San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-25


ancing miraculously on a plank c
ried in on the crest Of wave W
the velocity of a steam engine. Y
saw japanese women in tight
monos and funny little stilted flappi
footgear running TO catch street cd
and you laughed at the incongruity /
it. You made the three-day trip
the living volcano at Hilo and sat
the crater's brink watching the mott
lava lake tossing, kissing, writhi
You hung there, between horror
fascination.
Certainly pretty sight, isn't it |
said her fellow travellers. makes 1
Grand Canyon look sick, think, dol
you?"
1--WE never seen it."
"Oh, really!"
On her return from Hilo shSsss
him. A Vandyke beard; smould
ing eyes; thin red lips; lean nervo,I
hands; white flannel evening clothd
sunburned rich brown. Maxi
drew a long breath as if she had be
running. 1t was after dinner. ~
broad veranda was filled with gan
gowned women; uniformed officS
from the fort; tourists in white. Tn
were drinking their after-dinner q
fee, smoking, laughing. The H|
waiian orchestra made ready to plI
for the dancing on the yeranda. Fiji
began to play. Their ukeleles throbh
and moaned. The musicians sang
their rich, melodious voices some r
tive song of lost empire and del
king. 1t tore at your heart. III
ached with the savage beauty of
1t was then she saw him. He W !
seated alone, smoking, drinkiil
watching the crowd with amused, u
eager glance. She had seen him u
fore. 1t was n certainty, this fe |
ing. She had known him-seen h /
before. Perhaps not in this il II
Perhaps only in her dreams. iii
they had met.
She stared at him until her q
caught his. 1t was brazen, but S
was shameless. Nothing matterd
This was no time for false modes
Her eyes held his. Then, slowly, 81
rose, picked w her trailing sea
and walked deliberately past hill
CHANGING down at him as she passt|
He half rose, half spoke. She wei
down the steps leading from the vi
anda to the courtyard, down tt]
walk TO the pier, down the pier to u
very end, where the little rooted sh !
ter lay out in the ocean, bathed }
moonlight, fairylike, unreal. LII
ocean was thing Of molten silvtj
The sound of the wailing voices
song came to her on the breeze, ago1
izing in its beauty. There, beyoI.
lay Pearl Harbour. From the otli1
side, family, you heard the music a
laughter from the Yacht Club.
Maxine seated herself. The aftd
thinner couples had not yet stroll1
out. They were waiting for the dais
ing up there on the hotel veraj1
She waited. She waited. She 81
the glow of his cigar as he caI1
down the pier, a tall, slim white III
ure in the moonlight. 1t was jul
like a novel. 1t was novel, cor9
to life. He stood a moment at Il
piers edge, smoking. Then he tod
ed his cigar into the water and
fell with a little s-st! He stood Ak
other moment, irresolutely. Then
came over TO her.
mice night"
In Okoochee you would have sad
" STRIP But not here. Not now. M
Maxine Pardieu. "Ies, isn't it,"
The mellow moon fell on him
bronzed, bearded, strangely familis;
At his next question she felt |
tie faint. Haven't we met b
fore?"
She toyed with the end of b
scarf. "You feel that, too?"
He nodded. He took a cigaretA
from a flat platinum case. mind
smoke? Perhaps you'll join me
Maxine took cigarette, uncertai
ly. Lighted it from the match
held. Put it to her lips. Coughs
gasped. MAYBE you're not used
those. / smoke a cheap cigarette b
cause like EN-. Dromedaries, thOi
are. Eighteen cents a package"
Maxine held the cigarette in h
unacustOmed fingers. Her eyes We
on his face. "You said you thong
you felt-we'd met before?"
Il may be mistaken, but l nev
forget face. Where are you froi
may L ask?'
Maxine hesitatcd moment. "Okl
homa.r
He slapped his leg a resoundiJ
thwack. Il knew it I'm hardly ev
mistaken. Name's-wait a minute
Parhee. isn't it,"
"Yes. But how"
zone of the best meals I ever hi
in my life, Miss Pardee. Two yea
ago. it was. l was lecturing I
Thibet and the Far East"
"Lecturing!" Her part of theSss-,,
versation was beginning to souIj
like the dialogue in n badly write
play,
"Yes. I'm Brainerd. you know.
thought you knew, when you spoil
up there on the veranda."
"Brainerd?r 1t was almost IDIOT
"Brainerd. Paul Brainerd. Il
travelogue man. l remember l gal
you and your mother cOmplimental
tickets to the lecture. I've got
great memory. Got to have, in NJ
business. Let's see, that toV|
was"
"Okoochee." family.
"Okoochee! That's it. It's sm;|
world after all, isn't it? 0koocht
Why, I'm on my way to Oklahor
now. I'm going to spend two mont
or more there, taking pictures of Il
vast oil fields, the oil wells' 4 nd
country. An Aladdin country; a nd
growth: one of the most amazi
and picturesque bits in the history
our amazing country. History in Il
making. An empire overnight, Ok
bona! Well. What a relief. aft
war-torn Europe and an out-wol
civilization"
But you-you're FROM"
I'm from East Orange, New I'd
sey, myself. Got a nice little rla|
down there that | wouldn't swap 4