Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-11
CYNTHIA-0F- THE-MINUTE
LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
Of Mans Land"
tCopyrght by Louis Joseph ance9
LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE

heHt ALMOST mOtlOnleSS, ClOSe 10 tue
PACK, overhanging wall. conscious OF the
bland encompasSment of water softly en-
veloping her from chin to feet, penetrat-
ing the thick silken fabric Of her suit
and touching her flesh like some all-gird-
ing caress. with a sense of GOODNESS,
though Suave and soothing.
Then. almost thoughtless in her COM
piete surrender to her purpose, she
thrust quietly away from the side, ply
ing stroke after stroke of her strong
the waters. until she was well away from
the Cynthia and could see the shape Of
1t from stem to stern. in dense projection
against the sea Of stars.
Cynthia paused to scan the ship mar
rowly for any sign Of life or Indication
that her escape were suspected or dis
covered, and discovered none; not a
shadow moved upon her decks; only a
few lights shone in the superstructure
ports.
Beyond the Cynthia. nearer the mouth
of the lagoon, the Orion rode in like
oblivion.
Relieved, and at the same time thrilled
the girl turned again and shaped her
course for the nearest border of the
sands, swimming easily on her side, her
cheek nesting in the bosom of the water
her fair head moving over it's stygian
tide like some bright flower bloom adrift
at the whim of a night-sprung breeze
Not hand broke through the surface
barely ripple marked her wake: yet
every inch of her was luminous, every
fold of garment and exquisite line Of
limb and body was revealed in clinging
cold, effulgent fire; as though the ele-
ment conspired to betray her flight by
focusing upon her the spectral sunshine
of its phosphorescence.
Yet she was not seen. Steadily she
won on, widening the gap between her
and the Cynthia, diminishing her distance
from the strand. There remained no
mint of timorousness in her mind: the
waters grasp was friendly, its support
kind; the buoyant girdle round her bosom
did away with any fear Of accident
should she tire: and she did not tire
Twice she paused, letting her feet sink
in search of the plane of the shelving
beach; at the third trial she found "a
footing, stood erect in water to her waist
sighed with satisfaction, and waded
shoreWardS through a long, slow grade
of shoals
AS she stood, at length, upon dry sand,
wringing the water from her skirt, the
first stage accomplished, the second as
quarter of that dark, unplotted island
should she first look for him of whom
she had seen nothing since the previous
mid-morningO brief. antiphonal chorus
or ships bells made silver music in the
hush, the Orion answering the Cynthia
in mellow confirmation of its news.
Cynthia paused to listen, counting two
double strokes and one single from the
bell Of each vessel-five bells; half-past 9
and. thus far. all we'll,
Then abruptly upon the singing silence
that ensued, broke the rasping sound of
wireless sending. as vicious and venom
Gus OF accent as the crack of a punitive
whiplash.
Startled and wondering, unable to be-
lieve that the alarm was raised in ad-
vertisement of her escape, yet incapable
or hitting to it any less personal slgnifi-
canoe. she turned and ran across the
beach to hide herself in the shadows Of
the vegetation; in whose cover she STOP;
ped. wide eyes staring back over the still
lagoon. hand seeming to endeaVor to
restrain the violent agitation of her
heart, her breath fastened and shortened
more through dismay and CONSERVATION
than because of her exertions
She could see the door and port of the
wireless deckhouse aboard the Cynthia
bright with light, and could hear through
the broken drumming of the spark the
sound of voices calling to one another
voices quick with apprehension. The bulk
of mans figure darkened the doorway
and then another. All along the side of
the superstructure ports were breaking
out with light, and aboard the Orion,
likewise, a sporadic Pickering of lights
showed that her crew, too, was being
reused from it's abbreviated rest. From
the bridges OF both vessels men beloved
to each other wndily through mega
phones. though the information they eX-
changed remained a mystery to the lis
tener ashore, seeming no more than
spasmodic. angry. husky roaring alto
gether inarticulate.
Fear electrified her-fear lest this fran
tic. CLAIMANT hue and cry in the placid
night, whether or not it were raised
because of her disappearance. would in
volve the discovery Of it, and immediate
pursuit Nine. Savaran would be sure to
waken and call to the adjoining state
room. then. surprised to get no answer
would investigate and find her compan-
ion missing-her berth empty, her cloth
ing untouched - and ring and demand
news of her. -"
Cynthia began to run down the beach
softly calling Crittenden, now and again
stopping to listen for response. She
heard none.
Ito he continued fomOrrou