Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-08

ing with cigarette: Lobb staring up at
her with q fabulous smile. The sight of
these 50 near inboard. beneath her. at
fected her with an almost physically
painful disgust: and the contemplation
Of their monstrous complacence left her
with swelling bosom and a heart on fire.
She swung away abruptly. knowing
herself unfit to face them In her present
violent and unsettled temper. and went
below. with the privacy OF her state
room desirable in her thought.
But by the entrance to the alleyway
she checked on the memory that Nine.
Savaran would be there. pottering about
one Of her idle occupations. with eyes
quick to read the signs Of trouble on her
companions face, q mind keen and ruth
less to inquire. and a tongue sharp to
question. Cynthia dared not face her
yet. As alternative she chose the ordeal
of breakfast.
AS on the first day Of the voyage
seeming SO strangely distant in the past
she had the saloon to herself. aside
from the attending Acklin. But on this
occasion. in contrast with the former.
set before her she left untouched; even
coffee threatened to choke her.
Respecting her distress. as patent In
it's manifestations as its cause In his
vances, but rather waited patiently for
her to address to him some observation
unconnected with his services. But she
did nothing Of the sort Absorbed In
narrowing introspection, she was barely
conscious of the man in waiting. Put
ting herself as a slave to routine.
through hurried pantomime OF eating.
she rose and left the table as uncere-
moniously as she had approached 1t.
At the head OF the companionway. with
~fnrr hAr nv =
stateroom, she was again diverted, this
time unexpectedly enough. by finding the
burly proportions OF the red man OBJ
structing the passage as he numbered art.
evidently returning from Nine. Savaran s
room. Cynthia, perforce. paused ano
drew to one side. waiting. But Rhode
took his time, moving slowly and cum
brously. as though he found exertion
wearisome, his huge shoulders sagging.
his aspect dogged and sultry.
he paused to favor the young woman
with a morose nod.
"Mornin'," he mumbled.
Cynthia obliged herself to respond. un-
consciously fiavoring her cool Good
morning with the crispness Of coerced
civility. She moved expectantly, as II to
enter the passage. but Rhode made no
offer to get out of her way. To the con-
trary, with a sour grunt. he settled one
shoulder against the partition. dug his
looked her over with q grabbed and dis
NAL scrutiny.
Good mornin'.'' said he. with a crude
imitation of her enunciation. Just like
that huh? . 4" Nobody" he quoted, lu-
gubriously. "loves fat man."
Cynthia lifted her chin with hint of
hauteur; a flush OF umbrage darkened
her face and the light of it flickered in
her eyes. Otherwise she made no an
swer.
II guess that lines worn threadbare,
all right" commented the red man. 'It
usta be funny. though. I've heard 'em
laugh like thunder at it. once. in q play.
But mebbe it's me: guess that must
be tim a bad actor. None of my
comedy ever seems to get hand from
YOU.
COMEDY. Your Cynthia calculated
Never mind" Rhode produced a great
red hand and waved it largely with
somewhat incoherent combination of ef-
fects, seeming at one and the same time
to f1aunt a danger signal and generously
to concede a troublesome question. God
knows" he asserted, with great earnest
ness. II don't expect to be taken for q
anybody to q laugh the way 1 have to
stand for all the slapstick work in this
turn
ct don't know what you mean
mo, 1 don't guess you do. You wouldn
naturally. I'll have to change my act
and come through with the straight talk
IL 1 want you to get next. / was
in the theatrical business once" he ex-
planned. pensively-and, to Cynthia, in
conclusiyely.
I'D like to go to my ROOM" suggested
the girl. not over patiently.
"You can't" said Rhode, without STIR
ring. Its again the general orders for
the day. That's how I come to be stuck
here to get myself disliked."
please let me pass; I want"
'Now!" said Rhode, aggrieved. Didn't
I just tell you 1t is not to be? L aim
much in favor myself. and il was to
let you by they'd give me the Office sure.
Believe me, it's impossible"
What do you mean?" demanded Gym
thia, for the first time inclined to take
his attitude as serious. having to that
moment regarded 1t as conceived in the
nature Of an ill-timed and stupid pleas
antry.
Rhode jerked his head heavily to indi-
cate the direction Of those he named.
"Lobb and Perez" he said. they're in
your room and madum's. looking for that
heads maybe she's stallin' about havin'
been robbed and they're tryin' to make
sure for themselves"
"And you permit them TO- began
Cynthia, outraged at the thought of her
personal belongings being subjected to
the handling of the men she despised.
lie me tell you, kid mean, Miss
Grayce." Rhode countered. hastily: u
got about as much to say about things
now as I had about being christened
George. The way things've worked out
the only lines had've been cut, and all
my good actin . got to be done with a
spear up next to the backdrop. Be-
Sides" he continued. gloomily. II kinda
wisht they'd find 'em. But no such luck
Take it from me, IL madum was wise
enough to plant that junk and then set
up q yell she'd been touched. she put il
in place them guys'n never light on.
not in a thousand years. All the same.
if I knew where they was I'd slip EN-
the high sign"
It have no doubt" said Cynthia. curt
well, you needn't get SORE" protested
the man, disgruntled. I'D only do 1t to
save the show for the good OF every
body in the cast II was able to hand
'em over to Perez it'd just about get us
out of this mess with our hair on. As
it is II they don't drop on to the stun
before long they're goin' to turn loose
several assorted brands of unpleasant
ness for all concerned-and you and ma
dum'll be the first ones on the carpet
I've done all I could to shunt the row.
but I can see 1t coming. all right. all
right"
"You don't think they'd dare" Gym
thia stammered, aghast.
Don't ask me what I think; I might
tell you,' returned the red man, omi-
nously.
For a moment or two his hard. blue
stare bored deep into the black empti-
ness OF his apprehensions. Good Lord!
he sighed III had my way with them
jools I'd pick out a nice wet hole In the
I -