Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-20


Laysan stopped short the look in Pericles eyes,
half pain, half appeal
"No John, and somehow 1 can't bear to hear her
name-or read anything about her."
He might have been speaking of woman who had
wronged him greatly
Pericles went away from Laysan feeling that things
somehow not going right with him. Before he lay
down that night the Electra he had drawn check
for the five thousand dollars and mailed to his friend
Perices O'Bren who treated his friendships
seriously and holly. He sailed in the morning
A VICIOUS southeastern spanked the Electra all the
way north that trip, and for three days kept Peri
cles chatting off Siuslaw bar. He chafed particularly
because this delay destroyed very definite plan to call
on Esther Kent with book that Mrs Laysan had lent
him. When he did succeed in hurdng his into the
dog hole it drive mercessly the loading of rush
order cargo of railroad ties Pericles didn't like the
sudden calm the hard-edged greasy clouds, and the
Clear-too retroactive horizon They bespoke blow
the remainder of the southeastern perhaps To get to
again before it set in his single purpose; for bar
bound vessels bring profit to owners, merit to
masters. YET through all the blood-tingling work
real mans worl-hs gaze forever picking up the
whtewashed schoolhouse hardly larger than packing
crate where it nested among the redwoods on the hill
back of the village.
Percles found himself wishing more than once that
he of the unber1nens kiddies going carelessy
up and down that hill. He caught himself envying
them They could see her and speak to her,-the sup
pe-bodied girl who carried her shoulders like shoulders
made be carried and whose chin held up just
high enough that its owner could look the world
squarey in the eye any time the world had anything to
of her now and then; but that all. His thoughts
played round her and the children and brought strange
unknown desires. 1t was weather for dreaming. The
skies were argosed with galopng clouds, and the hills
and mountains doomed through golden autumn haze
haze redolen of tree odors lumber Smells and the
tang of the seas clean breath Perices dreamed and
his dreams long, long dreams.
The Electra's master overseeing the ashlngs of
log chains, with which she and her kind cling to their
deck burdens, when he sent final glance hillward The
order to get under way which his lips beginning
FORM died there. Esther Kent was running down the
hazy HILL signaling the Electra with handkerchief
Il can be ready in half an hour-twenty mnutes!'
me-the beginning! The regular teacher will be back
tomorrow" and Pericles told her that the Electra
would wait, she left him with the telegram that that
hour had brought to her
He knew that this girl knew things; but he read the
message not without certain
Assistant Latin instructorshp high school
port duty Oakland Monday next week VIRGIL.
This Friday afternoon. With fair wind
wind at all and laden she was,-that is, with her
guard rail awash the Electra usually bucked through
the four hundred odd miles San Francisco in from
forty-ve to fifty hours Perces told Esther Kent this
as they passed of the mouth of the Suslaw At that
instant whimper of wind from the nor west caught
vagrant wisp of her hair and slapped his lips with it.
His heart went pounding the touch with throb that
for a moment drowned the vibration of the Elec
tas engines He held his breath at the strange thing
if he might imprison the perfume that played in his
nostrils.
When Perices recovered his normal senses, it to
hear small voice whispering somewhere in the depths
the bridge to eeward where Esther standing
outstretched, nhaing the Great Mothers life
renewing breath He would ask her of this Virgil; but
instead he said, as she faced him.
"If this wind holds out O the norwest, Miss Kent
you needn't worry about getting home in time"
He stood with his cap off, the last of the sinking
sun ficking his hair with gold. AS she looked up at
him, with smile of thanks she could not help thinking
of the original Pericles, of Xanthppus Certainly
this Perces would never have to wear helmet to cover
misshapen head. This not new thought of hers;
but she didn't know it.