Evening star., 1914-03-08

lSUS5@ which he had lett her. the bare, dull
sitting of their quarters at the
Pavilion Hotel on the edge of Greymouth Links from
which starting point Shedrick, in fuhlment of his
cent engagement with the Aero Club of France had
ranged take wing for Cherbourg, wind and weather
permitting, the morrow.
1t would be exceedingly difficult to imagine Caruso
engineer bank manager in any capacity
other than that Of operate star 1t would be equally
difficult picture Shacketon sidesplitting antic
and qup monger Peissier in the role of the dauness
explorer Sheldrick the most idol of the lying
world, the ideal type OF aviator.
Mathematician engineer, meteorolog1st, and athlete
his tall lightly built but muscular frame carried the
head of eagle. The wide forehead sloping to the
temples the piercing prominently set eyes, the salient
nose and the wde firm, deepcut mouth characterizing
the long winged birds of powerful flight, Shedrck
His too the long, supple neck, the curousy deceptive
shoulder slope that disguses depth of chest: while his
long arms looked though were they clothed with
feathers they might cleave the air and his feet grpped
the ground through the hn soft boots he always
the eagles talons grip the rock.
Perhaps he not unaware of the suggested reSern
blance. He had certainly christened his recently
pleted monoplane "Aquila, and had poted her
tory in two minor events at the Noncaster Spring Fly
ing Meeting in April of that year, and at the Nislnes
Concour des Amateurs of three weeks before had carried
off the grand prx of 2 600 francs for the longest flight
under favorable weather conditions And at the club
dinner following the presentation of the prizes Shedck
flushed with conquest and congratulations, had given
loved him wrung to torture
"After all that have borne Mrs Sheldrck had
said herself sitting her hideous red
chair by the green, blinded window of the
staring hotel sitting roo "after three years Of agony
silently, patiently endured-after all his promises,
still upon the rack'
CHE looked rather like it as she sat by the window
the center of three that gave view the
graygreen links and the graybrown beach Of smooth
sliding pebbles that gave place to the white, trob
bing of the English Channel And the white drawn
face that masked her frenzy of anguish and the dark
gray, haunted eyes through which her suffering spirit
looked greeted her husband he burst into the room
fresh from his banquet of speed and clean salt buoyant
air. and sympathetic, enthusiastic companonshp, like
an unexpected douche of ice water.
Haven't you been out?"
Sheldrick uttered the words recorded upon pause
implying the swallowing of Others less neutraly anna
ble And his face which had already clouded darkened
sullenly as his wife replied:
Il have travelled distance since you left here
with your friend"
where have you been?' asked Shedrick unwillngly,
who suspects that the question may open
unwecome topic
Mrs. Sheldrck looked at her husband full; and
though had seemed to him that he had read the book
of her beauty from preface fns there something
new to HIM IN her regard as she answered:
Il have gone over in memory every week of the last
three years that have spent together Edgar; and
the road has been rough and stony one without
green patch of grass to rest by the waysde
refreshing spring at which to drink. But patient
while plodded after you because | end to
what was enduring. Now it seems that am mistaken
1t is only my endurance that is at end"
@Why do you talk in alegory, Ella?' Sheldrck broke
out impatiently He threw down his leather motoring
cap with the tale eye shields upon the soa and pitched
his heavy overcoat upon chair in a of the ugly
room and let his long, 1.-THE body down into hdeous
Early Victorian plush armchair beside the empty fire