The Washington times., 1913-08-04
many men I know at home WHARF you
eSb

have been"
Bravo! But ever SO many menr"
Well they wear trousers"
1 You are cynical"
"No-observant."
I'm afraid you are a new woman"
II am. have Just been reborn. On!
Paul. ] have never lived until now. l
have never known what life meant. l
have lived as one blind, incompetent,
thoughtless. Like most Of those knew
before you came into my life, l had
just a vague notion that the earth was
| round. You know the kind"
Yes. Take the fiction Of civilization
| away from them and every nine hum
night"
Il saw them in extremity aboard the
| Cambodia- How many knew one end
| of a boat from the other? They were
all thinking of living, crying to live,
and hardly one out Of ten knew what
to do to save their most precious pos
session-life."
There Is q big thought behind what
you say"
You started II In me-"
Paul looked over his shoulder at the
sea After considerable silence he
said:
Il wonder how many came through?'
! The question was addressed to the
sea as much as 1t was to Emily. She
shuddered.
"Herew he exclaimed brusltly. What
are we OOlnK IneTe Is fOldIl6 IneI6
smiling at you, my lady"
His face was lit with a wonderful
smile as he spoke. 1t drove the gloom
from her mind which their reference to
the Cambodia had produced Soon they
were off on an expedition to the stars,
each in turn naming one and IDENTIFY
ing its hearings. Paul had introduced
Emily to this game" the second night
on the island, and then, as now, they
lost themselves in it in childish de-
light. E
His mental equipment was forever
startling the gold woman. Where he
had found the time to garner the store
of knowledge that was mis- and to keep
abreast of the times, leading such a
life as he had for ten years, was mar
vel to her.
''Ha. har' Paul laughed suddenly as
the cabin clock. which he had moved
into the lounge. struck two bells. The
laugh broke the spell of the stars
which held Emily only TO weave her in
another
II have shot back to Parisr'
Paul laughed and made a pretense cf
busting himself.
'Come-pardon me-by the last water
spout.
Covered with ether-the essence of
travel.
My eyes still full of star-dust and my
spurs
Encountered by the plants hlaments!
Ha! on my doublet-ah. a comets hair"
As he finished this snatch from Cy- /
rano de Bergerac's sky-traveling tale !
told to De Guiche, Paul pretended TO |
pick a comets hair from his sleeve.
''Oh, my beloved Cyrano!" exclaimed !
Emily, Identifying the lines. DO go |
on. my prince and in answer Paul |
went through the entire scene between |
Cyrsno and the Duke.
And l will applaud-I Will pay you !
thus" and the gold woman reached up |
and kissed the helmsman on brow and
lip. |
Thus they both came back from |
across the world and the four CEN
turtles whittier the magic OF the lines
had transported them.
Come. Emily: didn't you hear two
bells strike? You have let me waste
nearly an hour of your watch below.
Turn in
1T has been an hour OF magic, my
knight"
She held her mouth up to be kissed
His lips barely touched hers and flashed
away. and as she went through the
lounge door he murmured, still in the
words of the Gascon hero: ~ soon
shall reach the MOON" E.
Fifteen days later the gold woman
was at the wheel again, having re-
lieved Paul to permit him to make his
noon observations. 1t was Sunday.
She watched him tremulouSly and |
strangely troubled where he worked at
the charitable in the lounge.
The days that had passed had been
those of which seasingers make their
happiest, bravest songs-by sunlight
azure cloudless sky and wlnd-hecked |
gem-shot purple sea; by night an err
mine-tipped deep, mirroring the star
lowell and planet studdings of mystic
violet heavens.
Through these halycon days the Da-
pine had been winging her way ever
and flinging long sea leagues
oe hind under the impulse of a driving.
1ortheasterly wind. 1t had been as con-
slant as a mothers love: with never a
pause the bark had sped as she was
speeding now, not as a handmade IA
oric of steel and iron and wood and
,anvas and brass, but like living, SEN
.ate thing into which her maker had
vas In the atr-air which whipped the
blood like young wine.
only n thousand miles morer' called
Paul suddenly
AS he spoke Emily saw him rise quick
V from the table and come toward her |
rhe mask OF jOyOusness which he wore
vas but mask to her. 1t might have
deceived anybody else. but this girl had
,cme to understand him and read him
IL not even the woman who had borne
lin could have done.
Yet there was constraint upon him | /
With each Moons tale of a shortcoming
Quincy a relentness tire had seemed TO
AIRY him further and further away
rom her. After the first flush of the
flight he had sung no more
}: his sea-sOngs unless shs asked him.
Ie had a guard up. A secret fear SEEM
ID to be gnawinr at his heart. BY in