Evening star., 1913-12-07

the dark gate, and a second time you saved me-
Ii is best-it is good thing to let me go now
/ God bless you and give you peace and true
| friends alwaysl
With trembling hands Percles passed the
papers to Laysan to read As his partner
examined the policy and then came to that
paragraph of terrific revelation in the letter
he looked at Pericles strangely.
Il think, old man., said he, "that the
Commodore put one over on you. His going
away to salve the Andes was but prctext
to cover up suicide, a bit of staging to beat
the insurance company and leave something
| 10 his wife.
| Although Periclcs at first resented this
suggestion, he accepted 1t before the day
was done, and no one could know how it
made him feel. 1t started him living over
again those months he had shaved for the
life of Jamison, and constantly the thought
was his that he was to blame for letting the
Commodore go away. He had failed a
second tirne
That evening Pericles sat beside Abby
Thornton in what had become her vigil win
dow in the cottage on the hill.
Every day now | expect to see the Com
modore coming in down there with his ship,
said she, withdrawing her gaze suddenly
from the Golden Gate and the bay. She
seemed touched with that mystery which lay
upon the big waters below that mystery the
night always brings to the sea. at will be
on such morning as this one was, when the
skies are like sapphire and the waters dane
ing with sunlight Mistaking the express
sion in Pericles' face, she added, Il have
seen it all-oh, 50 many timesl | dreamed
my dream again last night, and thereupon
| in her gentle voice she described the Andes
as she would come home, with her main top
mast hanging over the bulwarks to port and
the mizzen to starboard and with great
rust splotches on her steel sides, and, like
Viking of old, the Commodore at her.
wheel steering to an anchorage. And as she
| finished she put a hand on Pericles' arm and
said, "You believe in dreams, don't you?'
with all my heartl' he lied, in a whisper,
and realizing that for the life of him he
would not, that he could not, tell this woman
that the mate for whom she waited was
never to return.
| AS Pericles entered his office the following
morning John Laysan was at the pri-
vate telephone that led to the West Coast
Company's pier and yard at Black Point
THAT you, Curt?' he was asking, and at
once the Junior partner knew he was speak
ing to Randolph, master of the West Coasts
big wrecker Electra. Here's wireless just
in from the liner Zealandia, hence Wednes
day last for Honolulu, Passed 36:40 north,
l27:1O West, November 10, that was yes
terday, - 10 A. NJ, iron or steel four-masted
ship more than two thousand tons register
all appearances abandoned. Repeated sig
nails unanswered. Main and mizzentop-
masts hanging over side. Laboring badly.
Half gale norwest blowing at time. High
sea prevented passing close. Impossible
make out name. Dangerous menace navi-
CATION How long will it take you to get
on the job2 Half hour? Go to it.!
What's that? Monarch? And Fearless
tooo Passing out? Must have got the
tip ahead of us. Never mind. :. Good
| lucki"
As I.aysan was hanging up the phone
Pericles snatched 1t.
"Hold on there minute, Randolph" said
he in his calm, masterful way. "I'm going
with you. Pick me up at Meiggs.'
@But you-you can't go, old man, said
Laysan as Pericles, with a white and tense
face, met his astonished gaze. @Tonights the
annual dinner of the Merchants Exchange.
You're one of the guests of honor
"I'm no speech maker Pericles flung
back on his way to the street door. "But
I'm going out now to do something | do
know how to do He hesitated, and then
added in a voice that sounded strange,
"Mavbe that's the Andes out there, and
with that he was gone like gust of wind
leaving John Laysan aghast.
i In that bo11r the wrcckinp steamer Electra