Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-08-09
(Copysight, selo. " Louis Joseph Van
CHAPTER v.

Sunlight and shadow playing In
swift alienation upon his face, IS the
Echo courtesied to the morning
breeze. Coast awakened.
For q moment almost thoughtless
he lay drowsily enjoying the rise and
dip OF the boat. as droweily conscious
OF faint thrill OF excitement; most
~ comparable, perhaps. to the nrst
waking sensations Of a fourteen
year-old boy on q Fourth OF July
morning.
Then without warning the small
chronometer on the transverse above
his head raped out smartly two dou-
ble-chimes-ships' time: four bells:
ten o'clock in the forenoon.
Astonished, he sat up quickly, and
his still sleepy gaze, passing through
the companionway, encountered the
amused regard OF the soi-disant Mel
chisedec Appleyard. Promptly Coast
found himself in full possession of his
faculties. That in obedience to first
instincts he nodded with a cordial
smile, was significant.
Appleyard returned the salutation
with a quick bob of his small head.
"Good-merning, hero." he sang out
cheerfu!ly.
He sat in the cockpit, huddled into
the folds Of a gray blanket. volumin-
Gus for his slight figure, thin but
wiry forearm barred to WELD the Gig.
arctic he was smoking with every in
dication of enjoyment.
Woodworking" he returned. "How
d'you feel after your adventure?"
''Unclothed but in my right mind"
said Appleyard. with a twinkle of anx-
iety amending: 'to the best OF my
knowledge and belief" He indicated
airiiy the various articles constituting
his painfully simple wardrobe. walt
ing for EN- to dry"
App!eyard hoped up, fingered his
everyday attire critically, and pro
nounced It bone-dry; then. bundling
it up, he returned to the cabin, seat
ing himself on the opposite transom
to dress.
"And the sensations OF hero, re-
freshed by sound slumbers, are"
Hunger" said Coast. He moved
forward and began to experiment
gingerly with a new and untried alco-
hol stove. II can offer you eggs, COT
fee, biscuit-and nothing else" he
added, producing raw materials from
a locker. You see, hadn't expected
to entertain"
Rotten inconsiderate of you," Ap-
pleyard grumbled. "I'll wire you a
warning next time It occurs to me to
drop in unexpectedly"
Divided between amusement and
perplexity. In the course OF the meal
Coast reviewed q personality singu-
larly enriched by variety Of sug-
gestions consistently negative. The
mans age was observation-disclosures
where between thirty and forty-five.
Loosely summarized. he might have
been anybody or nobody on lark or
his uppers.
Appleyard looked up quickly, with a
shy. humorous smile.
We'll, what d'you make Of me-"
TITS hard enough to guess what
you've made Of yourself"
"Flattery note" observed Apple
yard ohscurely yet you win my SYM
patty; sometimes am moved to won
der-really." He tapped an egg
thoughtfully, q crinkle forming be.
tween his colorless eyebrows. "1tl
really not what man makes Of him
self; it's what his temperament doei
to him.
Temperament"
Eyes; you really ought to keep one
too; they're all the rage just now
and such excellent excuses for the in,
diligence Of your pet idiosyncrasies."
"Oh! And you blame youra
for what?"
For making me al presume DOS.
terity, In the final analysis. will I'd.
Judge me Romantic"
'Literature?" asked Coast, aghast.
Good Heavens. no! Nothing like
that: Life" He sighed profoundly.
Shall I rehearse to you the story Of
my life? No, I shall not rehearse to
you the story of my life. But at all
costs / shall talk about myself for .
space: insist upon 1t: love to. You
don't seriously object?" he added.
anxious.
Then compose yourself.
Born at an early aSe-in fact, ct 40
early an age as you can comfortably
ilnagtne-I found myself Immediately
the sport Of sardonic fortunes. That
name, Melchisedec! One felt that
there must be In ones future life some
warmth OF Romance to compensate
for that infamous ignominy. SO la.
bslled any reasonable human should
logically have looked forward to sure
degeneration Into the American peas.
ant OF the New England magazine
story type. sans brains, bowels,
breadth, beauty. A born iconoclast,
however, ~ soon g wakened to re.
alisation 81 my plight mutinied and
resolved to live down my shame.
Theuceforward set myself to pains
taking undertaking In modern life.
seeking the compromising Romance
without which life were but death in
life" He paused and cooked an eye
1T Coast. mot bad for q beginning,
WHAT"
"A little prolix," commented Coast
aispamionately, falling In with his hu-