The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-05-02
CHAPTER lll.-continued.

CHAPTER lIl.-Continued.
On the instant his brain became &C.
tive again. 1t did not take long, as a
matter of fact. to find the car; though
when he stumbled on 1t, turned about
and neatly slowed away close beside
the partitioning wall. he gave start
It was such a tangible evidence or
what had threatened to grow vague
and unreal on his hands. He squeezed
himself into the narrow space between
1t and the wall, finally thrusting his
head under ths curtains Of the tom
neau.
1t was high and dry, empty as last
years cockleshell. Not q sign OF life,
not loose object of any kind except
a filmy thing which Hambleton found
himself observing thoughtfully AT
last he picked 1t up-a long, mist-like
veil. He spread it out, held 1t GIN
gerly between thumb and finger OF
each hand, and continued to look at
it abstractedly. Part Of 1t was clean
and whole, dainty as only a bit of
woman's, finery can be-; but one end
of 1t was torn and twisted and
stretched out of all semblance to it.
self. Moreover, 1t was dirty, as II 1t
had been ground under muddy heel.
1t was, in its way, shrieking evil
dence of violence, Of unrighteous
struggle. Hambleton folded the scarf
carefully, with its edges together, and
put 1t in his pocket.
Jimmy's actions from this time on
had an incentive and spirit that had
before been lacking. He noted again
the number of the car, and returned
to the edge of the dock to observe the
yacht. She had steamed up river a
little way for some reason known only
to herself, and was now turning very
slowly. She was but family lighted and
would pass for some pleasure craft just
coming home. But Jim knew better. He
could, at last, put two and two togeth-
or. He would follow the Face-in-
deed, he could not help following 1t.
In him had begun that divine expert
ence Of youth-of youth essentially,
whether II come in early years or late
of being carried of his feet by a
spirit not himself He ran like q
young athlete down the dock to the
nearest workman, evolving schemes
as he went.
The dock.hand alphabetically trun.
died small key from one pile Of
freight to another, wiped his hands
on his trousers, took a drv pipe out
of his pocket, and looked vacantly up
the river before he replied to Handle
toms question.
Queer name-Jene Dark they call
her"
It was like pulling teeth to get in
formation out of him. but jim applied
the forceps.
The yacht had been lying out in the
river for two weeks or more, possibly
less: belonged to foreign parts; no
one thereabouts knew who its owner
was; nor its captain; nor its purpose
in the harbor of New York. At last,
quite gratuitously, the man volun-
teered a personal opinion. Slippery
boat In a gale-wouldn't trust her"
Hambleton walked smartly back,
taking look both at the yacht and
the motor-car as he went. The yachts
nose pointed toward the Jersey shore;
the car was creeping out of the dock.
AS he overlook the machine ,he saw
that 1t was in the hands of mechanic
In overalls and jumper In answer
to Hambleton's question as to the
owner OF the car, the mechanic told
him pleasantly to go to the devil, and
for once the sight of coin failed to
produce any perceptible effect. But
the major-general. waiting half a
block away, was stu In the humor of
giving fatherly advice. He welcomed
Jim heartily.
That's hole amt got no use
for. 'Ow'd you make out?"
We'll enough, for all present pur-
poses. Can you undertake to do a lob
for mef''
"If it amt nothing I'd have to ar
rest you for, l might consider It," he
chuckled
Il want you to 60 to the Laramie
Club and tell Aleck Van Camp-got
the name THAT Hambleton has gone
of on the Jeanne 1SArc and may not
be back for 5oma time: and he is to
look after the Sea Gull"
Held on, young man; you're, not
going to do anything out of reason, as
me might say2'