The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-10-17
CHAP ER v.

Echo cOurtesfed 70 the morning
| breeze, Coast awakened.
/ For a moment almost thoughtless
| he lay drowsily enjoying the rise and
| dip OF the boat, az drowsily conscious
| Of a faint thrill OF excitement; most,
/ ~ comparable, perhaps, to the first
waking sensations OF fourteen.
| year-old boy on Fourth Of July
| morning.
| Then without warning the small
| chronometer on the transverse above
his head raped out smartly two dou
ble-c himes-ships time: four bells:
| ten o'clock IN the forenoon
Astontshed, 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 salutatior
with quick bob Of mis- small head
| Good morning, hero" he sang out
| cheerfully
/ He sat In the cockpit, huddled into
the folds of a gray blanket. volumin
| GUS for his slight figure, a thin but
wiry forearm barred to WELD the Gig
arctic he was smoking with every IN
| dication Of enjoyment.
''Good-morning," he returned. How
d'you feel after your adventure?'
.Unclothed but in my right mind,
said Appleyard, with twinkle of anx
iety amending: ito the best of my
| knowledge and belief" He indicated
his painfully simple wardrobe. wait
Ing for 'em to dry"
Appleyard 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 transou1
to dress.
and the sensations Of hero, re
! fresned by sound slumbers, are
Hunger" said Coast. He moved
forward and began to experiment
gingerly with a new and untried alec
hol stove. Il can offer you eggs, cot
fee, biscuit-and nothing else" he
added, producing raw materials from
locker. You see, hadn't expected
TO entertain"
Rotten inconsiderate Of you" APP
| warning next time 1t occurs to me tc
drop In unexpectedly"
Divided between amusement anC
perplexity, In the course of the mea
Coast reviewed a personality singu
1arly enriched by a variety Of sug
/ gestions consistently negative. Ths
mans age was decentralization
| where between thirty and forty-five
Loosely summarized. he might hav,
been anybody or nobody on lark OF
his uppers.
Appleyard looked up quickly, with
shy, humorous smile.
We'll, what d'you make Of me?"
IT'S hard enough to guess wha
you've made Of yourself"
"F1attery note observed Apple
yard obscurely yet you win my sym
pathy; sometimes I am moved to won
der-really." He tapped an egs
thoughtfully. a crinkle forming be
tween his colorless eyebrows. '1t'
really not what man makes Of hin
self; It's what his temperament doe
to him"
Temperament"
Yes; you really ought to keep one
too; they're all the rage just now
and such excellent excuses for the II
diligence of your pet idiosyncrasies.
"Oh! And you blame your
for what?"
For making me al presume pos
terity. In the final analysis, will at
Judge me Romantic"
"Literature7" asked Coast, aghas'
Good Heavens, no! Nothing Xix
that: Life He sighed profoundly
Shall l rehearse to you the story G
| my life? No, shall not rehearse t
you the story Of my life. But at q
costs I shall talk about myself for
space: I insist upon 1t: love to. Yo
don't seriously obtect?" he addet
anxious.
Then compose yourself.
Born at an early age-in fact, at a
early an age as you can oornfortabl
imagine-I found myself immediatel
the sport of sardonio fortunes Tha
name, Melohisedeo' One felt tina
there must be In ones future life som
warmth Of Romance to compensat
for that Infamous ignominy So Ia
belled any reasonable human shoul
logically have looked forward TO sur
degeneration into the American pea:
ant of the New England magazine
story type, sans brains, bowels
breadth, beauty. 4 born iconoclas
however, as soon az l wakened to re
aIization Of my plight I mutinied an
resolved 70 live down my shame
Thenceforward I set myself to pains
| taking undertaking In modern Ifs
seeking the compromising Romano
without which life were but death 1
life" He paused and cooked an ey
at Coast. Not bad for a beginning
WHAT"
"A little prolix," commented Coas
dispassionately, falling in with his hi
NOR. But continue You found you
Romance
What Is so-called-aIas. yes.
| found 1t, as rule. nom de guerr
for crime. Lured by legent
, have traversed much Of the know
world, only to come to that concll
sion. have penetrated the fastnesse
/ Of the Tennessee mountains rosfn