The St. Mary banner., 1919-11-22

! zen, your reference TO orr rnpetino
Delns a rum one only leaves me =
! niue more up in the air. | can m
! derStand, of course, that Won mirbt
nave heard of the Upolo being miss
ihS-or reported lost; but can't un-
derstand how you knew was on
her-or, knowing that, what interest
! You could have in me"
captain Laynton laughed a little
In constrained way.
I didn't know anything about the
bark's loss until I put in here yester-
DAY ana heard there was n survivor
from her on the other side of the
lsland-but | knew about you fast
enough"
He paused, shot a swift, restless
glance at WalIen. then began to pace.
three steps one way, three steps the
other, up and down the narrow cabin.
"D-n it, man !" he said abruptly
I've got bad news for you. Your
fathers dead"
For a moment Wallen neither
moved nor spoke. It was difficult to
grasp the full significance of the
words. His father-dead,
What did this thin-faced man, with
the little black eyes that always re-
fused to meet ones own, who was
tramping nervOusly now up and down
a little cabin on rusty tramp
steamer here In the Java sea. at the
other end of the world, know of his
father. who never left the four walls
Of that lonely gray stone house in Cal
ifornia?
what do you know about my fa-
ther?'-he found himself speaking in
a quiet voice.
Captain Laynton stopped impu!-
sively in front of his table, pulled the
drawer open, took out sheet of pa
per and handed it to Wallen.
You'll get the drift of this your
self, / guess" he ventured.
Wallen stared at the paper, at first
with curious bewilderment-and then,
with the sudden flash of comprehen-
sion, he was on his feet. 1t was list
of the ports of call scheduled for the
Inflated UpOlO on her last voyage
ports of call that she had never made.
What does this mean" he de- |
come by this?'
"YOur father gave it to me-" the |
captain answered. "And now, If you'll |
just listen for minute. I'll give |
you the whole story. and you'll see
for yourself First I might as well |
tell you, though, that l own this ship.
Well, l was in Honolulu-lght, you
understand-when your father came
aboard one evening and offered to
charter me for a three months cruise
lown here. He made the price right,
paid the money down In advance, and
closed with him.
"He gave me the list Of ports, and
said his son was on a trading bark
.alled the Upolo, and that he wanted
o get track of him as soon as pos
;ibe, and offered an extra bonus for
Ill hands If we made quick job of
t. That's all | know about the rea-
ON for the cruise. Well, to cut long
tory short, we started away, and
we're down just south Of the line when
he accident happened.
"Your father was alone down In his
abin. We heard a shot, rushed be-
ow, and, thinking It strange that he
idn't show up in the excitement.
allied to him-but got no answer.
Veil, we burst in his cabin door and
ound him dead across the bunk"
"You mean," said Wallen through {
ight lips, "that he committed sui
ide?"
mo. Waitr' Captain Laynton
hook his head. "It wasn't that. God
nows how it happened! The thing
,ent off-that's all. He was cleaning t
ne of those patent automatic pistols. t
"There was a bottle of oil, clean
~ rag, and wire swabbing brush /
q the floor. And"-Laynton poured
imself another glass from the bottle,
llped 1t down, and wiped his lips t
ith the back of his hand-"well, I'm I
ying to give it to you In few
ords-we buried him at sea of L
,urse."
Wallen turned his back and stared f
1t of one of the forward portfolios
,wn onto the dirty foredeck. Was |.
Z man lying? Was he telling the Il
nth? That his father had chartered u
g Monleigh and sailed with her $
IS.
But that his death was accidental o
e background of his fathers life n
e recent attempt upon his own life b
q brain was working In flashes. This q
IN Laynton repeiied him.