Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-03-29
CHAPTER XII.
A Strange Revelation.

n Strange HeNeidtoH.
The Sakuntala floated a flag
strange to me, yellow and green with
a turreted castle at her stern, and the
pennant of the Kaiserlicher Yacht
club of Kiel at her peak; and she was
as pretty toy steamer as have ever
seen, about one hundred and seventy
feet over all and three hundred and
fifty tons capacity, with turbine-driv-
en- single screw.
AS Captain Belgrag had intimated,
she was seriously short-handed, the
crew, including that of the engine
room and the stewards, numbering
but twelve, with almost as many diff
ferent nationalities represented.
gained this information in my first
trip above, the mate being quite free
In his conversation so long as re-
manned discretely interested in COM
monplaces, but not able to under
stand my Italian when l sought to
draw out serious information. There
seemed to be no restrictions other
than those customary on any ship,
and we went freely about the yacht,
examining her at our leisure.
We did not pass the Nanaimo that
afternoon, at least not closely enough
to see her, and Blake explained that
our course had been shifted point or
two south, taking us well outside the
lane of the merchantmen. Neither
did / see Kodani again, and the tall
mate did not know him. When late in
the afternoon, Isabelle and the signo-
ia came on deck, l sat down beside
them
You know the Sakuntala, Isabelle?"
! asked, and she nodded.
Il have seen it before, but never so
closely" she replied. at is my first
time aboard" and she pointedly
changed the subject. / accepted the
hint, taking occasion to make a de-
fence of Captain Blake.
"You have hurt him deeply-worse
than he deserves" / told her. HE
wants only to do his duty as he sees
it, and he is brave man who is quite
apt to do his duty as he sees it. For
give him, Isabelle"
Shall l be nice to him again?" she
asked with a smile that indicated mis-
chef
mot too NICE" l suggested. ! re-
membered the pain of my suffering
during four days on the Wilton. Just
sort of nice"
Il shall forgive him when he prom
ises about the irons" she said deci-
sively, and that was the best l could
get from her. The irons ranked in
her soul.
could make love In Italian to Isa-
belle, for did not mind Signora Ces-
ana, and none other of my comrades
understood, and did tell her some Of
the things had been restrained from
saying ever since the fire, some Of
the things ! had forgotten to say In
the shortness of our private interview.
"Will you believe" said to the 81
gnora, that quite overlooked asking
her IL she would marry me, and she
has given no promise to me at all?"
THAT is quite correct from our
Latin standpoint" smiled the signora.
"You will naturally wait to ask her
mother. Now that / am here to chap
eron her we shall do all in a proper
manner
but, then, we are not engaged. No,
no. signora! Our United States meth
cd is better. and l shall now propose
to the lady in question.
you shall not!" declared Isabelle,
blushing II will not be proposed to
before all these people"
They'll not understand a word"
cried, teasingly; but I did not want
her to make the promise before "all
these people"
We had been fitted out quite com
fortably with clothing and shoes from
the stores, and was jaunty In semi
naval coat and cap that compensated
for an overly ample pair of square
toed shoes. Reedley was a German
admiral, at least. and Clifton not
much lower in the scale. The Kaiser.
licher Yacht club ran strong on uni.
forms and brass buttons, evidently.
Only Blake remained a blue sea-jaok.
eted American seaman.
That night, in the seclusion of our
cabin, we talked long and seriously,
and I told the story of my connection
with the st. Dunstan affair to a man
who, like Marcus, wanted to be
shown. Blake's father and mother
were both from Missouri, as Pike re-
marks in THE Man from Home The
long arm OF coincidence would break
I'm bits before Il ever reached the CAD
tain's rough-sea brain. ! knew I vas