Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-10-25
and hurried away to get his break.

anu H"AAASN oWoy W ScI LIS OES6k-
fast.
And all that day, he sat beside
the assistant purser, while the
first cabin passengers were called
up, one by one, to make it clear
that they were entitled to land in
America. The questions are always
searching, for the immigration
laws are very strict and there are
many spaces to be filled in on the
great blanks which the immigra-
ton bureau furnishes; but that
day they we're more searching than
cver-so far, at least, as the male
passengers were concerned. In the
women, Pachmann did not interest
himself, for he took it for granted
that no woman could have struck
Schroeder senseless with a single
blow; but on every man he d.
rected the severest scrutiny.
Even if the name had been
checked by the captain or purser
on the list he held in his hand, he
never failed to satisfy himself by
a few questions and the unfortu-
nate possessors Of the names be-
fore which a cross appeared had
reason to remember that interro-
CATION all their lives. With some
three or four of them, the interrc-
CATION was continued in private
and even extended to a search of
their belongings and a scrutiny of
every document in their possess
sion but, while some of them
were forced to confess at last that
they We're adventures, gamblers,
with only such means of livelihood
as their wits procured them, there
was nothing to show that any of
them was the agent of any govern
ment.
All day Saturday the examina-
ton was continued, and by dinner
time the first class list was COM
pleted, much to the relief of the
passengers, who came away from
the interrogation with ruffled tenn
pers and a feeling of humiliation.
All sorts Of rumors were afloat
among them. There was an alb
sconder on board, a murderer, a
political refugee, an clipping cou-
ple-the customs authorities had
got wind Of the fact that there was
a celebrated smuggler on board,
and every passenger was to be
searched when he reached the pier
the rumors ran the gamut of all
crimes and all scandals, and made
every n extremely uncomfort-
able, but none of them touched the
truth.
And Pachmann had to confess
himself, thus far, defeated. There
remained the second class, and he
determined to scrutinize it ever
more closely than he had the first.
The thought that he might fail,
after all, dismayed him. To fail
meant disgrace - personal, ir-
remediable disgrace; it meant the
betrayal of his emperor; worse
than that, in his failure France
would triumph He trembled with
anguish-not wholly for himself,
Tor he was a brave man and a pa
trlot-but for his fatherland.
So Saturday evening came, and
with it the hour of the second
conference.
For the other personages of this
story, those two days had been
rather eventless ones. The weather
continued fine and the great ship
ploughed steadily westward. The
passengers got to know each 9TH
er little cliques were formed, cen
tering about mutual acquaint-
ances; there were card parties.
dances, the inevitable concert, din
ners in the cafe, the usual pools,
the usual night long games Of
poker, the usual excitements Of
passing ships and schools of dol
phins-in a word, the usual pro-
cession of trivial incidents which
make up life on a great liner.
But in this life, Ignace Ward and
his daughter had no part. Their
meals were served in their sitting
room, SO that they missed that
great acquaintance maker, the din
ner table. Kasia, remembering the
warning she had received, kept
aloof from every one; and Wards
ironical manner was enough to
keep every one aloof from him.
However he did not notice it. for
he had discovered, among the
books in the library, three novels
by Mr.. John Galsworthy, and they
absorbed him. He had been look
ing through the books rather hope
lessly, when the title, 1.-THE Island
Pharisees,o had caught his