Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-29
fer her even a furtive glance.

fer her even a furtive glance.
He was not in a happy state of
mind. He had taken passage the last
moment to avoid meeting again the
one man he feared. For ten years
this man had been reckoned among
the lost. Many believed him dead,
and Craig had wished it rather than
believed. And then, to meet him face
to face in that sordid boarding house
had shaken the cool nerve of the
gambler. He was worried and Devil
dered. He had practically sent this
man to ruin. What would be the re-
prisal? He reached for mangosteen
and ate the white pulpy contents, but
without the customary relish. The
phrase kept running through his
head: What would be the reprisal? -?
For men of his like never struck with
out expecting to be struck back
Something must be done. Should ne
seek him and boldly ask what he in
tended to do? Certainly he could not
do much on board here, except to de-
nounce him to the officers as a pro-
fessional gambler. And Paul would
scarcely do that since he, Craig, had
a better shot in his gun. He could tell
who Paul was and what he had done.
Bodily harm was what he really fear
ed.
He had seen Elsa, but he had
worked out the problem easily. She
was sure to say nothing so long as he
let her be; and with the episode Of the
hat-pin still fresh in his memory, he
assuredly would keep his distance.
He had made a mistake, and was not
likely TO repeat it.
But Paul! He finished his dessert
and went off to the stuffy little smoke
room, and struggled with a Burma
cheroot. Paul was a smoker, and
sooner or later he would drop in.
There would be beating about the
bush on his part. If it was to be war,
all right; a truce, we'll and good. But
he wanted to know, and he was not
going to let fear stand in the way.
He waited in vain for his man that
night.
And so did Elsa. She felt indignant
at one moment and hurt at another.
The mans attitude was ineXplicable;
there was neither rhyme nor reason
in it. The very fact that she could
not understand made her wonder
march beside her even in her dreams
that night. She began to feel genu-
inely sorry that he had appeared
above her horizon. He had disturbed
her poise; he had thrown her ac-
cepted views of life into an entirely
different angle, kaleidosCopically. And
always that supernatural likeness to
the other man. Elsa began to ex-
perience a sensation like that which
attends the imagination of one in the
clutch of a nightmare; she hung in
mid-air; she could neither retreat nor
go forward. Just before she retired,
she leaned over the rail, watching the
reflection of the stars twist and shiver
on the smooth water. Suddenly she
listened She might have imagined
it, for at night the ears deceive. "Jah,
jah!" Somewhere from below came
the muffled plaint of Rajah.
Next day al lunch, the chair was
still vacant. Elsa became alarmed
Perhaps he was i'll. She made in
quiries, regardless of the possible mis-
Interpretation her concern might be
given by others Mr.. Warrington had
had his meals served in his cabin, but
the steward declared that the gentle
man was not ill., only tired and irrit-
able, and that he amused himself
with a trained parrakeet.
All day long the sea lay waveless
and unrippled. sea of brass and
laps laZuli; brass where the sun struck
and lapis-lazuli in the shadow of the
lazy swells. Schools of flying fish
broke fam wise in flashes of silver,
and porpoise sported alongside. And
warmer and warmer grew the air.
Starboard was rugged up for cricket,
and the ships officers and some of the
passengers played the game until the
first gong. Elsa grumbled to Martha.
There was little enough space to walk
in as it was without the men taking
over the whole side of the ship and
cheating her out of Il glorious sunset.
Martha grew troubled and perpleXed.
If there was one phase of character
unknown to her in Elsa it was irrita-
bility; and here she was, finding fault
like any ordinary tourist.
Where is Mr.. Warrington"
Il don't know. | haven't seen him
since yesterday" ELSA dropped her
book petulately. Il am weary of these
namby- -pamby stories"
why, | thought you admired that
author"
"Not today at any rate. Silly twad-
die"
Martha's eyes had hopeless look
in them as she asked: Elisa, what is
the matter"
Il don't know, Martha. l believe
| should like to lose my temper utter
ly. 1t might be great relief"
It's the climate"
1T may be. But it's my belief I'm
irritable because l do not know my
own mind. | hate the stuffy state
II have half a dozen good hat-pins
left" dryly.
room. the food, the captain
The captain?"
Yes. Nothing seems to disturb his
conceit. Tonight we sleep on deck.
the starboard side. At five o'clock we
have to get up and go inside again so
they can holystOne the deck. And
am always sOundest asleep ut that
time. Doubtless. | shall be irritable