Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-08-23
By Louis joseph Vance
AuihOr Of"Thc Brass BODL, .
'No Mans Land, " Etc.

self and to look forward, with something
of the yearning OF a life prisoner fore
seeing the approach OF death in his dun
geon, toward that fnescapable hour when
he must either speak the truth or deny
HIS manhood. He had one hope, Of the
faintest: that the elimination OF the
intrigue involving them all would come
in time to afford him some honorable
means of escape.
Those days, while yet that crisis was
deferred, to Crittenden were strangely
bitter-sweet.
To Cynthia they were only sweet, days
that ran their courses in an iridescent
glamour of romance. Unlike Crittenden,
she did not analyze what rendered them
so precious to her. The capacity for self
delusion is not singular to man. Cynthia
lived only for the hour, her soul asleep
though dreaming. In her understanding
the sunlight shone with added lustre only
because she had no longer that gaunt
shape OF Care for company, the air she
inspired was rarely stimulating only be-
cause of the mystery of their great adj
venture. She was happy because she
was loved-by Madame Savaran, OF
course. who ,petted her inordinately. to
an extent that would have spoiled an
other nature; she was light of heart and
prone to frequent laughter because she
was kept continually diverted by an un-
familiar mode of life; she was constant
ly mindful of Crittenden because he was
a good comrade, keen for the fun Of
playing fellow-conspirator and of making
believe that this was a most desperate
hazard-whereas, as she knew ia her
heart, the outcome of it could not pos
sibly be anything but for the happiness
of every one concerned.
Thus Cynthia in infrequent moods
of introspection.
Meanwhile the Cynthia ploughed
steadily southwards her blind furrow
on the face Of the waters. Little or
moment happened to disturb the tran
guilty of shipboard existence. The
great conspiracy simmered gently in
a covered vessel; only occasional jets
of steam escaped to remind one of the
existence of the brew. The several
cooks responsible for its concoction
lowered solicitously round the pot. ex-
ceeding1y jealous of its ultimate per-
lection, but without open dissension.
Treating one another with admirable il
STUFFED tolerance, the head chefs, Rhode
and Perez. walked apart, wrapped each
in hfs mantle of remote inscrutability.
Small incidents proved disproportion-
ately amusing. Captain Lobb, waxing
bold on sufferance. contriyed to over
step the underlined bounds of Madame's
tolerance, and get himself severely
snubbed He sulked for an hour and
then, despairing, of making any inn
preston upon Cynthia, who somehow
lnexplicably remained unconscious of
his charms, began casting sleeps eyes
at Sidonie.
Mr.. Youngling. mildly saturated, en-
teFtained the company at one luncheon
with a long, loud and lachrymose mon
ologue anent the virtues of his de-
ceased spouse, blandly refusing to be
silenced or squelched by Madame Ss-
varan's acrid commentary or basilisk
stare.
Senior Perez continued consistently
attentive to the ladies, implacably SUI
percIious toward Rhode.
The latter gentleman, between morn
ing and evening bouts with mis- esti-
mable mother-in-law, devoted himself
to the melancholy consumption of an
inordinate amount of American whisky
without showing any effects thereof. Ill
OF otherwise. whatever; unless such
may be termed his habit of hasty prep
aration for immediate flight whenever
he heard sound resembling the rust
ling of a skirt.
Mr.. Claret, somewhat slowly but
methodically. managed to quarrel with
every individual member of the ships
executive staff. seeming to derive from
this depressing occupation sort of
morose satisfaction.
Continued In Next Issue.