Evening star., 1915-03-21
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR MARCH 2l. 1915

my breath away. lie looked as II he had
lust come in from a five o'clock tea on Fifth
avenue,-frock coat, dark gray trousers, all
of perfect fit, white wastcoat, lavender tie
with an exquisite pearl pin stuck carelessly
into its soft folds, and in his hand the very
latest thing in imported high silk hats! He
was the beau ideal of your conventional gen
tleman of society. AS | have said, | was
breathless, and consequently speechless, for
moment; but did manage at the end OF
few seconds to blurt out:
sam lam | awake, Captain?"
"Well-if you're not, we've plenty OF room
and time for you to sleep it out, he replied
"But this cabin-this salon. -these-these
water colors!" went on.
"A little fancy of my wife's," said mine
host "She fitted it all up herself. The water
colors, by the way, are all her own work.
Rather nice, | think. She was pupil OF
fellow Centurion of yours, Mr." Here he
mentioned one of Our famous artists men,
Der of my club, and a painter OF rare dis
tinction.
My desire to get away had become less
keen; but l deemed it wise nevertheless to
make the effort. still needed some reassur-
ance as to my safety.
"Well, Captain" said I, "it has been a
pleasure to meet you, and hate to run; but
| have had hard day of it, and I'm very
tired. | have come just to shake hands with
you and say howdido, before turning in for
the night"
"Oh, you mustn't go until you have
broken bread with me" said he.
81 told him he could be in bed by twelve
if he wanted to-" interposed my conductor.
"All right" said the Captain. "We'll live
up to your promise. You may serve the
supper at once" he added, turning to the
~, ,bO hoI
a muscle through the whole conversation.
Then began the service of a supper in
which for the first time | tasted the joys
of alligator pears, the sweets of real grape
fruit made into salad, the full possibilities;
of Moro crabs a la Newburg, alongside of
which even my beloved Maine Holsters are
dull and dreary reptiles, and of many other
delightful edbles as we'll, with my choice OF
LIQUID refreshmcnt as if from the cellar of a
Lucullus-and through it all the Captain
talked.
LIE told me of his interest in the Cuban
IL struggle for independence; how he had
gone first to Havana as correspondent tor an
American newspaper with decided leaning
toward Spanish interests; how he had re.
signed rather than write the kind OF material
his chiefs demanded.
He told me then how he had at last de.
cided to help the Cuban cause with arms
and with what money he had; how he had
chartered this lumber schooner, and gone
ostensbly into the lumber business to cover
his real activities; and how every time he
set out from Brunswick laden with lumber
consigned to some other port he always took
time to run over to Cuban waters, and carry
weapons and ammunition to the insurgents
"And what has Uncle Sam had to say te
all these activities?" asked.
"He's getting little suspicious laughee
the Captain. "Once thought he had m'
too. | had a thousand rifles and ten thou
sand rounds of ammunition in hand for th'
boys, and when | was being towed out t.
sea by tug the Vesuvius, which had beer
watching me for several days, fired sho
across my bows and stopped me. They sen
a search party aboard-and tell you, Sir
they We're mighty thorough lot! Their
wasn't nook or Granny of the Samuel ]
Taylor those fellows didn't turn inside out
Not an inch from topmast to keel escapc'
the official eye; but they found nothing, an'
| was allowed to go on
"But how" said |, did you manage t,
conceal the stutf?'
"Oh, that was simple laughed the Cap
, tain. "They went through the Samuel ]
Taylor with a iine-tooth comb; bit they for