Evening star., 1925-05-24

Slpped out or the house. When she re-
turned she was carrying a struggling
luStN. round-cheeked urchin whose
eNes-as big and black a his mother 3
were pouring tears at being yanked
untimely from his play. 'Tis young
John Harvard!' Mistress Harvard in
terrnpted the TWO men to announce.
! a nd YOU may tell them all. VIII
Shakspere. when YOU go back to STRAIT
ford. that YOU had to come to London
10 see child who was born man
He had called on the Harvards-
Shakspere admitted ii fra nkly to him
Seff--not so much for old friendship q
| sake az in the hope that talk with
Harvard would set those dia mond.
sharp crea tive wheels in motion. But
no such phenomenon ma Infested itself.
Their talk, enthusia site on Harvard :
side perfunctory on his own had re-
suited in nothing-that is. IL YOU called
that sudden burning desire. unexpect
ed as was uncontrolled. for StratfOrd
nothing: that sudden avid itch for the
country quiet. the large clustered coun.
try stars, the dew-wetted. cooling dark
the country sunshine with its flower
ing -.
The game was up.
London had failed him. Tomorrow
he would go back to New Place.
He did mol know-so long and aim
leSSly had he wandered the Rankside
streets-how he came to arrive at
the Globe. Habit. of course. he reflect
ed wearily. He had gone like homine
horse straight TO the ia miliar stall.
But once at the Globe he suddenly
found himself fatigued. He went in.
All. that was the reason the flag was
not up, And. of course. now he remem-
bered that, in the course of long dron-
ing talk from his point of view as sec
reIary of the Globe. Hemminge had
told him la ST night that the theater
was closed temporarily, Some unex-
pected repairs after the raVages OF
the Winter storms had suddenly be
come necessary. A pair of carpenters
rough fellows enough-were pulling
up the rotten boards in the center un-
der the big blue patch of open sky. AT
the side was a pile of fresh boards,
tools. Shakspere seated himself on
second pile of boards, surveyed with
lack-Iuster eyes the empty boxes, the
long stage protruding into the body Of
the house. The carpenters gave one
look in his direction: accepted him ap-
parentlN as u part OF this stra nge thea
trical world: went on with their talk.
Low-r DICED at first. ii presently ignor-
ed him. rose TO d normal tone. The sun
lifted higher nd higher. An agreeable
wood smell emanated from the boa rds
which made his seat. Sha kspere fell
into muse that was so without
thought that it was almost without
consciousness. IL was as though his
will exhausted by his efforts, ha d
dropped her hand from the wheel of
creative impulse; had gone TO sleep.
The younger carpenter had been
talking about his stra nge adventure for
a minute or Two before his words be-
gan TO penetrate to Shakspere s hear
ing. For that interval. vaguely smooth
ed by his own mental quiet, Shakspere
tried not TO hear him. Then one de
tail more acid than the rest broke
into that void. reused all his sense of
life To sudden rayenous sensitiveneSs
He listened.
Ave, Rafe" he was saying, in an
swer to his compa Mons question, Il
be a sailor ever since ] was lad. Ave,
| was one Of Sir large Summers men.
Ave. | took that voyage into the new
western sea. Aye. | seen and heard
things thou'd not believe, man.
Rafe was older and dry; a hollow
checked dull-eved. lantern wed yokel
-Shakspere knew the type well
enough--full Of yawning buffoonery
and ribald skepticisms. Ave. Ste
phen" he commented, with burst
men and your tales and your lies. |
mind me. my wife's brother went with
Raleigh TO Ginny. What he told-We
doused him well in the horse trough
one morn and after that his tales grew
smaller.
stephen laughed too-and not i'll
naturedly. He could afford to laugh.
He was big, black -browed. thick
bodied lad, with a neck like bulls.
- tn1 ho Lyon
through his ragged shirt the swift
play under the skin Of muscles netted
with blue and red tattoo. He had
long, sea cleared gray gaze that now
took quiet measure of his fellow.
Perhaps it was the ertainty that he
could have thrown the skeptic over
his head that made him answer mildly.
AYE. 'Tis true. Sailormen do oft
make romance where the plain truth
would seem more strange" And then
he followed this statement by an irri
tating. but beguiling, silence.
For a moment no sound fell but the
splintering of planks. the hammerins
home Of wooden nails.
Tell thy tale, Stephen" Rate sud
denly burst out. For aught j know.
We be the first truthful sailorman that
e'er 7 met. Tell thy tale in peace. III
give thee my ears"
"'Tis strange. Stephen answered,
tbs passing strange, this tale of mine.
And / ask no man 10 put his faith
ont Yet 'tis no liei | give We but
We sailed from Iondon-as good and
strong crew as cen the queen. good
Bess-God rest her soui-could eer
have wanted. Englishmen an-save
one And that one. q black-avised
fellow-not blackamoor, you under
stand, vet hairy as an ape with face
so gnarled and strange t'would fright
en- children. A was bumped little
in the back and a swung ms walk.
And a had arms so bulged with
strength a could squeeze & man to
death like q bear. Rings a. wore in
his ears. OF gold. and a kerchief on's
head. red and yellow. gay as q fairing
and a knife ins belt as had curvins
blade would carve a mans CUTS out at
one stroke. His name was some out
la andishness We ne'er could twist our
tongues to so called we him Cal" :"
Those little twisty men he fear
some powerful in the wrestle," Rafe
declared.
I'VE sailed with fair weather and
the fair weather sailed with us. The
sea twas as smooth as-smooth as
smooth az the top Of the mug when
the foams settled. Twas glad crew
we We're at first, too. full of japes and
tests and the strange talk OF land and
sea all sailorfolk know. But one
thing we lacked-drink. Twas 9
skipper that knew the sea and brave
trouncer of men. but a. niggard of
grog. The day crept by and still no
grog Came more days and still none.
The men fretted and murmured. But
the sun kept with us and there was
no real crying out until we struck the
isla nds s'
What islands. Stephen" Rafe
asked