The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-08-01
CHAPTER ~.
AnoIIo and Some other.

Apollo and Some Others.
The Rufus Smith, tramp freighter,
had been chartered TO convey the
Harding-Browne expedition to Lee
ward island. which lies about three
hundred miles west of Panama, and
could be picked up by the freighter
| in her course She was little dingy
boat with such small accommodations
that / cannot imagine where the ma
jority of her passengers slowed them
selves away Ny aunt and Miss
| Brown had a stateroom between them
| the size of a packfng-box, and some
| body turned out and resigned anoth-
er TO me. / retired there TO dress for
dinner. In the haste OF my departure
| from San Francisco had not brought
trunk, so the best was able to pro-
| duce In the way Of a crusher for Miss
Higglesby-Browne and her fellow-pas-
sengers was a cool little white gown,
which would shine at least by con-
trast with Miss Brownies severely util
itarian costume White is becoming
to my hair, which narrow-minded per
sons term red, but which has been
/ known to cause the more discriminate
ing to draw heavily on the dictionary
for adjeetlves. My face Is small and
heart-shaped, with features strictly
for use and not for ornament, but for.
| tunately inconspicuous. AS for my
eyes, / think tawny quite the incest
word, though Aunt Jane calls them
hazel and / have even heard whispers
OF green.
Five minutes after the gong sound.
| ed l walked into the cabin. Miss
| Browne, Captain Watkins of the
freighter, and half a dozen men were
already at the table. / slid unobtru-
sively into the one vacant place, for.
tunately remote from the captain
who glared at me savagely, as though
still embittered by the recollection OF
my aunt's fits.
| Gentlemen" said Miss Browne in
Icy tones, Miss Virginia Harding"
Two of the men rose, the others
stared and ducked. Except for Mise
Browne and the captain, had re
ceived on coming aboard only the most
blurred impression Of my fellow-voy.
ayers. / remembered them merely as
! d VI COAh hCi
ments and astounded staring faces
But felt that as the abetters Of Miss
Browne a hostile and sinister atmos-
,phere enveloped them all.
Being thus in the camp of the en-.
| envy, sat down I'm silence and devoted
myself to my soup. The majority of
my companions did Hkewise-audibly
But presently l heard a voice at my
left:
81 say, what jolly good sailor you
seem to be-pity your aunt's mott"
/ looked up and saw Apollo sitting
beside me. Or rather, shall l say 3
young man who might have walked
out OF an advertisement for a ready.
made clothing house, so ideal and i'm
possible was his beauty. He was very
tall had to tilt my chin quite pain.
fully to look up at him-and from the
loose collar of his silk shirt his throat
rose like column. His skin was 8
beautiful clear pink and white just
tinged with tan-like meringue that
has been In the oven for two minutes
exactly. He had a straight chisele6
profile and his hair was thick anc
chestnut and wavy and he had cleaI
sea-gray eyes. To give him at once
Ids full name and titles. he was the
Honorable Cuthbert Patrick Ruth
more Vane, of High Staunton Manor
Kent, England. But as 1 was ignorant
of this, / can truthfully say that his
looks stunned me purely on their OWL
merits
Ii Outwardly calm, i replied, Eyes
II It's too bad. but then who ever
dreamed that Aunt Jane would go ad
venturing at her time of life?
thought nobody over the age of thir
teen, and then boys, ever went treas
ure-hunting."
"Ah, but lads OF thirteen couldn't
well come such a distance on their
own, you know" returned Apollo, with
the kindest air of making allowance
for the female intellect
hurriedly turned the subject
II really can't imagine Aunt Jane
on desert island. What will she do
IL she meets a canpibal and he tries
to eat herT
"Oh. really, now" argued the para
gon earnestly, I'm quite sure there's
no danger of that, don't you know? /
believe there are no natives at all on
the island, or else quite tame ones, I
forget which, and there are four Of us
chaps. with no end Of revolvers and