Mexico Missouri message., 1915-09-02
CHAPTER I.
A Small World.

berth. His own voice sui rang IN MS
startled ears. He wondered how much
ne had said, and how far 1t could have
carried above the throb Of the liners
screws and the mighty pounding OF
the water against her plates. And
then he remembered how he had been
left behind at Naples, and rejoined the
Kaiser Fritz at Genoa, only to find
that he no longer had cabin to him
self.
A sniff assured Cazalet that he was
neither alone at the moment nor yet
the only one awake; he pulled back
the swaying curtain, and there on the
settee sat a man with a strong blue
chin and the quizzical solemnity of an
animated sphinx.
II was his cabin companion, an
American named Hilton Toye, and
Cazalet addressed him with nervous
familiarity.
Il say! Have l been talking in my
Sleep"
why, yes!" replied Hilton Toye
and broke into a smile that made a
human being of him.
Cazalet forced a responsive grin.
what did say?" he asked, with an
amused curiosity at variance with his
shaking hsnd and shining forehead.
Toye took him i'm from crown to
flngertips, with something deep behind
his kindly smile. 81 Judge" said he,
you were dreaming of some drama
you've been seeing ashore, Mr.. GAIA
let" ...
Dreaming" said Cazalet, wiping
his face. 1T was a nightmare, /
must have turned in too soon after
dinner. But l should like to know
what said"
Il can tell you word for word. You
said, Henry Craven-deadv and then
you said, Decentralization Cra-
vent as if you'd got to have it both
ways to make sure"
Its true" said Cazalet. shuddering.
Il saw him lying dead, in my dream"
Hilton Toye took a gold watch from
his waistcoat pocket. Thirteen min
ntes to one in the morning" he said,
land now It's September eighteenth
Take a note Of that, Mr.. Cazalet. 1t
may be another case of second sight
for your psychical research society"
Il don't care if it is" Cazalet was
smoking furiously.
Meaning it was no great friend you
dreamed was dead?"
NO friend at all, dead or alive!"
I'm kind of wondering" said
7Toye, winding his watch slowly, IF
he's by way of being a friend of mine.
know a Henry Craven over in Eng
land. Lives along the river. down
Kingston way, in big house.
Called Uplands?"
Yes, sir! That's the man. Little
world, isn't it?"
The man in the upper berth had to
hold on as his curtains swung clear;
the man tilted back on the settee all
attention all the time, was more than
ever an effective foil to him. With
out the kindly smile that went as
quickly as it came, Hilton Toye was
somber, subtle and demure. Cazalet,
on the other hand, was of sanguine
complexion and impetuous looks. He
was tanned a rich bronze about the
middle Of the face, but it broke off
across his forehead like the coloring
of a meerschaum pipe. Both men
were in their early prime, and each
stood roughly for his race and type
the Travelled American who knows the
world, and the elemental Britisher
who has made some one loose end OF
IT his own.
II thought of my Henry Craven
continued Toye, 'as soon as ever you
came out with yours. But it seemed q
kind of ordinary name l might have
known it was the same if I'd recollect
ed the name of his firm. Isn't it era
ven & Cazalet, the stockholders, dowr
IN Tokenhouse Yard?"
. THAT'S It," said Cazalet bitterly
But there have been none of us il
IT since my father died ten years ago..
But you're Henry Craven's old part
ner's SOM"
I'm his only son.
Then no wonder you dream abou
Henry Craven" cried Toye, and n,
wonder 1t wouldn't break your hear
II your dream came true"
1T wouldn't" said Cazalet througI
his teeth. HE wasn't white man /
me or mine-Whatever you may hav
found him"
Il had little place near his on
summer. know only what hear
down there"
What did you hear?" asked Cazl
let 1--WE been away ten years, eve
since the crash that ruined everybod
but the man at the bottom of tn
whole thing. 1t would be kindnel
TO tell me what you heard"
well, ] guess you've said it you
self right now. That man seems 1
have beggared everybody all aroun
except himself; that's how / make
out" said Hilton Toye.
"He did worse" said Cazalet throue
his teeth. "He killed my poor father
he banished me to the wilds of Au
fralia. and he sent a better man tha