Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-11

sweep, and who was surrounded by a
crew of half-naked pirates, with bodies
streaked with sweat and powder.
Then he ordered all steam for Port
Antonio, and, going forward to the
chart room, seated himself at the cap
'tain's desk. and, pushing the captains
charts to the floor, spread out his ell
bows, and began to write the story Of
his life.
In the Joy Of creating 1t, he was lost
to all about him. He did not know
that the engines, driven to the break
ing point, were filling the ship with
their groans and protests, that the deck
beneath his feet was quivering like the
floor of a planing-mill, nor that his
fever was rising again and feeding on
his veins The turmoil Of leaping en-
gines and of throbbing pulses was con-
fused with the story he was writing,
and while his mind was inflamed with
pictures of warning battleships, his
body was swept by the fever, which
overran him like an army Of tiny mice,
touching his hot skin with cold, ting
ling taps Of their scampering feet.
From time to time the captain stop
ped at the door of the chart-room and
observed him in silent admiration. To
the man who with difficulty composed
a letter to his family, the fact that
Charming was writing something to be
read by millions Of people, and more
rapidly than he could have spoken the
same words, seemed a superhuman ef-
fort. He even hesitated to interrupt 1t
by an offer Of food.
But the fever would not let Charming
taste of the food when they placed 1t
at his elbow, and even as he pushed
it away his mind was still fixed upon
the paragraph before him. He wrote,
sprawling across the desk, covering
page upon page with giant hieroglyph-
les, lighting cigarette after cigarette at
the end of the last one, but with his
thoughts far away, and, as he perform
ed the act, staring uncomprehendingly
at the captains colored calendar
pinned on the wall before him. For
many months later the battle of San
tiago was associated in his mind with
calendar for the month Of July, IL
Illuminated by a colored picture Of six
white kittens in a basket.
At three o'clock Charming ceased
writing and stood up, shivering and
shaking with a violent chill. He curs-
ed himself for this weakness, and call
ed aloud for the captain.
II can't stop now," he cried. He
seized the rough fist Of the captain as
a child clings to the hands Of his nurse.
"Give me something" he begged.
Medicine, quinine, give me something
to keep my head straight until it's fin
ished. Go, quick" he commanded.
His teeth were chattering, and his body
jerked with sharp. uncomfortable
shudders. The captain ran, muttering,
to his medicine chest.
We've got one drunken man on
board" he said to the mate, 'and now
we've got a crazy one. You mark my
words, he'll 60 off his head at sunset
But at sunset Charming called to
him and addressed him sanely. He
held in his hand a mass Of papers
carefully numbered and arranged, and
he gave them up to the captain as
though it hurt him to part with them.
There's the story" he said. You've
~ Il ov,sf n
ing to be very ILL.,
He was swaying as he spoke. His
eyes burned with the fever, and his
eyelids closed of themselves. He look
ed as though he had been heavily
drugged.
You put that on the wire at Port
Antonio" he commanded, family; pay
the tolls to Kingston. From there they
are to send II. by way Of Panama, you
understand, by the Panama wire.
Panama." gasped the captain.
Good Lord, that's two dollars word"
He shook out the pages In his hand
until he found the last one. And
there's sixty eight pages here" he ex-
postulated. why, the tolls will be
five thousand dollars!" Charming
dropped feebly to the bench Of the
chart room and fell in heap, shiver-
ing and trembling.
"I guess it's worth it," he murmured,
drowsily.
The captain was still staring at the
last page.
"But-but, look here" he cried, 'you
have signed Mr.. Keating's name to 1t!
James r. Keating.' You've signed his
name to it,"
Charming raised his head from his
folded arms and stared at him DULY.
You don't want to get Heating In
trouble. do you?" he asked with pa
tience. You don't want the c. P. to
know why he couldn't write the best
story of the war? Do you want him
to lose his job? or course you don't
Well, then, let it go as his story.
won't tell, and see you don't tell, and
Keating won't remember"
| His head sank back again upon his
crossed arms. It's not a bad story
he .murmured.
But the captain shook his head; his
loyalty to his employer was still up
permost. 1T doesn't seem right! ne
protested. Its sort of a liberty, isn't
it, signing another mans name to 1t
it's a sort of forgery"
Charming made no answer. His eyes
were shut and he was shivering vio-
lently, hugging himself in his arms.
A quarter of an hour later. when the
captain returned with fresh quinine
Charming sat upright and saluted him
Your information, sir" he said, ad-
dressing the open door politely, us OF
the greatest value. Tell the executive
lofficer to proceed under full steam tc
Panama. He will first fire a sho
across her bows, and then sink her.
He sprang upright and stood for
moment, sustained by the false strength
of the fever. ITO Panama, you heal
mel" he shouted. He beat the hooi
with his foot. Faster, faster, faster,
he cried. We've got a great story
We want a clear wire, we want tn'