The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-27

49,
IMAGINE found myself Immediately
the sport Of sardonic fortunes. That
name, Nelchisedecl One felt that
there mast be in ones future life some
warmth Of Romance to compensate
Tor that Infamous ignouiny. 80 Ia
beiIed any reasonable human should
LOGICALLY have looked forward to sure
degeneratton into the American peas
ant Of the New England magazine
story type. sans brains, bowels,
breadth. beauty. A born iconoolast.
howeres. g. soon 90 I wakened TO TO
eIIzation Of my plight ! mutinied and
resolved to hive \ down my shame.
Thenceforverd I SCI myself to pains
taking Undertaking IN modern nfe.
seeking the compromising Romance
without which Ito were bat death IN
ltfe.- he paused and cooked "a eye
at Coast. mot bad for beginning.
what7"
"a little proEtx," commented Coast
dispassionetsly. fR1fing IN with fis hu-
NOR. But conttnna. You found ynuR
Romancef"
"wha& h Socansd-a1 resi- I
found t. % rule. nom De guerre
for crime LnFed by legend.
I have travezsed much Of tie known
world, only 10 come 10 that concfu-
sion. ] have penetrated he businesses
Of the Tennessee mountains, nosing
fhe nlic3t stills which proved merely
sordid. Counterfeittng seemed to
promise largely-and discovered itself
the most fll-paid calling IN the world
Diplomatic intrigue unmaslxed proved
TO be merely q popular fallacy shin
ing In the rejected mster OF the Stx
Best Sellers. But I refrain
from vearying you with . catalogue
Of me exploded mines Of Romance;
o list fnordinately lengthy. believe
me- High finance. admit escaped
my probe; but the recent plague Of
Wan Street plays discouraged me,
demonstrating there could be no Ro-
nance there 80 at length
you ind me turning h despair TO the
Seven Seas; adoat, at all events, one
must Of necessity pursue the glamor-
GUS promise Of the Unknown that
turks Just down me horison."
+, Auu4eyaFd paused, his mtcn SUB
dnsd, Ids gesture bezpeaktng resigna-
don
IAN q which means-r Coast IN
sisted
II hardly know. Frankly, thought
MAT speech rather stupid myself.
That's why chopped 1t on. :.
One taIkR =. You may have NO
ticedf"
81 have" said Coast any.
You would, naturally returned
Appieyard without resentment But
would IL amuse you 30 learn how I
came TO be on board that fishermanT
You mean how you came 70 b
overheard Perhaps II would.
You're the best Judge Of that"
True" Appieynrd accepted and
lighted q cigarette, frowntng soberiy,
1T was" be began, due principally
to my fatal passion for this Romance
thing, Sin. I have already acquainted
you with my determination to pursue
my quest Of that shy spirit upon the
trackless ocean. Conceive. now, the
bitterness Of the disappointment
which 0erwhefmed my ardent soul
when applied for q berth as fore
mast hand, only 10 be Informed was
physically unfit, that, as one brutal
mate phrased II, I'd blow away In the
first half-a-gale. give you
my word, Mr.. Coast, I've been stick
ing round this waterfront q whole
fortnight, vainly seeking nautical en-
ployment. Last night, for the first
time. for q few brief hours, was per
mitted to f1atter myself that fortune
was on the point of fsvoring me. For
fugitive moment slipped the chalice
Of Romance and rolled fts favor be-
meath my tongue"
Appleyard half closed his eyes and
smacked his lips. his expression one
Of beatfac bliss
You've pretty tasts IN pleas
uFes." Coast commented
Appieyard waved the Interruption
aside. at came about largely through
within OF Chance" he resumed, "as
all true adventure must. Quite by 40
cident fell In with one Of the crew
of that fishing smack. he being well
under the influence Of liquor; In q
way Of speaking. he'd looked too long
upon the wine when 1t was red-eye
and half wood-alcohol. Crafty SIM
ulating like condition. piled him fur
Their and succeeded IN learning the
name Of his vessel and the fact that
she was expected to sail with the
morning tide-together with other de-
tails that intrigued me. Then, leav-
ing the sodden wretch to sleep OF his
disgusting debauch, I caused myself
TO be conveyed aboard the 1uggerI
mean schooner-and slowed away IN
his bunk, trusting TO luck to avert
discovery until the morning Unhap-
ply I, with the rest c. the crew, was
routed out incontinently by an un-
manneriy brute with Delaying PIN Cat
all events It felt Ike belaytngpfn-
an instrument with which / am unac-
quainted save through the literature
OF the sea) and forced to go on deck
to help heaye anchor. Or
should say, weigh anchorr"
I'm not quarrelling with your