Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-07-29

of my story as had told on the
Gretchen, and when that evening ap
peared at the captains table trans
formed by bathing in a real tub and
submission to real. razor in the
hands of barber, 1t was to find that
my story had travelled forward and
aft.
ST. Paul was a very good man. He
had piety and ferver, but also, In G
superior and .godly fashion, he was 4
man of the world. Perhaps he gained o
, flrmer grip on his followers by reas.
on Of his ability to say ~ have been
twice stoned and thrice shipwrecked."
had been only once shipwreclsed, yet
ready-made audience awaited enter
tainment.
1t was on the second afternoon that
Captain Keller appeared in the smoke
room. He was man Of about my own
build and almost as bronzed, but fair
haired, and his carriage proclaimed
the soldier before he introduced him.
self.
I was idly enjoying the comfor. of
wicker chairs and windows which
framed white decks and dancing seas
The few other occupants Of the place
were lounging about in pongee and
linen, chatting laZily of those things
which make talk among men coming
out of the east-tribal risings in Java
the late race meet in Melbourne. The
into seat at my table and signailed
to the spotless Jap who afficiated as
smoke room steward.
LEFT you alone yesterday" he be-
gan, by way of introduction. 81 saw
you didn't relish being treated like
the newest and strangest animal H.
captivity. 1 take it they're accus
toned to you now. What will you
haye?"
Brandy and Soda" decided. Then
I added: perhaps, after being re-,
cued, I ought to rake myself more
volatile and amusing. but the fact Ia
I'm readjustirT. Did you ever haJ
pen to spend six months on an uudis-
covered cannibal island?"
He shook his head and laughed
with pleasant glcam of strong, reg
ular teeth.
Then" I assured him, you don't
understand the deGi-e to sit still for
a while. You don't understand the
sheer wonder OF soft chair, white
woodwork, the REGULAR throb OF en-
Oh - IL \
men and clean, wei. dressed women
Look there" ] held out my copper
colored forearm
He smiled again and nodded. I'm
going back to the States" he said,
"after three years in the islands.
capped with two ronths in India and
Australia. "I'm Keller of the Twen-
ty-Third."
He paused, then went on in mat
ter-of-fact way: 1--WE been in the jun
gle three months on end. know
what 1t means. This is my second
term of Philippine service, and it's
the first time I've gone home quite
sane. After the first three years the
melancholia had me. When the trans
port left Manila. and I thought of the
Golden Gate 1t took three good hus-
kies to keep me from jumping over.
board.
"It touches one here" with finger
at his temple, "and l know some fel-
lows who weren't stopped in time.
One must readjust slowly"
NODDED, putting WITH a sense of SUI
preme luxury at the Cairene cigarette
he had offered me, and listening to
the tinl1le of ice in my tall glass.
There were some days Of almost
pure creature contentment, and as VIC
sat under deck-awnings or burned ci-
gars in the smoke-room our acquain-
tance ripened to intimacy.
The engines, with their muffled
throb, were churning out their fifteen
knots an hour and The timbers creak.
ed their complaint to the rise and fall
of the PROV. Sometimes at night we
hung elbow to elbow over the after.
rail, watching the broken phosphorus
of the wake.
We were standing so on the night
before reaching Honolulu, where Kel
ler was to spend few days while
made immediate connection for the
States. He was telling me many
things about himself. There was 9
baby, born after he had left Ameri
ca, now old enough to chatter and dc
wonderful things, whom he was to sec
for the first time when he reached
San Francisco. His condolences in
vited mine; and over our pipes told
him the whole true story of my ex
periences, and of how an unknown
goddess had safeguarded me.
"You spoke of the loneliness"
said at the end. you know now why
1t didn't slug me into insanity"
For a long time he stood musinf
over the recital. He had seen enough