The Spectator., 1914-12-18

had been gained Then the farther shore was reached, and tho painter scrambled up the steep roadway to the top of the cliffs.
 Now that I have done my duty" said he to MT. Jones, q shall loaf; l must loaf must think of her uninter- ruptedly for while. You know whom I mean. Mir. Jones: I'll leave her un- l named, as should be the case between gentlemen, but you will understand" MT. Jones grunted in reply, and they set of.
 And so it came about that, what with one thing and another, Hill re- mained in Jersey until night fell, ate i his supper from crowded lunch wagon near the docks, and afterward gave the wagon itself minute and | critical examination. The result of this last was. that as soon as he had | done, he went to the nearest news stand. Here he bought a post card upon which was depicted a pea-green likeness of the local soldiers monu- ment, and wrote in the space for cor
 respondence--T had supper tonight
 with Mir Lovejoy. His wagon Is superb, and at the present rate of the
 business he has, 1 shall expect wed ding invitation inside month" Then
 he signed his own name, appended the
 Jones street address, and posted It..
 Then, much exhilarated by his long
 thought" of Iris. and the piquant coin
 cidence that had befallen him. he de-
 termined to turn the night to profit,
 and set to work among the river-front
 resorts
 At midnight the Jersey shipyards
 are very still, and down toward where
 the docks are fewer. and farther apart,
 it Is quiet indeed, once darkness has
 fallen. Here and there one hears the
 baying of humanity (so called) belch-
 ing out from the swinging doorway of
 some low-ceilinged, evil-lighted den
 the resort of poverty and brute strength, where the enormous energies engendered by outdoor work find vent
 under the name of recreation. Against , the outer darkness loom masses yet [ more dark and sometimes a crimson light, like a dull jewel, smokes at the bulk Is a ship
 At wide intervals, fiaring light il
 lumines a throng of toilers, who, lik' the distorted creatures of dream , rush about in methodical disorder, ac
 complishing the loading of some vesse , that must sail at dawn. Whichevel , lies before one, the darkness or the in , ferno of light and noise. 1t Is won
 derful picture; one to arrest the ob l server with its vast suggestive Qualit!
 and arouse the desire to finger ant watch.
 Hill thought of this when he came
 out from one of the low saloons int the tingling cold of night, and saw thu l strange panorama that melted ava!
 on either hand.
 3 Presently they reached a small GOV - cred dock where a greenish light wal t burning. in the glow of which som' , score of men were at work, loading 3 great cases into the hold of a smal
 third or fourth rate steamer. l. There seemed to be curiously littl, f disorder or excitement in connection 8 with this embarkment, fact whicl l, soon impressed itself upon Hills mind - Nor did the men appear to be in an. ? particular hurry. Then a question ot
 truded itself If they were not rushed
 why did they work so late at night? l was rather odd. The cargo was odd
 too. From the size, shape and weigh ! of the wooden cases of which 1t prir - cipally consisted, the shipment wa 8 evidently composed of pianos. Wher t on earth could so many pianos be SC ] ing to? With little effort he remen |. bered the sign at the entrance to tn 8 dock-"The Venezuela Fruit Steam |, ship company" An, that accounte }, for 1t! Of course, 1t was only reason :, out very few pianos, if any. Hoy D quaint. though! He began to mus
 upon the melodious consignment, and .- therefore, to observe the cases nor ' closely. How odd that they should b ). put aboard at night!
 A man who had been directing tn ] work, his back toward Hill, now turne, r about so that the light shone full upol r his face, and at the sight of it San
 gave an involuntary cry of recognition which. however, was lost in the gen l eral noise. It was Rowe! The mem 3 ory of their last meeting. and of Ol { Nita, came to him in a flash. and hi 3 hands clenched ominously. Here. pel
 haps, was chance for retaliation 3 But before he could act on the i'm r pulse. several things happened all a r once.
 8 A piano case. which was being low
 cred from a truck, was allowed to dro ], in such a way that 1t split open Frou