The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-12-15
He DIAMOND SHIP
MAX PEMBERTON
Author Of "The
Copyright d. Appleton &

AyenhflI, had no title to be chOoSer.
i had determined to call at the port
or Havre, not because j had any bust
ness to do there, but because intelli-
gence had come to me that Joan Fordi-
bras was spending some weeks at
Dieppe, and that / should find her at
the Hotel de Palais. We made a good
passage down the North sea, and on
the morning following our arrival
stood among a group OF lazy onlookers
who watches the bathers go down to the
sea at Dieppe and found their homely
entertainment therein. Joan Fordibras
was one of the last to battle, but many
eyes followed her with interest, and
perceived that she was an expert swim
mer possessed of a graceful figure and
or daring In the water which had
few fmitators among her sex. Greatly
admired and evidently very well
known, many flatterers surrounded her
when she had dressed; and must have
passed her by at least a Odzen times
before she suddenly recognized me and
came running up to greet me.
why. it's DR.. Fabos of London, isn't
1t. now?" she exclaimed. II thought
could not be mistaken. Whoever would
have believed that so grave a person
would spend his holiday in Dieppe."
Two days" said /. answering her
to the point; Il am yachting around
| the coast, and some good instinct COM
pelled me TO come here"
my, what a reason. Did you expect
to find my father here?"
Certainly not. He sailed in his yacht
from Cherbourg three days ago"
Then / shall call you a wizard
Please tell me why you wanted to see
me-"
You interested me. Besides. did not
l say that l would come? Would you
have me at Eastbourne or Cromer -
L xxyff L.
stares and men whose ambitions rot in
bunkers? ] came to see you. That is
compliment. I wished to say good
by to you before you return to AM
| erica
But we are not going to Amer-that
Is, Of course, my home is there. Did
| not father tell you that?'
Possibly. I have poor head for
places. There are so many In Amer
| lea"
But I Just love Them" she said
quickly. And then. with mischief in
her eyes. she added: mo one minds
other people trying to find out all about
them in America"
1t was sly thrust and told me much.
This child did not carry a secret, I
| said; she carried the fear that there
| might be a secret; had need Of all
/ my tact. How fate would laugh at me
| IL l fell in love with her. But that
/ was FOOLS surmise and not to be con-
| sidered
Curiosity" said, may have one
OF two purposes. 1t may desire to be-
that, when you have the time to con-
slider anything. / -nrceive that there
are at least q dozen young men wait
Ing to tell you that you are very beau
tiful DO not let me forbid them. AS
We are stayi.-g at the same hotel
What, have you gone to the Palais?"
rs there any other house while you
are in Dieppe?"
She flushed little and turned away
her head. I saw that i had frightened
her; and, rejecting upon the many
mistakes that so-called tact may make
sometimes, / invented a poor excuse
and left her to her friends.
| Plainly, her eyes had challenged me-.
! And the man. / said, must not hesitate
| to pick up the glove which my lady
OF 10 had thrown down so bravely.
thought that I knew no one in
Dieppe; but 1 was wrong, as you shall
see, and ! had scarcely set foot in the
hotel when I ran against no other than
Timothy McShanus, the Journalist OF
Fleet street, and found myself in an
instant listening to his odd medley of
fact and fancy. For the first time for
many wears he was in no immediate
neeQ OF little loan.
He ratified on and 1 did not inter
rupt him. To be plain, was glad Of
his company. Had ii appeared to Joan
Fordibras that / was quite alone in
the hotel. that / knew Of no friends in
Dieppe, and had no possible object in
visiting the town but to renew ac-
/ uqaintance with her during her fathers
/ absence-had this been so, then the
difficulties of our intercourse were man
ifest. Now, however 1 might shelter
my intentions behind this burly Irish
man. Indeed, was delighted at the
encounter.
out upon the veranda, and found Miss
Fordibras and her chaperone, Miss
Aston, drinking coffee at one of the
little tables In the vestibule. They
made way for US at once, as though
we had been expected, and presented
McShanus to them Immediately.
"Mr. Timothy McShanus, the author
/ OF ireland and Her Kings He's de-
scended from the last of them, be-
lieve. Is it not so, McShanus?"
From all of them, DR.. Fabos. Me
father ruled Ireland In the past and
me sons will rule ii in the future. La
dies, your servant. Be not after call
ing me an historian. IT'S poet I am
when not in the police courts"
Miss Aston, an elderly lady with the
short hair and the glasses. took Nc
Shanus seriously, am afraid. She be-
gan to speak to him OF Browning and
Walt Whitman and Omar Khayyam.
II drew my chair near to Miss Fordi-
bras and took my text from the COM
mon talk.
."The goth century gives us no soli-
tudes." said; "you cannot have poets
without solitudes. We live in crowds
nowadays. Even yachting is little
old fashioned Men go where other men
can see them show off. Vanity takes
them there; even bridge is vanity. the
desire to do better than the other
man."
Miss Aston demurred.
There are some women who know
nothing of vanity" she said stonily.
1--WE live within ourselves and our lives
are our own. Our whole existence is
u solitude. We are most truly alone
when many surround u.s."
"'Tis a compliment to my friend Fa-
bos," cried McShanus triumphantly;
''let me have the honor to escort we
to the Casino. lady, for such man ID
no company for us. No doubt he'll
bring Miss Fordibras over when they "a
done with the poets. viii ys not, doc
tori"
said that should be delighted.
and when the cloaks had been found
we all set out for the Casino. Tine
thy was playing his part wen, II APP
..xtA