Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-11


Il beg your pardon, captain, but your
engire-room Is too hot. I'm only 9
stoker and l know my place, sir, but
tell you, your engine-room is too hot
It's a burning hell, sir, it's hell"
The captain nodded to the crew and
they closed in on him. and bore him
struggling feebly. to a bunk in the
cabin below. In the berth opposite,
Keating was snoring peacefully.
After the six weeks siege the Fruit
company's doctor told Claiming he
was cured, and that he might walk
abroad. In his first walk he found that
during his illness Port Antonio had re-
verted to her original condition Of COM
plete isolation from the world, the
press s-boats had left her wharves, the
correspondents had departed from the
veranda Of her only hotel, the war was
over, and the Peace Commissioners
had sailed for Paris. Claiming ex-
pressed his great gratitude to the peo-
pie of the hotel and to the Fruit COM
pany's doctor. He made 1t clear to
them that If they ever hoped to be
paid those lesser debts than that of
gratitude which he still owed them,
they must return him to New York and
Newspaper Row. 1t. was either that,
he said, or, II they preferred, he would
remain and work out his Indebtedness,
checking punches of bananas at twen-
ty dollars a. month. The Fruit COM
pany decided 1t would be paid more
quickly If Claiming worked at his own
trade, and accordingly sent him north
In one of its steamers. She landed him
in Boston, and he borrowed five dollars
from the chief engineer to pay his way
to New York.
It was late in the evening Of the
same day when he stepped out Of the
smoking-car into the roar and riot of
the Grand Central station. He had no
baggage to detain him, and, as he had
no money either, he made his way to
an Italian restaurant where he knew
they would trust him to pay later for
what he ate. 1t was a place where
the newspaper men were accustomed
to meet, men who knew him, and who,
until he found work. would lend him
money to buy a bath, clean clothes,
and a hall bed room.
Norris, the world" man, greeted
him as he entered the door Of the res
taurant, and hailed him with a cry
of mingled fright and pleasure.
"Why, we didn't know but you were
dead" he exclaimed. "The boys said
when they left Kingston you weren't
expected to live. Did you ever get the
money and things we sent you by the
Red Cross boat?"
Charming glanced at himself and
laughed.
do / look it?" he asked. He was
wearing the same clothes In which ne
had slept under the fruit sheds at Port
Antonio. They had been soaked and
stained by the night-dews and by the
sweat Of the fever.
"Well, it's great luck, your turning
up here just now" Norris assured him
heartily. That is, If you're as hungry
as the rest Of the boys are who had
the fever. You struck 1t just right;
we're giving big dinner here tonight
he explained, lone Of Maria's best.
You come in with me. It's celebra-
ton for old Heating, a farewell blow
out"
Charming started and laughed.
"Keating?" he asked. That's fun
n.y." he said. II haven't seen him since
since before I was ILL.,"
Yes, old Jimmie Heating. You've
got nothing against him, have you?"
Channirg shook his head vehement
ly, and Norris glanced back compla-
Gently toward the door Of the dining
room, from whence came the sound of
intimate revelry.
You might have had, once" Norris
said, laughing; I'VE were all up against
him once. But since he's turned out
such a wonder, and war-hero, we're
going to recognize It. They're always
saying we newspaper men have 1t In
for each other, and so we're just CIV
ing him this subscription dinner to
show it's not so. He's going abroad
you know. He sails tomorrow morn
ing"
mo, I didn't know" said Charming
"Of course not, how could you? Well
the Consolidated Press's sending him
and his wife to Paris. He's to cover
the peace negotiations there. It's real
ly a honeymoon trip at the expense OF
the c. P. It's their reward for his
work, for this Santiago story, and the
beat and all that"
Channings face expressed his bewil-
derment.
Norris drew back dramatically.
Don't tell me-" he exclaimed, that
you haven't heard about that"
Charming laughed a short, frighten'
ed laugh, and moved nearer to the
street.
NO" he said. Il hadn't"
Yes, but. good Lord! 1t was the
story of the war. You never read such
story! And he got 1t through by
Panama a day ahead of all the other
stories! And nobody read them, any
way. Why, Captain Mahan said II
was naval history and the Evening
Post had an editorial on 1t, and sait
1t was the only piece Of literature the
| war has PRODUCED We never thought
Heating had it In him, did you? The
Consolidated Press people felt so gooc
over it that they've promised, when he
comes back from Paris, they'll make
him their Washington correspondent
He's their star reporter now. Il
just shows you how the occasion pro-
duces the man. Come on In and have
drink with him."
| Charming pulled his arm away, ant
threw a frightened look toward the oper
| door of the dining-room. Through
the layers OF tobacco smoke he saw
Keating seated at the head Of a long