Evening star., 1921-05-01

from town to farewell lunch. 1t
was five In the evening before the
last rhore boat left the side, and the
weather looked ugly and dark in
the gulf. There was no reason for
him to get under way. However. as
he hads told everybody he was going
that day, he imagined it was proper
to do SO anyhow. He gave orders to
and foresail as close as she would lie
lodging along the land till the morn
ing. Then he sought his virtuous
couch. The mate was on deck. hav-
ing his face washed very clean with
hard rain squalls. Wilmot relieved
him at midnight.
The rain drove in gusts on the
sleepy Wilmot. The ship was then
surging slowly to the southwark.
close hauled. with the coast within
three miles or so to windward. There
was nothing to look out for in that
part Of the gulf. and Wilmot went
round TO dodge the squalls under the
Ice OF that chartroom. whose door on
that side was open. And then he
heard woman's voice whispering to
him.
urTHAT confounded green-eyed girl
of the Pamphilius people had
put the kids to bed a long time ago.
of course. She heard eight bells
struck. and the chief mate come be-
then got into her dressing gown and
stole across the empty saloon and
up to the stairs into the Chartroom.
She sat down on the settee near the
open door to cool herself. ] dare say.
Il suppose when she WHISPERED to
Wilmot it was as if somebody had
struck a match in the fellows brain.
don't know how it was they had got
SO very thick. ! fancy he had met her
ashore a few times before. ] couldn't
make it out. because. when telling the
story. Wilmot would break off to
swear something awful at every sec
ond word. We had met on the quay
in Sydney. and he had an apron Of
sacking up to his chin. a big whip in
his hand. A wagon-driver. Glad TO
do anything not to starve. That's
what he had come down to.
However. there he was. with his
head inside the door, on the girls
shoulder as likely as not-officer of
the watch. The helmsman. on giving
his evidence afterward. said that he
shouted several times that the binna
Gle lamp had gone out. 1t didn't mat
ter TO him. because his orders were to
sail her close.
THE truth was that at everv sauaIl
the wind hauled aft a little. till grad
uaIly the ship came to be heading
gle soul in her being aware of it,
"I think l hear breakers ahead. sir
howled the man on the lookout, and
came rushing aft with the rest of the
watch. in the 'awfullest binding del
uge that ever fell from the sky Will
mot pulled himself together in sec
ond. and the right orders sprang to
his lips without thinking They were
to hard up with the helm and shiver
the main and mizzen-topsails
NO use. She was too slow in going
off. She seemed to stick fast. Then
the futter of the canvas above his
head ceased. At this critical moment
the wind hauled aft again with gust.
filling the sails. and sending the ship
with great way upon the rocks on
her lee bow. Her time had come-the
hour. the man. the black night. the
treacherous gust of wind-the right
woman to put an end to her. The
brute deserved nothing better.
Strange are the instruments of Provi-
dence. There's a sort of poetical JUS
The man in tweeds looked hard at
me.
"The first ledge she went over.
stripped the false keel off her. Rip.
! The skipper rushing out of his berth,
found a crazy woman. in red flannel
dressing gown, flying round and
round the cuddy. screeching like a
cockatoo.
The next bump knocked her clean
under the cabin table. 1t also started
the stern-post and carried away the
, rudder and then that brute ran up a
shelving. rocky shore. tearing her bot
tom out. till she stopped short. and the
foremast dropped over the bows like
a gangway."
"Anybody LOST" I asked
No one. Everybody got ashore all
| right. Gale didn't come on till next
day. dead from the west. and broke up
that brute in surprisingly short
time. 1t was as though she had been
rotten at heart"
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