Evening star., 1919-05-11
CONTINUED FROM LAST sunday

midair, then drop like a plummet
BY and by he dozed. He had gone
blue fishing several times during rough
weather, and his iaphragm had suffered
no undue activities therefrom. In fact,
ne was one of those fortunate indi-
viduals who are born good sailors.
He was awakened by the westering
sun getting betw cen some of the ven
hlators and striking fun into his
eyes. He sat up and blinked, look
ed at his watch-it was 5-and
glanced at the other chair 1t was
occupied. Moreover. it was occupied
by no less a person than his school
teacher. He was now doubly sure
that the mysterious hand Of fate was
in all this. What more convincing
sign did he need?
A moment later the sun awoke her
also.
Pretty rocky seats" ventured Will
liam. Wouldn't you like me to hunt
up q better place."
mo, thanks: this was my choice"
She picked up a book and began to
turn the pages suggestively.
AS0l HC p" uS dltoEttHcl tOo ioHeiS
to accept the subtle snub. This is all
new stuff to me. Never was hundred
miles out of New York before. But
I'm regular simp; no blankets, no
books no nothing. l wasn't hep 20
the fact that you had to have these
things. l thought all you had to do
was to turn the crank and start her
! don't even know how to get into
the dining room. One thing, though;
they've bunked me, with couple Of
ancient mariners. and some morning
I'll be accused of hiding the cork
leg"
She smiled absently. and riff1ed the
pages Of the book. She could not very
well tell him outright that she did
not care to talk.
Say, I'm not bothering you, am I?'
he asked. with genuine apprehension
Indeed. no."
She closed the book resignedly and
looked straight into Williams face
Naturally the point OF focus was his
eye. And she liked the pair of them
instantly. The whites were as blue
white as skinned milk; and she
could not recollect seeing anything
bluer than the iris. There was some
thing a once rugged and comical in
his features-the pug nose, the
freckles. the shock of red hair and
the outstanding ears. Immediately
after this inventory she realized that
the ensemble was vaguely familiar.
Have 4 ever met you before?'
Not in the handshaking sense. But
] spoke to you one night at the movie
just out of Washington square. They
were running an Egyptian play; cam
els coming down the desert. and all
that Los Angeles stuff"
"Oh. yes; I remember" And she
truly did. This was the young man
who wanted to see the orient. And
here he was, on the way. She was
now genuinely interested. This ship
was truly a barge of dreams.
And, say" went on William, now
that the ice was broken, you're a
school teacher around the corner
FROM
school teacher?" she interrupted.
She sat up. her eyes wide; and there
was a vague terror in them.
William saw it, and bit of
the disillusion returned to sting
him" How did you know
that7" She had phrased and spoken
the question before she realized that
1t was tacit admission.
"Oh, I guessed it," he acknowledged.
sYou see. it's like this. Every morn
ing and afternoon you go by Burns,
Dolan & Co.'S plumbing shop. where l
work. I'm in the cellar, mostly"
I'm the cellar?" she repeated. dazed-
1y.
yeah. And as you never came by
Saturdays l took it that you were a
teacher around the corner. l never
saw anything but your feet"
my feet? She was growing more
and more bewildered. Was the man
insane?
Maybe I'm bulling the story. Any
how, 1t was like this" He gained
confidence as he went along. The
terror in her eyes died away and van
ished completely as he described his
impersonal observations from the cell
lar window; and when he reached the
climax-her passing from starboard