Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-11-12

lue QUILTS were uIeSSluS. WulkPu Tue
deck with him. talking earnestly. They
looked we'll together, and ! believe he
was in love with her.
Turner had gone below. grimly good
humored, to dress for dinner. and l
went aft to chat. as l often did, with
the steerSman. On this occasion it
sulu coluly. and then, evluenIly repent
ing her manner: I'VE need a man
here, Leslie. Better stay. Are you
comfortable in the forecastle:"
Yes. Miss Lee"
She turned to leave. smiling. 1t was
the first time she had thrown even a
feeting smile my way. and it went to
my head.
And Williams? l am to submit to
his i~nsolence?"
She stopped and turned. and the
smile faded.
The next time" she said. you are
to drop him."
But during the remainder Of the day
she neither spoke to me nor looked. as
far as l could tell, in my direction. She
firted openly with Vail, rather, I
happened to be Charlie Jones. Jones
was not his name SO far as | know. 1t
was some inordinately long and diff
ferent German inheritance, and so,
with the facility Of the average crew,
he had been called Jones. He was a
benevolent little man, highly religious.
and something Of a philosopher.
"SetZ du dich," he said n moved
over so that l could sit on the grating
on which he stood. The sky is tine
tonight. Wunderschon!'
1t always looks good to me-" 1 OBJ
served. filling my pipe and passing my
tobacco bag to him. II may have my
doubts now and then on land, Charlie,
but here between the sky and the sea
I'm a believer, right enough"
We were silent for q time. The ship
rolled easily; now and then she dipped
her bowsprit with Il soft swish of
spray; Il school of dolphins played
astern. and the last of the land birds
that had followed us out flew in cir
cles around the masts.
The door into the main cabin be-
yond was open. 1t was dark with the
summer twilight except for the four
rose shaded candles on the table, now
laid for dinner. A curious effect it had
the white cloth and cleaning pink an
island OF cheer In a twilight sea. and
to n from this rosy island, making
short excursions. advancing. retreat
ing. disappearing at times, the oval
white ship that was Williams shirt
bosom.
Charlie Jones. bending to the right
and raised to my w height by the
grating on which he stood. looked over
my shoulder. Dinner was about to be
served. The women had come out.
l had been the guest of honor on a
steam yacht a year or two before after
a game. There had been pink lights
on the table, | remembered. and the
place cards ut dinner the first night
out had been caricatures of me i in
fighting trim. There had been a girl
too. For the three days of that week
end cruise / had been mad about her.
Before that first dinner. when / had
known her two hours. l had kissed her
hand and told her l loved her!
Vail and Miss Lee had left the 9TH
ers and come into the chart room. AS
Charlie Jones and | looked he bent
over and kissed her hand.
The Jul had gone down. My pipe
was empty. and from the galley. for
ward. came the odor Of the forecastle
supper. Charlie was coughing. IL rack
ing paroxysm that shook his wiry
body. He leaned over and caught m,
shoulder as | was moving away.
New paint and new canvas don't
make a new ship" he said. choking
back the cough. She's still the old
Ella. the she devil of the Turner line.
Pink lights below and not Il rat in the
hold. They left her before we sailed,
boy. Every rope was crawling with
en-"
The odor Of f~ormaldehyde in the
forecastle having abated. permission
for the crew to sleep on deck had been
withdrawn. But the weather as we
turned south had grown insufferably
hot. The reek OF the forecastle sick
ened me-the odor OF fresh paint.
hardly dry. of musty clothing and
sweaty bodies.
asked Singleton. the first mate, for
permission to sleep on deck and was
refused. l went down. obediently
enough. to be driven back with nau-
sea. And so. watching my chance, l
waited until the first mate. on watch.
disappeared into the forward cabin to
eat the night lunch always prepared
by the cook and left there. Then.
with a blanket and pillow. 1 crawled
into the starboard lifeboat and settled
myself for the night. The lookout saw
me. but gave 10 sign.
1t was not a bad berth. As the ship
listed the stars seemed to sway above
me. and my last recollection was of
the Great Dipper performing digniied
gyrations in the sky.
l was aroused by one of the two
lookouts. a young fellow named Burns.