Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-09-23
THE MESSAGE
BY LOUIS TRACY.
by

Among my traps. Forget it. 1 shall
send it to London in the morning.
'.An' good job to be rid of it, I've
seen some queer fish in the sea. from the
bottle-nosed whales an sharks to DEAD
pigs who 'ad cut their own threats with
their fore feet by swimmin' from a
wrecked ship. but never before ave l
clapped my peppers on fizzy-mahog like
that
Twice had an unusually long speech be-
ly stirred. Warden. smoking and. listen
ing in silence. but never relaxing MS
vigilant scrutiny of the Sans SOucl, felt
that. in very truth, there must be some
malign influence in the carved head on
the gourd ere 1t would arouse the intense
repugnance Of two such different natures
as those Of the bluff. good-tempered sailor
and the dainty. we'll bred girl who had
come SO suddenly into his life.
He did not pursue the conversation.
Though Evans was quite trustworthy.
there was no need to make him conf
dant in matters which might have the
gravest bearing on an already troubled
position in West Africa. The pilots care
fully charged pipe was nearly empty when
Warden surprised him with an. abrupt
question.
What time does the first train leave
for London in the morning?
Round about o'clock" he said.
You amt thinkin' of chuckin' the
detection in his voice showed that he was
prepared for the worst.
For a few hours, perhaps night
that is ALL
so you 'b'lieve they mean mischief$'
growled Peter, jerking thumb toward
the yacht.
This direct and forcible reasoning was
unexpected. Yet any level-headed man
might have reached practically the same
conclusions from the nights happenings.
70 ",
most of the intricacies and pitfalls of
West African politics, nor did Warden
endeavor to evade the point
Il believe that there are people In Lon
don who should know what you and l
know he said. slowly. Anyhow. let
sleeps on board. Perhaps the mornings
light may dispel some Of the vapors that
cloud our brains tonight"
The early train from Cowes did not.
however, carry Arthur Warden among the
London-bound passengers.
A glimpse of Evelyn on the deck of the
Sans Souci altered that portion of his
plans. She waved pleasant greeting.
held up both hands with the fingers
spread widely apart, and nodded her head
gesture to mean that she was going
ashore at 10 o'clock, and he signaled
back the information that he would pre-
cede her at 8. Not until he found
ulIHSciI udWOIluS vi Lie quay, hilIlAS
time as lazily as possible, did the thought
obtrude that he was extraordinarily anx-
ious to meet her again. OF course. it ir-
ritated him. A smart soldier, with small
means beyond his pay-with foot just
planted on the first rung of the adminis-
traitors ladder in a land where life itself
is too often the price asked for higher
climbing-he had no business to show any
undue desire to cultivate the acquaint-
ance Of young ladies SO peculiarly eligible
as Evelyn Dane He knew this so well
that he scoffed at the notion, put two
knucl<les between his lips. and emitted
peculiarly shrill and compelling whistle.
For its special purpose-the summoning
of boy selling newspapers-it was a
sure means toward an end. 1t drew the
boys attention. even evoked his envy.
But it CHANGED also to be a krooboy call
on the Upper Niger, and in that capacity
It brought a lean, swarthy face to the
window Of a bedroom in a quiet hotel
overlooking the quay.
(To be continued tomorrow)