Evening star., 1922-04-30

r SHOULD say 1t was about an
hour and thirty-eight minutes after
Uncle Nels had Invested in a bar
gain-day yacht that he began to
discover how little training he'd had
for the part of a yacht owner. He had
wired his offer to New York, hao @
prompt acceptance, paid over his check
TO the agent in charge OF the boat,
and had brought us down for close
up of his purchase.
Personally. I'm no yacht connoisseur.
I've seen 'em, up on Lake Superior
and In the North river, but generally
I've been at least half a mile away. and
you can't really get to be judge Of
anything at that distance, unless it's
n fertilizer factory. Anyway. not ex-
pert enough to go into the fine points
i suppose, too. that the Pyxie wouldn't
compare with some of those classy
affairs that our real upper-crusters use
as week end ferry boats between Wall
street and Newport. No. maybe not.
4 X \ \
PUT as we walked across the gang
- plank into the after deck, where
all the wicker chairs waited inviting
under the canvas awning. and strolled
forward to the little bridge where there
was mahogany steering wheel AMI a
compass in a brass box and a funny
clock with a bell on 1t: and then wan
dered down into the main cabin, with
it's silk curtained windows and cush-
ioned seats; and peeked once more
into the neat staterooms-well. for one,
/ got real thrill. / rather think Uncle
Nels did. too.
by golly,' says he. "She's big
yacht, eh: And me, all I ever own
before is fifth share in herring boat
once when l was young feller by
Sweden
II thought you'd fall for the idea"
puts in Barry Platt. when first heard
about her being for sale at such a
price. And now what, Uncle Nels?"
well, If I have such a good place
to stay" says he. 81 don't see why 1
should pay board at that hotel. I'm
gonna move in right off"
Barry and l tried to point out, that
the captain had said it would take him
at least a few days to lay in supplies
and get ready for cruise. but when
Uncle Nels sees chance for saving a
board bill he can't be headed off. So
we waited while ne went back to the
hotel and packed up. 1t wasn't such
poor stuff, sitting there on deck and
giving the stray tourists on the fishing
pier treat. / don't think Inez hated
1t at all. To watch her lean back in
an easy chair and gaze around sort OF
bored you'd think she'd been doing
this all her life.
Even Barry Platt INDUCED in bit
Of swank He had discovered a push
button on the side of the cabin door.
so he steps over and presses it.
'.How do you know there's waiter
around?" l asks.
"Please. Trilby May"' he protests.
''Not waiter. Steward is the word-
deck steward. or maybe cabin boy. Any
way, I saw a darky in a white Jacket
lodging into the galley not long ago.
and if he's going to stay on the pay
roll he might as well get busy. See.
Here he comes"
Sure enough. up the stairs-or COM
panionway. as Berry says l must call
it-appears this tall. solemn-fac Afro
American and bows dignifAd. If it
hadn't been for his color scheme. which
was a rich cafe e-au-!at, ne could nave
posed as a foreign ambassador come
to pay his respects to the President.
In fact, he was so impressive that we
almost gasped.
But Barry had done too much news
paper work not to recover quickly. and
his imagination is too vivid for him
to be easily Jared out of role.
whats your name. boy?" he de-
manded.
''Hilliard. suh.'' says the solemn-faced
one.
THAT'S some name. too" says Barry
'svery well, Hilliard, what about
rustIing up three long cooling drinks?"
X
out OF his big eyes and then he