Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-10-15

Her breath came short as she asked
IL Her face burned when she heard
the What won't these girls NOWADAYS
40 Tor money!" and felt the eagerly
lnqulsitive eyes of many men examin-
ing her. One man glanced long enough
20 admire the trim, silken ankles
which the wind revealed. His name
was Williams. Whenever given the
opportunity, he admitted freely that
ne was an engineer who achieved the
impossible.
You don't want that" the doctor
said when the girl explained for what
she wished the draught. Here, YOU
give him this" a powder, Sin a glass
OF water. He win sleep. If there is
nothing serious the matter, he will be
better upon awakening. But don't YOU
think 1t might be wise for me to OK.
anime him?"
Ellen refused, gently, for fear of an
gering the doctor.
mo booze, geisha-girlie," Wells
said as he fought the sleeping potion.
Nothing at all. l don't want any.
None. Get out. Go way" Then,
with queer gesture of renunciation,
he drank. Thus closely Wells fingered
between fever and sanity. Words shook
him: Of little tea-houses and mighty
bridges. AS the bromide took effect
the words became incohcrent. She
wondered at the correct pronunciation
of the "ls"
Vaguely, he must have been sensible
OF the opened portfolio Tensely eager
fingers Gall unknowing) clawed at his
kimono, barring the throat to the
breeze's GOODNESS. He tossed upon the
bed; the kimono opened a bit farther.
Precisely, in a well-defned marking
circle, Ellen saw that the brown skin
stopped!
To her startled eyes the whiteness
Of the revealed skin was soaring,
binding. She stood still. Her face
was drawn, but full of instant, fam
Ing happiness; thing subtle, elusive,
ecstatic, scorning to hide itself.
The uneasy hand which CROPPED I'M
directed was that of her husband. A
white man. She had--or had she?-
feared him; had erected a barrier
against him which had never existed.
Save in her own mind. He had known,
protected her against every one
against himself.
Who was he? Would he remain a
japanese? Why? Would he tell her
of it all? What was he going to do?
Now it seemed as If she had realized
man. Would she remain as his-wife ?
She loved him. Surely he, also, cared,
or he would not have been so gentle
and kind.
His fingers twitched; moved toward
her; she did not avoid them, but met
the seeking hand. Ellen knelt beside
the bed, felt Wells fingers relax, his
breathing become even and deep.
There was no light in the cabin
her eyes were heavy. Over and over
these strange new thoughts tumbled
through her head until, her hand tight
ly in his, kimono cascaded over tho
floor in green, ripping CONGREGATIONS,
she drowsed.
Once she started, thought that she
heard the crea5ing of an opened
door; settled more comfortably against
Wells arm. A dream flushed her
cheeks; she smiled as she slept
The cabin-boy had stopped and
spoken a moment with the fourth bar
boy. A piece of money passed between
them, and soon a fiery drink seethed
the already warped brain. Until this
night the cabin-boy had feared that
all of the poor, who had no rice-must
wait until the steamer landed. The
thought had become monOmania-the
lord-a knife-over the rail-he had
1t letter-perfect. Kayama was alone
and sick. The cabin-boy was very
brave.
The deck was dark, deserted He
walked boldly down until he neared
Kayama's cabin. He heard footsteps.
and shrank into the companionway.
AS the footsteps approached he
crouched in unreasoning fear (for has
not cabin-boy perfect right to be
on deck when on duty?) and began to
swear, not blasphemously, but in
sheer desperate search for courage
the footsteps died away.
His eyes were very bright, and pur
pose shone in them anew. A shiver
a long shuddering sigh swept over
him. The deck was now truly desert,
ed. He listened; there was no SOUND
from Kayama's cabin. No light.
The cabin-boy felt the edge OF his
knife, and padded toward the dOm
silently.
(To BE CoNTINUED.)