The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-08-23
ny non RYAN

T os ANGELES. Aug. 20 There /
IL was "A mist over the sea yeaief'
day. a transparent Eausyblue fab
rlc. that lay In sCnmoua folds |
across gently heaying bosom /
Like a woman'a delicate garment OF
chiffon. Entering IL WAS Ike en- 4
terlnE tho most intimate faneiea OF |
a woman's heart And one found /
himself tasting an Imaginary per
fume, believing almost that he could
sense with the olfactory' nerves the
delicate fragrance or womanH
boudolr.
Hut what no really srnned was
tha familiar salt tang OF tho STA
ire sea that changes from beau
tiful woman TO a rcndlng gorilla
but which ever smells the same.
Aside from the smell the sea was
tot Itself Tho sea was languorons.
II yAwncd ard stretched graceful
andes along IT, blue couch. IL was
not tho sea that invites 20 deeds
II was the sea that Invites 70
dreams. Dreams lazy. futile. insig'
nliicaut; yet dreams that arr stepped
Ia haunting. halfremcmberod
promise Of something known long
ago--a something known and loved
aud unfulflllrd.
This was the semitrepio sea thar
dosad yesterday with the tolfa Of
hts dainty feet ids tapping the
rounded headlBnds Of the southern
California coast.
WYE we're sitting on bales Of
w shingloa piled along tho outer
harbar dock. Cranes ereakcd lazilY
Ia the fegRy sunshine which Uttered
thru tho mist. silvering tho gnoms.
like figures Of the men a. tho
winehea,
rho bellies Of ahips bulEed over
our heads. ships unloading lumber
and bales and barrels. Foreign
faces locked from portfolios upon q
scene as familiar In California az
i'm liongkong. denimed figures roll
Ing hand trucks. trailing their car
goes. inrily as tho freight of Europe
and tho Orient trickled Into tho
American port
The old marine reporter had been
getting Into a mood. A scusiiixcd
plate. receiving dual Impressions, 10
was n peculiar wedge between the
silence Of tho sea and the busilinE
life Of the city. lie knew them
both. having acquaintance among
the shippers Of many ships which
ply on extended voyages and are
never long with their moses against
any dock.
A tho years flowed smoothly
over bis ErAying head. the marine
reporter had seemed 20 Va 10 be
taking on moro aud more The al
lonca and tho secrets Of tho breed
no knew. Sometimes wo wondered
why Donovan nayer went 20 unA
himself Ito WAS becoming 70 IKE
its wanderers But Donovan was
content TO dwell on Tho beforehand.
II seemed 10 II, his receptive soul.
IIa could translate for Us .andhmeiS
the language Of tho great mistress
of tha other breed. SO no was our
interpreter.
tnT'HIs Ia tho sort OF day that l
Il remember on tho Channel
islands" taid Donovan. presently.
| Ordinarily the trade winds are
very strong there. But remcm-
Der ouco when a yachtsman took
mo out and II was calm. Tho sea
was delicate--lIlsa-iiko woman,
he added nae looked nj us 20 see II
wo thought he was growing ssnti.
mental
wo all knew enough 10 say moth
ing and look away.
"The reason I speak Of H. re
sumed Donovan slowly. after nm
interval Of sllci,ec, ''ihr reason
speak Of u Il because today Is real
iy unusual for these ATTITUDES, From
what sailors haze told INC I judge
II Is more Hike tho kind Of day that
you encounter In the South Seas,
And there only In certain time
before storm breaks.
This Is the kind Of day that re-
cslls peculiar incident ON the
. Channel Islands. Or. maybe, you
, viii not think II peculiar" he added
We saw no was sounding US for
receptivity. White Of tho Marine
Exchange. young. but thoughtful
gave HIM the necessary encourage
ment. Wo listened.
''It was on the island OF Sar
Nicholas. Nobody ever touches
there except nm occasional fisher