The Washington times., 1919-04-26
CHAPTER XVII.
a Whifr GElrf.

A White skirt.
Il Waskin mid-ocean that Neeland
finally came to the conclusion that
nobody on board the Volhynia wac
likely to bother him or his box.
The July weather had been mag
nfflcent-blue skies, q gentle wind.
and a sea scarcely silvered by a
c0mber.
Assorted denizens OF the Atlantic
took part In the traditional vaude-
Vile performance for the benefit OF
the Valhynis passengers; gulls fol-
lowed the wake to mid-ocean;
Mother Carey's chickens SKINNED
the baby pillows: doIphins turned
watery fiip-fiaps under the bows:
ana even a distant whale consented
70 oblige.
Everybody pervaded the decks
morning, noon, and evening; the
nest ssqueamish recovered conf
denoe In twenty-four hours; aB4
every constitutional iubber con-
cluded he was . born sailor.
Neeland really was one; no nau-
aea born from the bad adjustment
Il that anatomical auricular gyro-
aS0pe recently discovered in man
ever disturbed his abdominal nerves.
: Snort OF ghipwheck. he enjoyed any
him
So he vas afW1ys on deck, tran
QHIny happy and with nothing in
GAs world TO disturb him except
&8 responsibility for the oliVe-wood
hE
He dared not leave II in his lock-
e. cabin; he dared not entrust it
- anybody; he lugged IL about
With him wherever he went On
deck IL stood beside his steamer
chair; It dangled from his hand
when he promensde6. exciting the
amusement and curiosity Of others;
IL rep6sed on the floor under the
table and beneath his attentive feet
when he was at meals
These elaborate precautions indi-
Gated his wholesome respect for
the persistence of chP6eSazade and
her friends: he was foreFsF scan
ming his fellSw-voyageTE at table,
in the smoking room Ind as they
strolled to and fro thitfoHt Of his
steamer chair. trying 20 make up
his mind concerning them.
PSor Judge Of Charaeters.
But EeeIand. q clever observer
of exteFnals, was no reader of
character. The passenger list
never seemed to confirm any con-
illusions he arrived at concerning
any OF the passengers on the Vol
hynia- A gentleman he mistook for
An overfed broker turned out to be
= popular clergyman with outdoor
pToclivities: a slim, poetic-lookinR
youth who carried a copy Of Words
and Wind" about the deck travelled
for the Gold Leaf Lard Company.
Taking them all in all, Neeland
concluded that they were as harm
less q collection Of reconcentrados
as he had ever observed and he was
strongly tempted to leave the box
IN his locked stateroom.
He decided to do so one afternoon
after luncheon, and. Juggling his
box, started TO return to his state
room with that intention, instead
Of going on deck, as usual, for q
postprandial cigarette.
There was nobody In the main
corridor ag he passed, but IN the
short carpeted passage leading to
his stSteroom he caught q glimpse
OF a white serge skirt vanishing
into the stateroon opposite to his,
and heard the door close and the
noise Of . key turned quickly.
His steward, being questioned on
the hrst day out, had told him that
invalid gentleman travelling alone,
Who preferred to remain there in
stead OF trusting TO his crutches on
= temperamental deck.
NeelaDd, passing the closed and
curtained door, wondered whether
the invalid had made q hit, or
whether he had . relative aboard
who wore q white serge skirt.
white stockings and shoes, and was
further endowed with agreeable
ankles.
He dtted his key to his door
turned IL, withdrew the key to
pocket it, and Immediately became
aware that the end OF the key was
sticky.
He entered the ststeroom. how
ever. and bolted the door. then ne
sat down on his sofa and examined
his fingers and his door key atten-
lively There was wax clicking TO
both
A WOman's Handkerchief
When he had fully digested this
fact he wiped and pocketed his key
and cast . rather vacant look
around the little ststeroom. And
Immediately his eye was arrested
by a white object lying on the car
pet uCN"EGH the DeQ duQ the tOLa--
a womad's handkerchief, without
crest or initials, but family scented.
After he became tired Of alter
nately examining il and shifting IL,
put 81 in his pocket and began an
ueasy tour Of his room.
II IL had been entered and ran
sacked, everything had been re-
placed exactly as he had left IL, as
well as he could remember Moth
ing excepting this handkerchief and
the wax on the key Indicated in
irusion: nothing. apparently. had
been disturbed; and yet there was
The handkerchief: and there was the
wax on the end OF his door key.
Here's a fine business" he NUT
tered TO himself; and rang for his
steward.
The man came-a cockney, dense