Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-06-15

aYou wish me to give this to Captain
Woodhouse2"
came here hoping perhaps to see the
captain after the parade. But your
you wish me to give this to Captain
Woodhouse?' Jane finished, a flicker
Of annoyance crossing her face. why
me?"
you are at government house, lady.
Captain Woodhouse comes to tea-all
newcomers to the garrison do that. If
you would be SO good
Jane took the cigarette case from
Almer's outstretched hand. Lady Gran
dali had told her the captain would be
In for tea that afternoon. It was q
small matter, this accommodation, as
long as Almer did not insinuate-as he
had not done-any impertinence; imply
any overeagerness on her part to per-
form so minor a service for the officer.
Almer bowed his thanks and lost him
self In the crowd. Jane turned again
to where Kitty and Kimball were chat
ting.
"a dun for extra service the landlord
forgot last night, I'll wager" the youth
greeted her.
"Oh, no, just a little present" Jane
laughed back at him, holding up the
silver case. with Almer's compli-
ments to Captain Woodhouse, who for
got 1t when he gave up his roo to-
day. I've promised to turn it v to
the captain and save the hotel man a
lot of trouble and red tape getting a
messenger through to the captains
quarters"
"By Jove!" Kimball's tired eyes
lighted up with a quick flash of smok-
er's yearning. "a life saveri Came
away from my room without my pet
Egyptians-Mr. Sherman yelling at me
to hurry or we'd miss this slow show
and all that. I'm going to play the
panhandler and beg one Of your cap
tain friends smokes. He must no .
good sort or you wouldn't be doing
little favors for him, Miss Gerson.
Come, now; In your capacity as tenn
porary e~xecutrix will you invest one
of the captains cigarettes In a demand
of real eharity?"
Keen desire was scarcely yelled I'M
der Kimball's fiction of light patter.
Smilingly the girl extended the case
to him.
"Just to make 1t businesslike, the
e~xecutrix demands your note FORUM
sixty days, say. For n cigarette re-
ceived l promise to pay'"-
fGGsv1,0 ~ H. IaJ1l1n6 a 0n1d nnn1iI
from his pocket and made q p~retense
of writing the form on his cuff. Then
he lit his borrowed cigarette and in
haled it gratefully.
"Your captain friends straight from
Egypt; l don't have to be told that
Willy Kimball murmured in polite &C.
stasy. "At Shepard's, in Cairo, you'll
get such a cigarette as. this and no.
where else in a barren world. The
breath of the acanthus blossom-if 10
really has~a breath-never heard"
Back in Kewanee the Ladies Aid
society will have you arrested" Kitty
put in m~ischievously. They're terri
bly, wrought up over eigarettes-for mi
nors."
Kimball cast her a glance of deep
reproach. AS he lifted the cigarette
to his lip for a second puff James eyes
mechanically followed the movement.
Something caught and held them, Won
der filed.
On the side of the white paper cylin-
der nearest her a curious brown streak
appeared. By the merest freak Of
chance her glance fell on 1t. AS she
looked the thin stain grew darker near
est the fresh ash. The farther end
of the faint tracing moved-yes, moved
like a threadworm cropping its way
along a stick.
Nov, what are they all doing out
there" Kitty Sherman was asking
"all those men running top speed with
their guns carried up so high?"
"Bayonet CHARGE" Kimball answer
ed. Nothing like the real thing, of
course"
Jane Gerson was watching the twist
ing and writhing of that ilament of
brown against the white. An invis-
ible hand was writing In brown ink
on the side Of the cigarette-writing
backward and away from the burning
tip. Letters of silver nitrate formed
themselves under her eyes. Kimball
took the cigarette from his lips and
held 1t by his side for a minute. He
and Kitty were busy with each others
company, for the time ignoring Jane.
She burned with curiosity and with
excitement mounting like the fire of
wine to her brain. Would he never
put that cigarette to his lips again, so
she could follow the invisible pen? So
feeting, so eyanescent, that worm
track on the paper, wrought by fire
and by fire to be consumed! A mys-
terry vanishing even as it was aborn-
ing! After ages the unconscious KIM
ball set the cigarette again in his lips.
-nformar haa denounced Won fo Gran.