The Washington herald., 1911-02-24
CHAPTER XV-Continued.

bfelunann continued on, ODHNlOuS u
all things save his cogitations He swung
round the bridge. He believed that he
and Cathwe could henceforth proceed on
parallel lines, and there was much to be
grateful for. Cathewe was quiet but
deep, and he, Breitmann, had knocked
about among that sort and knew that
they were to be respected. In all, he had
made only one serious blunder. He should
never have permitted the vision of face
TO deter him He should have taken the
things from the safe and vanished It
had not been a matter of Compunction.
And yet All, he was human, what
ever his dream might be; and he loved
this American girl with all his heart and
mind. 1t was not lawless love, but 1t
he would speak. Only a little while now
to wait. The course had smoothed out,
the sailing was easy. The man in the
chimney no longer bothered him Who
ever and whatever he was, he had not
shot his bolt soon enough.
Hildegarde Won Mitter. He stopped
against the rail. The yacht was bUrying
her nose now, and the white drift from
her cutwater seemed strangely luminous
as it swirled obliquely away in the fad
ing twilight. Hildegarde Won Mitter.
Was she to be the flaw in the chain? No,
no; there should be no regret; he had
Steeled his heart against any such weak
ness. She had been necessary, and he
would be a fool to pause over bit of
sentimentality. Her appearance had dis
organized his nerves, that was all. Peer
ing into his watch he found that he had
only half an hour before dinner. And it
may be added that he dressed with sin
Gular care.
Cn ENifzOarali that
1t took Cathewe just as long, but he
did not make two or three selections of
this or that before finding what he want
ed. He was engrossed most of the time
in the sober contemplation of the rubber
flooring or the running sea outside the
port hole
And this night Hildegarde Won Mitter
was meditating on the last throw for her
hopes. She determined to cast once more
the full sun of her beauty into the face
Of the man she loved, and if she failed
to win the fault would not be hers. Why
could she not tear out this naddening
heart of hers and fling it to the sea? Why
could she not turn it toward the man
who loved her? Why, why? Why should
God make her so unhappy? Why such
Injustice? Why this twisted interlaclng
CT lives? And yet amid all these futile
seekings, with subconscious deftness her
ndnuS went OIl Will lhCiA ofDOAA1CN
work. Never again would the splendor
OF her beauty burn as it did this night.
Laura, alone among them all, went
serenely about her toilet She was young
and love had not yet spread its puzzle
before her feet
As for the others, they were on the far
side of the hill. whence the paths are
smooth and gentle and the prospect is
peacefulness and the retrospect is dimly
rosal. They dressed as they had done
those twenty-odd years, plainly.
On the bridge the first officer was
standing at the captains side. \
Captain he shouted, where did you
get that Frenchman?'
picked him up day before yeshddy.
Speaks fair English an bit o Dago-
They're allus handy on pleasure boat.
He en- keep off tn riffrah boatmen- An
you know what persistent cusses they be
in the Mediterranean Why?''
'Oh, nothing, if he's a good sailor. No
tice his hands?''
why, no!''
soft as a woman's."
"Y' don't say! Well, we'll see EN- tough
enough before we sight Funchal. Smells
good up here, huh?''
Yes; but 1 don't mind three months on
land. full pay. Not me. But this French
MANI
''Oh, he had good papers from White
Star liner; an you can leave IT to me
regardin' his lily-white hands. By tn
way, George, will you have them bring
up my other leg? TIL salt takes tn color
out O. this here, brass ferrule, an rub
ber's safer"
Eyes, sir
There was one vacant chair in the din
ing-salon. NJ. Ferraud was indisposed.
He could climb the highest peak, he
could cross ice-ridges, with a sheer mile
on either side of him, With never an at
tack of vertigo; but rhis heaving mystery
under his feet always got the better of
him the first day out. He considered IL
the one flaw in an otherwise perfect
system. Thus, he missed the comedy and
the tragedy OF the eyes at dinner, nor
saw a woman throw her all and lose it.