Evening star., 1918-02-03

we have to-"
at homer oReilly smiled at her.
Good heavens. no! I'm having the
time of my life. 1 nearly died of curl
osity at first-until found Mai
Ramos tongue.
Hmm! You found it, all right. He
appears to be completely conquered"
lin afraid So. the girl acknowl-
edged. with little grimace. You'd
think he'd never seen a woman before.
He's very-intense. Very!
You don't expect me. as your. chape-
ron, to approve of your behavior? Why.
you've been flirting outrageously.'
Il had to fiirt little. 1 simply had
to know what was going on. Butt
fixed him
"Indeed?'
Il couldn't let him spoil my fun. could
I? OF course not. Well. put damper
on him. I told him about you-about
u.s."
OReilly was puzzled. What do you
mean?" he inquired.
You won't be angry. will you? When
he waxed romantic l told him he had
come into my life too late. I confessed
that 1 was in love with another man
With you s As her hearss addsd drew "ynax saGk
.'Oh, don't be frightened; that isn't
half
"of course you're Joking" Johnnie
stammered.
Indeed. I'm not. I thought it would
discourage him. butt didn't. So I
told him a whopper.. I said we were
engaged. The speaker Uttered. She
was delighted with herself.
Engaged? To be married.
Certainly, People aren't engaged
toto go fishing. are they? had to tell
him something; he was getting posi-
have told him we were secretly mar
ried''
This may be funny" the young man
said. stiffly. but l don't see it,
$40
Why"-Miss Evans bantering manner
ceased. and she said. earnestly: DIR.
Alvarado told me your story. and l
you find that little Rosa, If you'll let
me. You were thinking about her when
l came up. weren't you?"
Johnnie nodded.
''You-might talk to me about her.
if you care to-.
OReilly's voice was husky and low
as he said: Il darent trust myself. I'm
ara afraid. she's SO young: so sweet. so
I'm almost afraid to think
Norine saw her companions cheeks
blanch slowly. saw his laughing eyes grow
grave. saw the muscular brown hand upon
the rail tighten until the knuckles were
his
Don't let yourself worry" she said
con,d m m9ney would 9 tnI, buy her safety you
brave and true and patient and you'll
find her. I'm sure you will And in the
meantime don't mind my frivolity: it's
just my way. You see this is my first
taste of life and it has gone to my
head"
THE CITY AMONG THE LEAVES.
The night was moonless and warm.
An impalpable haze dimmed the star
glow. only the diffused illumination of
the open sea enabled the passengers of
the Fair Play to identify that blacker
darkness on the horizon ahead of them
as land. The ship herself was no more
than formless blot stealing through
the gloom. and save for the phosphor-
escence at bow and stern no light be-
trayed her presence, not even so much
as the flare of a match or the coal from
a cigar or cigarette. Orders of the
pedicionarios, gathered along the rails
were not inclined to disregard them
for only two nights before the Fair
Play. in spite Of every precaution. had
nest and had managed to escape only
by virtue of the darkness and the
speed of her engines.
She had approached within a mile or
Two OF the prearranged landing place
when over the mangroves had fared
the binding white light of Spanish
patrol boat. Like a thief surprised at
his work the tramp had turned tail
and fed, never pausing until she lay
safe among the Bahama banks.
Now she was feeling her way back,
some distance to the westward. Mai
Ramos was on the bridge with the
captain. Two men were taking sound
lngs in blind search for that steep
wall which forms the side of the old
Bahama channel. When the lead finally
gave them warning the Fair Play lost
headWQV 70 or
ing lazily. In the silence that ensued
Leslie Branch's recurrent cough barked
loudly.
They're afraid to go closer on ac-
to his companions.
That must be it that 7 hear" Norine
ventured. Or maybe it's just the roar
ing in my ears
Probably the latter" said Branch.
I'm scared stiff. l don't like reefs
Are there anv sharks in these
waters?
Well. I'm glad I'm thin," the sick
man murmured
Maj. Ramos spoke in a low tone from
the darkness above. calling for a volun-
teer boats crew to reconnofter and 70
look for an opening through the " reef -
before the words were out of his
mouth OReilly had offered himself.
Ten minutes later he found himself
at the steering oar of one of the ships
lifeboats. heading shoreward. A hun
dred yards and the Fair Play was lost
to view. but. keeping his face set to-
ward that inky horizon, O'Reiliy
guided his boat perhaps a half mile
nearer before ordering his. crew to
cease rowing. Now through the still
ness came low. slow pulsating
whisper. the voice of the barrier reef
The trade winds had died with the
sun and only the gentlest ground
swell was running Nevertheless.
when the boat drew farther in the
sound increased alarmingly, and soon
a white breaker streak showed dimly
where the coral teeth of the reef bit
through.
There was a long nights work
ahead; time pressed. and SO OReilly
altered his course and cruised along
outside the white water, urging his
crew to lustier strokes 1t was han
hazard work, this search for an open
ing, and every hour of delay Increased
the danger of discovery.
mile-two miles-it seemed like
ten to the taut oarsmen, and then a
PACK hiatus of still water showed in
the phosphorescent foam. OReilIy ex-
piored II briefly; then he turned ba elk
toward the ship. When he had gone as
far as he dared. he lit a lantern and.
shielding its rays from the shore with
ms coat. flashed it seaward. After n
short interval a dim red eye winked
once out of the blackness. OReiIly
steered for il.
soon he and his crew were aboard
and the ship was cropping her way to-
ward the break in the reef. Meanwhile
her deck became scene of feverish
activity. Out from her hold came cases