The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

TING only of the civil service we had been
* signed by the fat O. M captain. to oarkisn, sls
dirtysh cabin between decks: and hence We're
e,~sverent of the beings o the roomy. enameieu
.,rrers above So we dubbed her Banjo Nell almost
as she placed little buckled shoe upon the posheu
nlanks of the white army transport Ine namiis' -
go he said called for no violent effort of the mag-
nation. she glided the cabin, along the oaz
zling deck accompanied by no baggage we couu Us
carn except pox shaped like dolls CONN., Which she
baid aectionately against her heart and wncn gave
out when accidentally struck against orass iaie'
a munied and yet resonant note tnat snu -
like plant 80. -
she was Young and slender and very light; her
dress was pastele blue her hat pasteile PINK anu
both dress and hat somehow gave an impression o
being extraordinarily beribboned, though "hen you
snalvzed the impression found 1t based on very
lttle fact In manner her entire persohaii'y'
through no cause you could Immediately discern' ca
ha,ed whirrins indefatigable and gentle turbulence
She moved with sound of wings little goloen "isps
Of hair snapped mutinously beneath the wloe nalo y
her millinery; she seemed all a-hutter- "A huls souAe
lies said one of us observing with uptted nose
"A hirty little devil bet said Hart But Strang, the
severe man of our trio nothing at ALL His fore
head ,vas puckered Interpretations but In MS eyes,
as thev followed her there puzzlng light
The interest awakened in us. she was TO holo
for the whole of the thirty to the Philip
pines We were being civilians and below dechsl
cynical trio (or BEL and observed crltlcay'
and with some the doings OF the upper
deck We watched officers too palpably from west
Point nd officers palpaby trying to be from west
Point: nice army ladies' and army ladies very mucn
painted but Banjo Nell who from the nrst heio
aur
added she justified her name and fattered our persp-
cacity For after six days walowing In cold yeiio"
curriers' no had the ship blossomlng out IN san
tents white uniforms and dapnanous gowns siiu oue
non the acquered of the tropic sea- tnan IL pe-
gan 10 vbrate from end with the indetatgapie
tinkle of her banjo and the ripple OF her mirtn
She sat up there long white chair set upon tne
white deck her gown touch of color in the circle OF
white uniforms feet drawn up In the atitu"r
Of a child eating something good her neao nclneu ss
a birds her slender fingers she plncneo tns
strings into little of puere sound The DIG
ship slid onward gravely. with deaf and aDsorpei
air and necessarily tinkling notes released IN
handfuls few over the buwarks to strew like fights
of impapaole butterflies the impassve sea- Some
times she sang srummed-light songs that nut
tered like ribbons: again she led from bow
spirit to tanraiL along decks passages down COM
panion-ways bands of youths that passed like Idle
hurricanes But always she tinkled or futtered;
she silent never was she stili and always
there emanated her sort of turbulent and
empty joy-whch the faculty of making US sad
OF making strang sad. He would watch her, his
face scowling with disapprobaon his nerves visbly
ON edge Damn little fool." he would growl finally.
turning his back and lighting his pipe But his pipe
stay lit and his back to stay turned; again
he would he watching her. above there on the white
deck always his observation ended with the same
verdict: Damn little fool'
The ship slid on; day after day. week after week
IL seemed passed along lacquered bluer than
the sky bluer any sky The ship Kissed gently;
from thin emerald lines spread. curling
transparenty and tipped with foam; two diverging
lines like flight of swallows upon sky, flight OF
white swallows sky bluer than the sky Upon
the immensity of the there no other movement
a ripple. shiver; and the immensity of
sky a cloud, a haze, heck.
Damn little foofl" growled Strang, watching.
Look at her; look at those oh. h. look that
toad @. NJ"
was true that the men of the upper deck were
always about her. like bees about honey and that in
her conduct she of ingenious familiarity that
tormented secretly And true that the quarter
master captain (who had assigned us between decks)
bending her, his shining face too close to
hers I'd like to choke his fat neck. growed Strang
md inns in Uyher
ature at least one hundred and ten
And then at the beginning of the third week. with
eea-hue unchanged. beneath turquoise sky
suddenly large and mysterious cross-swel which
the ship rolled soandalousy in the afternoon