Tensas gazette., 1916-04-14


pie eat, therefore they must procure
the wherewithal These men here
shoot seals in order to live; for the
same reason I sail this schooner; and
Mr.. Van Weyden. for the present at
any rate. earns his salty grub by as
sisting me. Now what do you do?"
She shrugged her shoulders.
AT present" she said. after slight
pause. Il earn about eighteen hundred
dollars a year"
With one accord, all eyes left the
plates and settled on her. A woman
who earned eighteen hundred dollars
year was worth looking at. Wolf
Larsen was undisguised in his admi-
ration.
Salary or piecework?" he asked.
"Piecework." she answered prompt.
ly.
Eighteen hundred" he calculated
That's a hundred and fifty dollars a
month. Well. Miss Brewster, there
is nothing small about the Ghost
Consider yourself on salary during the
time you remain with US"
She made no acknowledgment. She
was too unused as yet to the whims OF
the man to accept them with equa'
nimity.
Il forgot to inquire" he went on
suavely, "as to the nature of your oc.
cupation. What commodities do you
turn out? What tools and material do
you reQuire?"
Paper and ink" she laughed. And
oh! also typewriter"
You are Maud Brewster" said
slowly and with certainty. almost as
though l were charging her with q
crime.
Her eyes lifted curiously to mine
How do you know"
Aren't you?" l demanded.
She acknowledged her identity with
a nod. 1t was Wolf Larsen's turn to
be puzzled. The name and its magic
signified nothing to him. l was proud
that it did mean something to me, and
for the first time in a weary while
was convincingly conscious of a su.
periority over him.
Il remember writing a review of a
thin little volume" had begun
carelessly, when she interrupted me
"You!" she cried. You are"
She was now staring at me in wide
eyed wonder.
nodded my identity. in turn.
Humphrey Van Weyden," she con
cluded; then added with a sigh of re-
lief. and unaware that she had glanced
that relief at Wolf Larsen. Il am SO
glad"
Il remember the review" she went
on hastily. becoming aware Of the
awkwardness of her remark: that too
too fiattering review"
Not at ALL" denied vcliantly. you
impeach my sober judgment and make
my canons of little worth. Besides,
all my brother critics were with me-
Didn't Lang include your Kiss En-.
dured' among the four supreme son.
nets by women in the English Ian
guage?"
You are very kind, am sure" she
murmured; and the very convention.
ality of her tones and words. with the
host of associations it aroused of the
old life on the other side of the world
gave me a quick thrill-rich with re
membrance but stinging sharp with
homesickness.
And you are Humphrey Van Wey
den." she said, gazing back at me with
equal solemnity and awe. How un
usual! / don't understand. We sure
ly are not to expect some wildly 70
mantle sea story from your sober
pen?"
mo, I am not gathering material.
assure you," was my answer. Il have
neither aptitude nor inclination fol
fiction"
Tell me. why have you always
buried yourself in Californian" she
next asked. 1T has not been kind oi
you. We of the East have seen &c
very little Of you-too little. indeed
of the Dean Of American Letters, the
Second"
bowed to, and disclaimed, the com
pliment. Il nearly met you. once, IL
Philadelphia, some Browning affair Of
other-you were to lecture, you know
My train was four hours late"
And then we quite forgot where W.
were, leaving Wolf Larsen stranded
and silent in the midst of our floot
of gossip. The hunters left the table
and went on deck. and still we talked
Wolf Larsen alone remained. Sudden
ly l became aware of him, leaning
back from the table and listening Gu
riously to our alien speech Of worlt
he did not know.
broke short of in the middle of {
sentence. The present. with all 1T
WOMAN LOOSE IN ARGUMENT