Evening star., 1924-11-30

Il "A ner. was smoking an AFTER
breakfast pipe outside the
Gunnery School classrooms when the
sunners mate of his section touched
linn on the shoulder.
Field guns crew this afternoon.
Torch. Gun carriage for off1cer's
funeral Well have r. run through
the drill this forenoon
Joe removed his pipe and nodded
acquiescently. He was a clean skim
ned, hazel-eyed young man. tall and
straight, with certain sedateness of
manner that set him a little apart
from his fellows.
1t was no concern Of his that a
youthful lieutenant had been nipped
by the cable when mooring ship q
week previously. Death was death.
and he had seen many good men die.
That afternoon, however. the
shadow of human bereavement fell
darkly upon his senses for the first
time.
The gun carriage was drawn up in
the yard outside the hospital NOR
tuary. The crew and firing party
saw the figures of two women in
black walk through a side gate,
cross the yard and enter the building.
One of them's his girl" explained
the gatekeeper.
The whisper ran around His girl
and her sister. Shed gone to take
leave of the coffin. A couple of car
riages with closed blinds drew up in
the road outside. A gentleman with
reddish-rimmed eyes and tall hat
with broad mourning band got out
and was introduced to several OFF,
GERS. Then an undertaker's employe
emerged from the little redbricked
building.
Might as we'll be maxim a start"
he said to the sunner's mate.
"Bearers?"
The gunner's mate ran his eye over
the lines of men at the drag ropes.
he touched six on the elbow and mo-
toned them toward the door of the
mortuary. Joe was one.
Rareheaded they brought the coffin
out on their shoulders The escort
came to the salute with a clash.
They had laid the coffin on the car
riage and Joe found himself the last
10 adjust the lashings. securing It be-
meath the white ensign. Something
made him raise his eyes toward the
mortuary and he saw, standing in the
doorway and half supported by her
companion. the lover of the dead man.
She stood staring at the fag-draped
gun carriage with sort OF incred
ulous horror in her eyes, as if her
rumbed senses were aware for the
first time that the dead man was
about to pass from her sight forever.
Pity, embarrassment and a certain
renewed hostility to that erstwhile
familiar foe, Death, for breaking a
young girls heart, passed in turn
through Joe's mind. The sensations
were succeeded by something even
more poignant, loneliness. Utter
loneliness. In all the world, neither
living nor dead, could he, Joe Torch,
summon that look into woman's
face.
4 fellow beings soul had reached
out in vain anguish after its mate
and he had somehow intercepted the
yearning, fruitless appeal. 1t awoke
Unexpectedly a deeper need than any
he had known before.
X X X
WHEN the afternoons somber task
w was fulfilled. Joe found a strange
restlessness stiH pervading his nor
mally tranquil spirit. 1t was his watch
ashore. He'd go ashore" and watch
the couples in the street, have an
hour at the cinema, perhaps.
Having shifted into his best suit OF
serge and squared-on collar and black
silk, he adjusted his row Of medals,
tucking the conspicuous gallantry
medal under the black silk SO that it
was the least conspicuous of all.
He turned to see roommate's
uuizzing eyes upon him.
Coin to take Mary Pickford out
for fish supper, Joe? You amt arr
the bleedin' masher!"
Whose business is It 'oo I takes
TO supper" demanded Joe, astonished
at his own vehemence.
His friends jaw dropped.
All right! Don't take on about ii,
Gully. No offense, joe"
He caught a tram at the dockyard
gates and was conveyed to the town
hall. about that hour the rendezvous
of sailors and plarines.
Having disembarked from the tram,
however, Joe turned his steps to-
ward the center of the town. where
the evening life of the dockyard port
ran thicker and more varied. The
narrow streets were thronged by men
of the fleet and garrison.
Joe walked slowly for a while, TAX
Ing in the scene with observant eyes.
Giggling shopgirls on their way
home, arm-in-arm down the center OF
the narrow street, ogled the tall
young sailor with laughing encour-
agement.
Il shall have a bit Of supper at
home and see If 1 can't find a nice
boy to take me to a movie" said one
loudly to her companion, and glanced
back daringly over her shoulder.
But Joe gave no sign of having
heard. That wasn't what he'd come
ashore for, spoonins in movie.
=. Not much.
What had he come ashore for,
anyway?
For the life of him he didn't know.
He took his stand in the empty
doorway of shuttered shop. He
was looking for e girl; he might as
we'll admit it. Was she fair or dark,
short or tall, merry-eyed or sad?
Hanged If he knew. He might stand
there for a week-a lifetime. :.
lie was a fool.
For nearly half an hour he re-
mained motionless, meditatively puff
fing his pipe, his hands behind his
back. The hum Of multitude Of
voices, the sharp clang of the trans
block away, the plaintive twanging
melody of a hurdy-gurdy somewhere
out of sight, the sharp irritated
"toot" of taxis, blended in confused
murmur that made consecutive
thought impossible. The light began
TO fade and gradually the crowds
thinned.
Joe became conscious Of hunger.
There was a little beef and ham shop
he sometimes patronized, with trays
of peas and rissoles sizzling behind
the windows He'd go along and
have a bite. There was a greasy
fingered young woman there, daugh-
- ter of the proprietor, who took an In
terest in him. She served him ma
ternally with the best cuts, and In a
lull in her duties watched him with
a kind of wistful solicitude while ne
ate. Her name was Agnes. He al
lowed his fancy to play with Agnes
while he walked; her square. strong
body, her wide mouth with its red
lips and defective teeth, the contrast