Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-17

"Nhoop er up! | he twelve marines seized hands
and lined up rarnpagng Coryph6e background. Sing
it, you terriers Any old thing One for the money,
two for the show Whew, smokes getting Thick
three to make They taking notice all right.
If we can hold EN- five minutes"
Berthne pirouetted down the stage aki1nbo,
eweled head tossing Below the officers had shoudered
into close double file. Arm locked in gold laced arm,
they formed straining gangway the door. Through
that living passage forced into line the audience
leaving the hall. Some hustled and crowded in fear;
but the mass stumbled dazed and obedient. And.
in comic fascination and all twisted their gileless
necks to glimpse the stage where that red vision still
swirled and flashed and cleaned.
A hot gust blew choking into Berthne's face. She
wheeled in jigstep snatched Jmmys chapeau from
his head, and tossed high in air With that turn she
past the side A ripple of smoke crept
along the ndery floor Here and there tiny red blaze
fckered The men working like demons. They
beat down the flame with their coats, they tore down
smoking curtains they dashed on buckets of water.
well last about three minutes more. Then jump
for t' wheezed Jimmy: Tears drpped from his smart
ing eyes he capered down front. Gee! I'm most
Stranged Hit 'er up, Corrgan Can you keep going
Berthne? Bully for you! Dance nearer the footghts
smoke isn't thick"
Berthine swayed after him, with gay holden steps
with lifting, coaxng arms. The blue fog thickened
audience safely out she thought, she cake
walked down center and back again.
She looked across at the Admiral's dais. There
huddled in white faced clump, they stood, the Pyra
mid, the Grasshopper, the whole pussy footed crew
The Pyramids face ashen blur. The Bride had
just twisted her ivory fan to splnters The Grass
chapeau. Not one inched Not glanced toward the
door. Navy women to their pucky souls, they stood
in the face of doom and waited for their men.
@Theyre gettin' EN- out, thank the Lord! If we can
just hang on
Berthine looked down at that locked fighting wall OF
was almost past control. pang of deathlike fear
caught at Berthine's heart. Her lips grew cold She
halted trembling.
Then, through that cloud of terror, she caught
Waynes eyes. 1t though his hand grasped hers
unreasonable depths. Strung to her last
nerve, she danced on
Down pitched a side drop, ablaze. scorchng pain
down Berthines rag of burning canvas lay
on her shoulder She brushed it off Then She that
her lace skirts smoking. Dazed, she looked up
From the back drop reared straight incredible wall of
fire.
Jimmy tearing off the burning lace. crushing it
with his hands, beating 1t down with his chapeau
Moveless, she stared out the hail. AS she looked
the officers line broke up in screaming mob To
man, they came rushing toward her. She stared at
them with blank eyes,
Wayne ahead He leaped the foot1ghts With
yell of rage and terror he snatched her into his
"Don't touch me. You'll scorch your best uniform,
Wayne she said quite distinctly. Then all the world
turned black and fell away.
SHE had been swimming too long under water.
~ Berthine concluded. She was terribly tired and
cold She must get to the surface But her breast
weighed down to sfocation She could not raise her
head nor bend her back.
n wave OF rendlng agony gr1pped her Wrenched each
bone in her wncing body, stabbed her throat,
her heart Then, shudde1ing, she sank beneath
of relief heavenly in its soothing that it brought
exquisite pain of its
Again she swan deep beneath the black water. The
of the long reef drumned in her The chill
of the spray curded through her aching veins But
this not SO bad. For Wayne swimming
with her. holding her up. Her left hand locked in
his She knew the pressure of each gripping finger.
Would he bring her to shore? Surely he could
how tired and cold she was!
Something pounded merclessly against her throat,
upon her weighted breast. Close each heavy blow