Evening star., 1918-12-27

her y:. eyes. I'VE shall be lonely. shall we not,
They disappeared, nor did they reappear un-
til the gong sounded for the evening meal.
Land sat in bis deck-chair and smoked furiously,
while he considered them and compared them
and admired them. He could visualize them
clearly, for both were vivid types, yet as he
looked at them with the eye of his recollection,
he could not tell which he would choose were he
to be given the choice. His own conclusion was
that it was toss up and God help the hapless
soldier man.
Altho it was rather late, Major Land did not
60 below. He remained on deck chatting with
his newly found acquaintances until they re-
tired, then he paced the darkened deck, making
the black rounds again and again. Not light
was visible on board, every opening, every port
hole was heavily screened. Even the moment
and closed was hidden from the eye of a possible
lurking submarine by spread Of canvas It
was like walking in tunnel. Black forms
would spring suddenly out Of the darkness, so
suddenly that collisions were oft-times unavoid-
able. One had to guess his way, and as for
finding the entrance to the cabin it was not to
be done. One waited until somebody opened the
door, and then darted for the brief flash of light.
1AND sat down to watch the phosphorescent
water as it broke into silver flame against
- the vessels side. He was young. He
had been thrown into sudden contact with
romance and with seductive beauty, and his
head was not altogether steady as he reacted to
it. His thought was ruetul. " If there were only
one of them," was the motif Of his reflections.
1t was his mature judgment, after year in the
camps and trenches, removed from pleasures, IN
a world destitute of women that he could with
facility love either of his new friends-n the
other were not there to interfere.
"Confound it, ," he muttered, II can't fall in
love with both of them. don't know what this
years rules are, but last year that wasn't being
done."
He sat back and closed his eyes comfortably.
It was good to rest. For year he had had no
moment of rest and this complete idleness, this
remoteness from the world, from the great and
grim business which occupied all the world, was
very pleasant. He drowsed.
Some one awakened him by stumbling
against nearby chair.
"pm through banging around this deck IN the
DARK surly voice said. "Sit down here"
"Well?" said another voice presently, low,
sweet, pleasant woman's voice.
"Its not in his cabin"
"You are sure?"
81 learned how to search in school that
tolerates few mistakes"
"He is known to have it. it is even known
what it looks like and its SIZE"
eyes, little packet, thin as letter and no
larger. wrapped in yellow oiled silk"
awake and alert now. A tiny packet. the size Of
q letter, wrapped in oiled silk! He knew what
that for M was that packet that carried him
"The thing is not in his cabin. He must
carry it with him."
'He looks like the sort who would sleep with
it in his mouth said the woman. Her voice
was pitched so low thatLand could barely catch
her words. He fancied the voice was familiar;
there was note in it that called to something in
his recollection.
where is he, anyhow"
Proving about the decks"
Land strained his ear to catch the slightest
tone Of those faint voices-to recognize them, to
identify them. Every nerve was alive now and
quivering. He knew he was the quarry and that
here were the hunters-and he knew how pre-
cious to his country and to the cause of the
Allies was the tiny packet he carried.
H1HE couple arose after silence and moved
- the blackness. The man tripped over deck
chair, staggered-and sprawled upon Land,
uttering an imprecation. As if by instinc: the
men grappled; Land with known enemy, the
spy with an unknown who had been an caves
dropper. His hands flew to Lands throat, stop
ped an instant at his shoulder as it touched the
gold leaf indicating military rank.
cts Land" the man said savagely.
The Major twisted sidewise, holding his
antagonist off with his left hand while he placed
his right against his chair and heaved upward.
He was not in the pink of condition, not the
clean, powerful athlete of the days before his
wound, but he was, even in his convalescence
an antagonist to approach with caution. He
struggled to his feet, lifting his assailant with
him and for an instant they swayed, then
pitched to the deck with Land uppermost. He
tore free one hand and struck twice quickly,
powerfully.
"He's on top" grated the mans voice.
A little hand came out of the darkness and
fumbled over the Majors hair, soft little hand.
Land snatched for it, but it eiuded him, and he
was conscious of the contact of soft silk. As
thoughts have an absurd way of doing at strange
moments, this one flashed through his mind:
'both wrapped in silk, the woman spy, the pre-
cious packet"
His antagonist heaved and struggled silently;
Land did not think of calling for assistance,
somehow the idea did not occur to him. He
was the sort to fight his own battles. Again
that soft hand touched his hair-locating it,
placing it. Then it seemed to Land as if high
explosive shell had struck close to his side.
There was paralyzing shock, the shock of the
impact Of something hard and round against
his skull. 1t was repeated. Lands muscles re-
laxed, his grip slackened, he collapsed upon his
enemy. The soft hand had not hesitated to arm
itself and to strike.
They rolled him over on his back. The man
flashed light on the sprawling body as they
knelt beside him, and with hands accustomed by
training, they searched him swiftly, efficiently.
~ have it" whispered the man.
"Give it to me"
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