The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1919-08-28

yourself and your wanderinRs. whal
manner Of men call you kinsmA IN
what fair land is your home and the
place Of your loved ones, be sure tina,
we shall count tho tale good hearing
and, for our part. make exchange in
Ike fashion OF ourselves and the pass.
age OF our days I'm this lonely isle"
we all laughed as he ended-himself
with a whinny Of laughter. For, odd
as such discourse may sound In the
reading, 1t was uttered so whimsically.
and In so spirited and humorous a
style that 1 assure you it was very
captivating.
"You should have been an actor nv
lord Alcinous." 1 said. laughing. I
seemed already curiously at home.
seated there at that table with this
fantastic stranger and that being out
OF falryland toward whom I dared only
turn my eyes now and again by
stealth. The strange fellow had such
way with him, and his talk made Won
feel that he had known you all your
life.
"Ah! I have had my dreams. I have
had my dreams" he answered, his
eyes gazing with a momentary wistful-
ness across the orange trees.
Then we talked ut random. as friend.
ly strangers talk over luncheon. though
we were glad enough that he should
DO all the talking-wonderful, irides.
cent, madcap talk, such as a man here
and there in ten thousand, gifted with
perhaps; the most attractive Of all hu-
man gifts, has at his command.
Ana, every now and again. my eyea
falling On the paradoxical squalor Of
his clothing, would remind me Of the
enigma OF this ccurtly vagabond; !;
though-need 1 say it?-my eyes and
my heart had other business than with
him. throughout that wonderful meal,
EMBODIED as felt myself once more In
that golden cloud OF magnetic vitality,
which had at first swept over me, as
with breath of perfumed fire, among
the salt pork and the tinware OF
Sweeney's store.
Luncheon over, Lady Calypso, with
stately inclination Of her lovely
head, left us to our wine and our
cigars.
The time had come for the far-trav.
eled guest to declare himself, and
saw In my hosts eye courteous invi.
tntion to begin. had been pondering
what account to give OF myself, and
had decided, for various reasons-of
which the Lady Calypso was, Of course,
nrst, but the open-hearted charm of
her father close second-to tell him
the whole of my story. Whatever
MS and her particular secret was, It
was evident to me that 1t was an in
nocent and honorable one; and, be-
sides. / may have had Il notion that
before long / was to have a family
Interest in it. So hegan-starting In
with little prelude in the manner of
my host, just to enter into the spirit
Of the game:
my Lord Alcinous, your guest, the
far wnndcrcr, having partaken of your
golden hospitality. is now fain to opep
MS heart to you. and tell you Of him.
self and his race, his home and his
loved ones across the wine-dark sea,
and such of his adventures as may
give pleasure to your ears"
though, having no talents in that di.
rection, was glad enough abandon
my lame attempt at his HJmeric style
for plain straightforward narrative
OF the events OF the past three months.
hnd not. however, proceeded very
far when, with courteous ruising off
his hand, King AlcinOus suggested a
pause.
lf you would not mind" he said. 81
would like my daughter to hear this
too. for 1t is of the very stun Of ro.
mantle adventure in which she de.
lights. She is brave girl, and, as /
orten tell her, would have made q
very spirited daredevil boy, IL she
hadn't happened to be born girl"
This phrase seemed to flash a light
upon the questionings that had stirred
at the back of my mind since l had
first heard that voice in Sweeney's
store.
by the way. dear king said, as.
suming a casual manner. "do you hap
pen to have a SOM"
"No!" he answered, Calypso is my
only child"
VERY strange!" I said, 1--WE met a
whimsical lad In our travels whom
would have sworn was her brother"
That's odd" said the "king" imper-
turbably. "but no! / have no SON."
and he seemed to say 1t with a certain
sadness
Then Calypso came in to join my
audience. having. meanwhile, taken
the opportunity Of twining scarlet
hibiscus among her luxuriant dark
curls. ] should certainly have told the
story better without her, yet was
glad-how glad Ito have her seat
ed there. an attentive presence I'm a
simple gown. white as the sea foam
from which, there was no further
doubt In my mind, she had magically
sprung.
i gave them the whole story, much
as had told 1t In John Saunders
snuggery-John p. Tobias. Jr.; dear
old Tom and his sucking fish, his