Evening star., 1924-12-26
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr

Milliken relieved me at midnight,
our time, and l took my turn on the
bunk
Where are we now. jimmy" asked
Lord Almeric sleepily.
Just clearing the Newfoundland
Bank, we should be 400 odd kilo-
meters west, point or two south OF
Cape Race"
"Splendid." murmured his lordship,
and fell asleep. an example l pro-
ceeded TO follow.
1t was bright day when 1 woke to
relieve Milliken, o'clock by our
timepiece. and about 7 In the longl-
tude we were passing.
Passed the Purthalia about Is min
utes back" said Milliken. I'D say
a hundred kilometers to the north
Then we've drifted bit, but not
80 much as l expected"
"Ah-hah." he yawned. Wind shift
ed around about 2-blew us back
again"
He fetched me a cup of coffee, and
then turned in.
Two hours later Ireland came up
like smudge of blue smoke on the
horizon to port, and few minutes
later the Lizard widened out into
the spearhead Of Cornwall and Devon.
! love to see the patchwork of fields.
the dark purple of her woods. and
the tiny white ribbons Of her roads.
the slender threads of silver that
mark her waterways. ! had to come
down close enough to get the shape
OF her red roofs, all the jolly, honey
villages, nesting in wooded hollows
sprawled over low downs, each
with its church spire or tower rising
from a patch of green, green sward
white speckled with the headstones
above her ancient dead. It was April
in England then.
There was no time TO saunter, but
wanted to. We had to get our pas
senger into London by l o'clock, Eng
1iah time. Lord Almeric was astir
and had made an astonishingly neat
toilet. He was drinking coffee.
This is the first time l have been
robbed of five hours in a day." he
said. II am certain shall order eggs
and bacon at lunch from force of
habit"
Zig Ben on Parliament House
chimed out the quarter to one as
we dropped into the basin at Bat
terSea, and before he spoke again at
The hour, we were stepping into the
Almeric's house in knightsbridge
But l don't think that Milliken was
very easy In his mind that the Merlin
was safe even in the lookup shed In
which she was berthed.
Lord Almeric would not hear OF
either Milliken or myself going tc
an hotel. He insisted that we make
his house our own. Milliken tried
hard to refuse, but his lordship ef-
fectually stopped all protest. He leo
Us 10 little nest of rooms. not sepa-
rate from the house, but somehow
possessing an individuality-if one
may use the word-of their own. He
opened the door of tidy, mannish
sitting room.
Il had a boy at one time. Jimmy
he said quietly. HE was killed at
a they used to be when he lived in
them. Nothing has been touched
though my servants keep them
warmed and aired There are two
bedrooms and a bathroom-through
there-and another living room.
have had them made ready for you
both. 1 shall be very, very glad II
you and Milliken will occupy them
while you remain in London"
l heard joint in Milliken's hand
crack softly as his fist clenched.
My only fear is that l shall be a
poor host" Lord Almeric went on.
MY time will be much Occupied, as
you will understand, Jimmy-in fact,
! must be back IN harness at once.
! have a conference in the city at 3.
and another in Westminster at s. !
question if I shall be back until late
at night. My people will attend to all
your wants, and will serve your meals
here. If you should think OF going
to a theater, I'm certain that Milk en-
would like the production OF Twelfth
Night at the Haymarket. Bunter,
my butler, will get tickets for you.
Now I must go. Pray excuse me. I
shall hope to see you tonight"
He went out. leaving us there. Mil
nken and I looked 1t each other in
silence for a space
II didn't want to stop in his lord
ships house, Mr.. Boom" Milliken said
slowly. But when he asks us to
use his dead boys rooms, he gives
me the one thing couldn't refuse. 1t
must mean lot to him-this."
You bet you, Milliken.'
And l thought lords and such-like
all bunk! That one he nodded to the
closed door-"that one makes me see
I've been a foolr'
We bathed and changed. and lunch
was brought to US in another of the
rooms. The butler appeared to see if
we were all right, and we let him get
tickets for US.
Cant you tell me-" I asked him,
where I might find files Of the Lon
don daily papers for a week or two
past?"
I'm the small library downstairs, sir.
We keep files OF the Times, Morning
Post and Telegraph and of a number
of the financial journals. May 1 show
you the room, sir?'
Please"
] found that the London press had
treated the New York raids in daily
that q