The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-03-01
CHAPTER v.

Sunlight and shadow playing IN
Echo courtesied 10 the morning
breeze. Coast awakened.
For a moment almost thoughtless
tie lay drowsily enjoying the rise and
dip of the boat as drowsily conscious
,of faint thrill of excitement; most
ly comparable. perhaps, TO the first
waking sensations OF fourteen
year-old boy on a Fourth of July
morning
Then without warning the small
shronometer on the transverse above
his head raped out smarty two dou-
bie-chimes-ships' time: four bells:
zen o'clock I'm 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 quick bob of his small head.
ood-morning, hero" he sang out
-Meerfuly.
He sat in the cockpit, huddled into
the folds Of a gray blanket, volumin-
sus 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
aa'you feel after your adventure"
"Unclothed but in my right mind"
said Appleyard, with a twinkle Of anx-
tety amending: "to the best Of my
knowledge and belief" He indicated
airily the various articles constituting
his painfully simple wardrobe. wait
mg for 'em to dry"
Appleyard hoped up, fingered his
everyday attire critically. and pro-
Aounced 1t bone-dry; then. bundling
IT up, he returned to the cabin, seat
ing himself on the opposite transom
to dress.
"And the sensations of a hero, re-
frcshed by sound slumbers, arc"
Hunger" said Coast. He moved
forward and began to experiment
singerly with a new and untried alco-
hol stove. 81 can offer you eggs. cof-
fee, biscuit-and nothing else" he
added, producing raw materials from
a locker. You see, l hadn't expected
70 entertain"
Rotten inconsiderate Of you" Ap-
pleyard grumbled. I'll wire you a
warning next time II occurs 10 me to
drop in Unexpectedly"
Divided between amusement and
perplexity. in the course Of the meal
Coast reviewed a personality singu-
tarly enriched by a variety OF sug-
gestions consistently negative. The
mans age was indeterminable-som
where between thirty and forty-tive.
loosely summarized, he might have
been anybody or nobody on lark or
his uppers.
Appleyard looked up quickly. with
shy. humorous smile.
We'll. what dyou make OF me'"
It's hard enough to guess what
you've made of yourself"
"F1attery note" observed Apple.
yard obscurely. Yet you win my sym
pathy; sometimes am moved to won
der-really." He tapped an egg
thoughtfully, a crinkle forming be-
tween his colorless eyebrows TITS
really not what a man makes Of him
self; It's what hts temperament does
to him"
Temperament"
Yes: you really ought TO keep one
too; they're all the rage Just now
and such excellent excuses for the in.
dulgence OF your pet idiosyncrasies.
"Oh! And you blame yours
for WHAT
For making me al presume pos.
terity. In the final analysis. will ad-
fudge me a Romantic"
"Llterature?" asked Coast, aghast
"Good Heavens, no! Nothing like
that: Life" He sighed profoundly.
Shall rehearse to you the story OF
my life? No. shall not rehearse TO
you the story OF my life. But at all
costs ! shall talk about myself for a
space: insist upon It: love TO. You
don't seriously obiect7" be added,
anxious