Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05

SuhdOw laVV00 uuC0SaAy. "a uhty
\ glass fell ON the table and . bottle
\ clinked in the rack. She entered.
Y 4 r xA
DEFoRE that clean vision John
k - Soners recoiled with an oath.
She saw the muscles of his throat
work UP and down. the nostrils
tvdtch. the hands tumble across the
trecnbling lips. But her voice was
clear and untroubled. It was exactly
who was buried all but his eyes; and
| into them she looked.
There is time yet" she said. but
we must sail tonight"
He stared 1T her. Tonight? Where?
Who are your He rose and leaned
towand her wonderingiy. repeating
it who are your"
Tonight" she said firmly. "Tou
must unload this cargo right away. 1
have money. We go tonight. .,
He gathered himself slowly. She
saw ecognition in his eyes. He be-
came grave. He bowed.
Tonight" she said again. "Oh. you
| must" She went a step nearer ana
touched his great forearm timidly.
It's our only chance"
Our emily CHANGER he echoed in q
/ loud VOICE. Then he turned q twisteo
face to her. Your only chance!
Madam. count on me. TIL get you
away. Never mind the money. Get
| away from here for six hours, TIL
| get my chinese friends stun on the
wharf and some ballast in. and my
| water-cas1ks filled and some CABIN
| stores. Trust me, ma'am. I'll get you
| safe away"
She had won the first bout easily.
He had. as she had hoped, taken II
for granted that she was In jdimculty.
He had responded instantly.
But his next question gave her
pause: Maybe it's not exactly con-
| ventent for you to go back uptown!
Want to stop here? No place for
| Sady-but you're welcome"
| The reek Of the cabin stiMed her.
| Every sense revolted against another
NOM ent's stay in the fetid atmos-
| phere. But she was afraid OF many
things. with her at hand he would
[ not fail.
"rd rather stay here" she muir
A moment later she was. alone IN
fairly clean. empty cabin and q boy
had been dispatched for her boxes:
she saw no moro of Somers till
dusk. He had toiled ceaseiessly: the
hold had been emptiNd and huge
powders hoisted in for ballast. new
| hands had come abo ard. She hao
listpned with thumpirg heart to .
fausrter Of an hours hot argument
hetveen somers and = Chinese mer-
chant, but in the end the man went
grumbling away and preparations TOT
sea went on. Just before the sun set
a waeonlo load Of stores had come down
and were slowed in the laxarette. she
saw that there WAS much liquor In
II A. A. knARr
on her door.
ANY mail to go ashore. ma'amf" he
asked. The tug In alongside and we
haul out in = inmate"
Nothing" she answered through
the closed panels. and he went away:
The Maid Of Bath passed out to sea
unnoticed and WAS swallowed UP In
the night. When thu course was set
4 and the sails trimmed. 6emefs APP
clean whites.
"Supper, ma am" he announced.
/
tnURING that meal he talked easii,
- and unconcerned1y. never rails
ing the question Of the reason for
her presence aboard the schooner.
For a couple of hours afterward she
lay IN a long chair on the little quar-
terdeck and watched the stars.
ii For a week they sailed west and
sefu no word had been spoken Of their
destination. Land had not been sight
I'D. Somers went about his duties
soberly and carefully. though she
knew that he was drinking steadily
and heavily But he studiously avoid
| ed her, except at mealtime or durtns
the hrst night watch.
On the ,Ssts a,. sss.'a Desert Se ,.i ss,d
, tomorrow. A good point for a de-
! parture, ma'am. Maybe you had bet
! ter tell me where You want me to
II With closed. eyes she lay very stu
.. and steadied her voice to answer him
, "Just what kind Of an island 10 It.
. captain"
NOTHING but q nat expsnse OF
: rock and sand. ma'am. There's 9
: spring OF water on It. q Il trees and
!, sheep, SO they say. Nobody ever
lands there IT'S out Of the trade
, routes. ma'am."
Il She asked a few more question.
and found that II was inside Z reel
> | narrow pass, dificuit Of navigation
at all times, and impossible la bad
| weather. Without answering his
question she went below after Q oriei
goodnight.
!, few hours uneasy sleep. and went
On deck- One Of the four native
hands was at the wheel and the
Maid Of Bath was slipping along over
long swell with a light breeze dis
tending her silent topsails. Somers
was asleep in a chair by the rail:
Far to starboard Angela distin-
guished a low shadow against which
. bright glimmering seas broke: She
woke him ana said gently: This is
q | the place."
..Here. Ma'am, it's impossible. The
l island Is absolutely barren excepi
TOR a few trees and some brush and
!. some animals. I couldn't think OF
u "At least; land me there till see''
s argument proved fruitless, Som
~ ers most reluctantly agreed te
\ bring the schooner up and run 1o1
4 he pass in the reef as soon as II
- light. She saw that he was
.e. NICELY disturbed and his question
to- glances were turned on her con-
.,ant'y She waited.
~ dawn came like q sudden con
..r.,A IN and the sky became flame
IN tbe a snith. In all this splenoo.
| fhe Maid .of Bath became small ant
s,s,;.t.t,v. the island looked NINA
/ tnre. surrcxAnded by the iridescen.
sea. somers A'hanged the course an'
h.oded in whea a space showed De