The Washington times., 1920-02-14


ing hand Instead OF driving her TO
desperation2'
IL was remembered that Lady
Diana" had stood by Der. and every
one yearned to absolye their souls
by explanation TO the person who
Ito her great regret) bore that
rank and title. But she had put
barricade, OF stewardesses between
her and them, and was invisible to
callers.
Some few OF the younger and
more resilient passengers, in an
effort to shake OF what seemed to
them useless gloom, went and asked
the captain to allow the band to
play on deck. He consented, stipu-
lating only that there should be no
dancing. or course. no one wanted
to dance. but as ships bands spe-
cialize in dance music. the must
clans struck at once into a tango
and IL happened to be the one Diana
had made her own by singing her
little French rhyme to II.
Tout lie monde
Au salon.
On tan-gue, on y tan-gue-
1t only needed that. Every mind
instantly conjured up the picture OF
vivid figure In a frock that
CLEANED blue as sulphurous flames.
A hysterical woman sprang up,
screaming shrilly, and had to be
taken away; and a solitary seagull:
its plumage shining with a weird
blueness In the electric light, chose
this moment to fly low along the
deck. crying its wailing cry. Tha:
was enough. Another woman began
to scream; this music stopped, and
hAE -.
away from a spot that seemed
haunted
Ina little while, the frst-class
deck was as deserted as the deck
of a dere1ict, and the ship was
wrapped in silence. The personal
ity of the April fool seemed moro
imposing in death than II had been
in life. ....,
Arrived at Cape Town.
BY morning the Clarendon Castle
had reached her destined port and
lay snugly berthed in Cape Town
docks. April. venturing out at the
tip of dawn to get a first glimpse
of Africa, found that a great noun
tain wrapped in a mantle of mist
stood in the way. It seemed al.
nest as IL, by reachiag out a hand.
she could touch the dark sides OF
it, so close it reared and so bleak
it brooded above her.
Yet she knew this to be an IL
fusion OF the atmosphere. for he
tween her and the mountains base
lay the streets and little white
houses and gardens of Cape Town.
1t might have been some south
ern town on the shores Of the Medi-
terranean. except for that noun
tain, which made il unlike any 9th
er place in the World. The Table
of the Mass" the Portuguese named
it. and when, as now, silver mists
unrolled themselves upon the fla
top and streamed in wells down the
gaunt sides, they. said that the
cloth was spread for the sacrcI
April thought of all the great
wanderers whose first sight Of
Africa must inevitably have been
the same as hers-this mysterious
mountain standing like gray
witch across the path. Drake
sighted it from afar in 1880; DiaZ
was obliged to turn back from It
by his mutinying sailors; Living
stone, Stanley, Cecil Rhodes, "Dr.
Jim," all the great adventurers,
and thousands of-lesser--oHes had
looked upon it, and gone past it to
their sorrow.
For If history be true. none can
ever. come out from behind that
brooding witch untouched by sor-
row. They may grow great; they
may reap gold or laurels or their
hearts desire: but in the reaping
and the gaining their souls will
know gray sorrow. A rhyme of her
childhood came unsolicited into
April's mind:
How many miles to Banbury?"
Three score and ten"
"Will l be there by candlelight~
Yes, and back again.
Only-mind the old witch by the
way"
She shivered; but the sun burst
like sudden glorious warrior up-
'on the world, dispensing fear and
making her feel as though every
thing and everyone. were young
and all life was decked out in
spring array. If only the burden
of deceit had not been, upon her,
how blithe and strong in hope could
she have set foot in this new land,
AS she turned, to go back to her
cabin she found Geoffrey Bellew by
her side. He appeared a little h'ag-
gard, and some of his ihabitual self
assurance was missing. No doubt
he had seen Table Mountain on for
mer visits to Africa, yet he looked
at 1t rather than into the eyes of
the girl he addressed. -, .'
viii you go to the Mt. Nelson
Hotel7" he said in low tone. "I
can meet you there, and we will
talk matters over"
when" she said. Spring went
out of her. where is the hotel?
He reflected for a moment.
Well, perhaps you had better
give yourself into my charge.
will see you through the customs
and drive you up afterward and
make all arrangements. Shall II"
She consented. 1t seemed as good
plan as any for avoiding bother.
and had the recommendation that
II would keep off Vereker Sarlc.
SO. later, when crowds began to
surge and heave upon the ship.
every one mad with excitement at
meeting their friends, and noun
tains OF luggage barging in every
direction, she stayed close by tho
side of this man she disliked in
tensely yet whose smooth ability
to deal with men and matters she