Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-25
CHAPTER VIII-Continued.

CHAPTER VIII-Continued.
Nobody paid Cynthia any attention
whatever: even madame had ceased TO be
bored, and was now absorbed in tho
pages OF a novel whose fiimsy yellow pa
per cover shamelessly advertised Paris
as the place Of its nativity. Cynthia had
all the liberty the ship afforded and
naturally-that piqued her passingly. She
wanted to talk to somebody-in reality.
to exchange impressions with Crfttenden.
though she was far from admitting as
much even to her private consciousness.
Having counted. illogically. upon an early
meeting with him. she was disappointed.
dissatisfied. vexed.
For q long time she stood with elbows
on the forward rail OF the promenade
deck. staring idly into the vast empti-
ness between blue sky and blue water.
feeling its great loneliness akin to the
loneliness OF her soul. She was still SO
young at heart .! 1t required mer-
curial youth to be even Intentionally
saddened by day like that shining only
the brighter for the contrast afforded by
SO gloomy yesterdays.
Out of the southwest soft airs and
suave were breathing. barely strong
enough to flaw the Furnished surfaces OF
miIe-long. deliberate undulations OF the
ground swell: but. borrowing strength
from the steady onward urge OF the Gym
thia, the breeze gave grateful modera-
ton to the heat OF the sun. which in a
dead calm had proven almost unen-
durable. Out of tho wind the air was
hot. heavy. sitting: out OF the shadow
the woodwork was hot. metal intolerable.
to the hand. Not a cloud INSTRUCTED the
fervor OF the sun; not a swell but mir
rored 1t blindingly.
For as long as ten minutes tho young
woman INDUCED to the full her within for
melancholy: then. having squeezed from
ton. she discarded the mood as thought
lessly as q child a worn-out toy. and let
her thoughts drift uncontrolled.
Purposeless. idle. her Grant fancy
quested hither and yon through unfath-
omed depths Of pure abstraction: always.
insensibly as the world swings round the
sun, turning its face to the abstract
concept that in her understanding stood
for Crittenden- He was never quite alb
sent from her inward consciousness.
though she remained wholly unaware OF
this.
After some time she turned and moved
listlessly aft, passing madame without
distracting her intrigued intelligence
from the fascination of the printed page.
Abaft the engine-room skylight stood
a deck house that had as yet escaped
her investigation. It's doors were hooked
back. Cynthia paused and looked in.
recognizing the fittings and arrangement
of a smoking room.
At a little table in the middle OF It. sat
Rhode. brooding over a glass half empty.
AS her figure darkened the doorway he
looked up, saw who sho was and nodded
heavily.
Cynthia returned the salutation with
owned a ring of dubiety But to her re-
lief the Red Man seemed to harbor no
ill-feeling toward her. Indeed, his primal
and most grave concern resided with her
employer. apparently. for his first words.
glass and heaved his heavy bulk out of
the chair and toward the door. were &C
companied by jerk of his thumb to-
ward the bows.
Whats she up to now?" he demanded.
In q husky stage whisper.
Reading" replied Cynthia, restraining
an almost irresistible impulse to laugh:
his reception of her was SO different from
her authorizations, and his anxiety to
avoid rousing madame's attention seemed
so naive. AT least. l left her So"
Thank God,' said the Red Man, with
unaffected earnestness. Leaning huge
shoulder YEARLY against the door case.
he rummaged In a hip pocket. found a
pink-bordered handkerchief, and mopped
plaintively. she sure can raise more
h-hmm.-Cain to the minute. Has she
tried to scalp you YETI" he added. with
some show of anxiety.
mot yet said Cynthia. cheerfully.
I'VE seem to get along very we'll"
Watt said Rhode. in a sepulchral
voice. she hasn't got your number yet.
Honest. she's a wonder. She fiayed me
alive this morning and then did a mono
logue over my PROSTATE form. And 1
hope I may die IL I done anythin' but say
her a nice girl like YOU"
Cynthia searched his expression mar
rowly: but there was not q ghost OF
smile therein = merely mournful retro
spection.
I'm sorry" she said. II had to tell
her-she knew.
Il know" he sighed "She knows every
thing. and the worst Of 1t is, generally
she knows it first. You can't beat that
woman didn't mean her no harm.
only asked you not to mention me be-
cause I knew what'd happen IL you did.
But what's the use? Get in wrong with
her just once and you're all to the bad
forever and ever-amen! Gee! he ex-
claimed. in reminiscent torment
I'm glad you're not angry with me-
Cynthia began. diffidently.
''Who-me? Angry with you? Quit
your kfddin'. / amt such fool as she
like you to believe: I don't blame you.
I'm just sorry for you"
Il don't think you need be" Cynthia
said. with some dignity.
You wait. It's comm Between her
and that Belgian cat. they'll frame up
somethin' that's your fault. and then
you'll get yours, sames the rest Of US.
But take 1t from me. Miss Grayce. the
first time you hear her crack the whip.
you crawl right under the table and be
good doggie. It's no use tryin' to make
her understand. The only thing to do is
to crawl. and crawl pronto. I've been
there and l know"
He craned his fat, red neck round the
corner OF the deck house. cast q hasty
glance forward and as hastily lodged
back.
'Still readin': but you can't tell when
she'll take It into her head to come to.
I'm going to beat 1t while the beatin
easy. It's me for q swift exit. with a
hunted expression and my ears happin'.'
He rolled cumbrously over to the head
of the ladder leading down to the main
deck aft. There he turned to eye Gym
thia morosely, as she stood crimson with
suppressed laughter.
"You mind what ! said" he advised.
dourly. And when you get into trou-
you know me. and you know
I'm your frien'."
With that he let himself cautiously
I>N nv,A 49, H.