Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-03-27
CHAPTER XVIII.

1t was mfd-afternoon or sultry DAY.
No air stirred. The Panjnab was coal
ing at Port Said.
O'Rourke eyed the vessel with dis
favor from the shore; then dropped
into harbor dinghy, ensconced him.
self at the tiller-ropes, and caused
himself, with his luggage and his
man-servant, to be conveyed alongside
the steamer.
Near the gangway he was held
back; another boat had forestalled
him, another passenger was shipping
for the East. O'Rourke was interested
idly.
He saw a woman, slight, trim fig
ure becomingly attired in white, with
veil about her head, leave the boat
and mount the gangway steps with a
springy, youthful step, a cheerful and
positive air, a certain but indefinable
calm of self-possession. AT the top
she paused, turned, looked down,
watching the transfer of her luggage
and her maid. From sundry
intangible indications O'Rourke as
sumed the second woman's figure to
be the lady's maid. And so did Danny.
The one eyed the mistress, the other
her servant, both with interest. Z.
The woman on deck threw back her
veil. She seemed to promise uncom-
mon beauty of the English type, full
colored and of classic mold. {.
The Irishman was much too far away
to be certain, but he fancied that her
gaze wandered toward him and-but
this, Of course, was only imagination
that she started slightly.
At all events, she was quick to drop
the veil and turn away. Her maid
joining her, both vanished beneath the
canvas awnings. The boat that had
brought her sheered Off, and O'Rourke
was permitted to board the Panjnab.
1t was a glad day, the o'Rourke told
himself, as he trod those decks; it
saw him definitely started on his way
to the East.
O'Rourke reused upon his elbow
and peered out of the port of his
stateroom. The steamer was plowing
through the Bitter Lakes. He saw a
string Of buoys, width of water like
jade, a vista of sand, fiat, gray,
patched with g-ay-green desert shrub,
bounded only by the horizon. {.
Damn :" said he listlessly.
He slipped down again upon his back,
painted, and wiped his brow.
Danny, recognizing that he was not
expected to respond. and being a
young man remarkably acute to dag
nose his masters moods, prudently re-
Trained from comment. He sat hunch-
ed up on cabine stool, his intensely
red, bullet-shaped head bent low over
a bit Of chamois skin, which he was
sewing into rough, sturdy bag.
AS the sun dipped beneath the rim
Of the horizon, pleasant shadow in
vaded the stateroom, until that mo-
ment blood-red with its levelerays.
And Danny Strengthened up, dropping
thimble and thread, announcing the
completion Of his needlework by q
brief, contented: "There!"
O'Rourke glanced at the article
dangling from his Wallets fingers. and
slammed the book against the bulk
head at the foot of his berth.
finished. is it% he exclaimed.
Faith. 'tis about time, ye lazy good
for-naught!"
Danny smiled serenely. "And a good
job, too, sor," said he proudly.
"M'anin' no onrespeot to yer honor"
he added hastily.
O'Rourke took the subject of discus
sion in his fingers and examined 1t
searchingly.
twill do" he announced. "'Twill
serve Its purpose, II mo more. Lay
out me evening clothes now" He
stood up, stopping to stare through
the port. Good enough" he COM
mented on what he discovered with
out; "'tis passing Suez we are this
blessed minute. Praises be, we
caught boat that doesn't stop here.
Danny scratched an ankle thought
fully. "Yiss, yer honor" he assented,
dubious. But, for all that, phwat's
to hinder 'annywan from boordin' US
be boat, II they sh'u'd want to?"
O'Rourke turned and eyed the man
keenly. otis a great head ye have
on your shoulders, Danny" he said.
Sometimes ye betray almost canine
intelligence. I'm be way Of having
hopes Of ye. Now get ye on deck and
watch to see who does come aboard,