The Washington herald., 1914-10-11
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west wind blew in bis face, the white
topped waves were ali aglins with spn-
shine. His surroundings were altogether
delightful There was, in fact, only one
circumstance which made him. inclined
TO regret this suddenly arranged trip
across the Atlantic. This was his third
day out. and he was bored.
The boat was a medium-sized one
and not one of the fastest The people
were mostly Americans of the tourist
type, a handful of business men-and
Gordon Black. Brooke, whenever he
tried to think Of any one of them. found
himself always thinking of Black.
The man passed as he sat there
tall, hard-featured, his hands clasped
behind him, his eyes bent upon the
deok. The invalid who lay fat in a
chair by Brooke's side stretched out a
hand and touched his neighbor on the
coat sleeve.
Tell me-" he asked in a quaysring
voice, Is that really Mr.. Gordon
Black?"
That is his name" Brooke replied.
"He looks rather an interesting char
acter. Do you know anything about
him?"
The little man looked at his ques-
toner wonderingiy.
know anything about Gordon
Blackp he repeated. "Why, year
or two ago he was the most talked
of man in the Statesi"
%Why?" Brooke asked. SIS he q
celebrity, then?"
The little mamie called himself DR..
Browning, but admitted that he was
only dentist-sighed.
of course, you're English" he re-
marked, "and you wouldn't read our
papers Gordon Black was the head of
a great railroad trust. He ran up
against another trust, controlled by Seth
Pryor, and they had the greatest hnan-
cial struggle that the history of Ameri-
can finance has ever known.
IN the end, Black was unanswered
into falsePosition. He broke the law
and had to leave the country. II has al
ways been understood that there was
some sort of an agreement between him
and his enemies that, if he left, his fol-
lowers should be spared. That's the
idea, at any rate.
Anyway, during the last two months
Seth Pryor has suddenly begun to
squeeze Blacks followers. Black is on
his way back to fight him, and Seth
Pryor has sworn that as soon as he
sets foot in New York he'll have him
arrested"
1T sounds interesting" Brooke con-
fessed. -.-.
at is interesting," the other declared.
He leaned back In his chair and
closed his eyes with the air of one
fatgued by conversation. Brooke took
up his book and set it down again.
Afterward he decided that it must
have been some mesmeric instinct
which prompted him at that precise
moment to struggle up from his COM
Portable seat, throw aside his rug, and
stroll along the deck.
On his second time around he came
TO an abrupt standstill at the aft ex-
tremity of the promenade deck. A few
yards away from him, but in the sec
ond-class portion of the ship, a girl,
whose profile was turned toward him,
was leaning over the rail, bending far
tude which seemed to him somehow
familiar.
Without a moments hesitation he
crossed the narrow planlway and step
ped to her side.
Miss Robinsonl" he exclaimed
eagerly. 1t really is you, them"
She turned and looked at him. She
was little startled. Taken so COM
pletely by surprise, she seemed to for
get for the moment her somewhat un-
compromising attitude. Her beautiful
eyes were lit with something very like
pleasure, her lips parted into almost
tender lines. The moment was reve-
lation. For the first time Brooke real
lied that she. was beautiful.
at really is you, then," she muir
INJURED. e..
But what on Garth" he began.
q thought you were going to post in
the country"
Already her manner was stiffening. A
touch of the old sullenness was in her
tone. She had been taken by surprise.
4 think that you might have told
me" he proteste
She was already in revolt
"And why?" she demanded. 81 have
already accepted charity from you. I
have lived for: twenty-four years IN
England, twelve of which have been
blankiy miserable. am going to start
again"
"Are you going to New York;"
"To New York" she assented.
you have positions" !"
She hesitated. She answered him
grudgingiy.
81 have a place. she admitted. FOR
give me, but you must go now. First
class passengers are not allowed here"
"I wonder" he said deliberately,
"why you treat me as though ] wanted
to pick your pocket want to be your
friend"
She turned away, her manner relue-
tantly unsradous.
at is not possible" she said. "My
friendship, anyhow, isn't worth having.
Goodbye
She disappeared through the com
panionway. Brooke retraeed his steps
slowly to his own deck. As he crossed
the bridge he was conscious of being
watched. He raised his eyes. Mr.. Cor
don Black was leaning oyer ihe rail, |
deeply interested now in the uncoiiing
of rope below.
That night, or rather IN the small
hours of the morning, the silence of
the great ship was broken by the sound
of hurrying footsteps along the pas
sage outside Brool1e's stateroom, a
hoarse murmuring Of voices, the flying |
feet of an urgent messenger. Brooke |
Out his head ont of the aiieYway Lead |