in evidence; beyond the report of
Mr.. Strangers Manhattan nights en-
tertainment the walls were devoid OF
reading matter; and a round of the
picture gallery proved a diversion
weariful enough when not purely re-
voting.
Wherefore Mr. Kirkwood stretched
himself out on the transom and smoked
and reviewed his adventures in detail
and seriatim, and was by turns in
dignant. sore, anxious on his own ac-
count as we'll as on Dorothy's, and out
of all patience with himself. Mystifed
he remained throughout, and the edge
OF his curiosity held as keen as ever,
you may believe.
Consistently the affair presented itself
to his fancy In the guise OF puzzle
picture, which, though you study 1t never
so diligently, remains incomprehensi-
bic. until by chance you view 1t from
an unexpected angle, when 1t reveals
itself intelligibly. 1t had not yet been
his good fortune TO see 1t from the
right viewpoint To hold the metaphor,
he walked endless circles round II,
patiently seeking. but ever failing to
find the proper perspective Each
incident, however insignificant, IN con-
nection with It. he handled over and
over, examining its every facet. bright
or dull, as an expert might inspect q
clever imitation of a diamond; and
like a perfect imitation 1t defled analy-
sis.
OF one or two things he was con-
vinced; for one, that Stryker was liar
worthy of classification with Calendar
and Mrs. Hallam. Kirkwood had not
only the testimony of his sense to as
sure him that the ships name, Alethea
mot a common one, by the bye), had
been mentioned by both Calendar and
Mulready during their alteration on
Bermondsey Old Stairs, but he had the
conirmatory testimony OF the sleepy
waterman, William, who had directed
Old Bob and Young William 10 the
anchorage on Bow creek That there
should have been two vessels of the
same unusual name at one and the
same time in the port OF London was
a coincidence too preposterous alto
gether to find place in his calculations.
His second impregnable conclusion
was that those whom he sought had
boarded the Alethea. but had left her
before she tripped her anchor. That
they were not stored away aboard her
seemed unQuestionable- The brigantfne
was hardly large enough for the pres
ence OF three persons aboard her to be
long kept q secret from an inquisitive
fourth-unless. indeed. they lay IN hid
ing in the hold: for which. once the ship
got under way, there could be scant
excuse. And Kirkwood did not believe
himself person OF sufficient import
ance in Calendars eyes, to make that
worthy endure the discomforts of a
'tweendecks Imprisonment throughout
the voyage, even to escape recognition,
With every second then, he was tray-