Evening star., 1925-07-10

down into the engine room. The Las
car donkeynnan was easing the throttls
with the dull reliab bility of the native
under white command.
Hurt him not, my children, said
the serang. He is just man Can,
the sahib hear me!' -
Graham, staring up into the white
bearded brown face in the glare from
a furnace door. gave choking sob. =.
"Sahib," said the serang gravely. Il
have killed your son. l am not a com
mon Lascsr. to lie under accusation
And in my time ] shall be judged;
but not now: and not in L-'y-'apoL
Were ] hanged now. my daughter and
her man-child would starve. and my
honor be as black as though I had not
avenged her. Thy son was a steaier
upon the housetops; q murderer to
boot =
Robert Graham writhed violently
under the hands Of the Lascars hold
ing him.
"Ye LIEF.
Nay. I lies only In the way NJ
business; not in the way of honor.
ami was merchant. Be just.
just man; cause me not to kill thee
and bear a double burden. Was not
thy son in Bombay n twelvemonth
gone in the ship Manifestation two
months, while there were repairs?
Then he defiled my house by stealth;
then he slew my son-ir,law, who dis
, covered him. And I have waited his
return, paying many spies: and I
have crossed the black water. >work
ing with my hands. for my revenge.
Judge me. o God fearer, Look me-
in the face. Let him TO his feet.
dogs.' .
The father. the two Just men stood
eve TO eve, in the glare, as IL were
of Hades, surrounded by imps Of the
pit.
How II became known that I had
done this thing l know not" said the
| seranS 1T was written that I should
trust thy justice rathen than the lies
Of these dogs. Thy son defiled my
house; ] have purified IL with the
| flames of his body burning in that
| furnace. He slew my son by mar
riage; have slain him. Judge. then
For half a minute, II my iTnagina
| ton is any good at all, there was q.
! silence which the roar of the great
| fires, the thunder Of seas on the deck,
and the din of the engine room allied
were powerless TO break. Them
I quote McWhee literally, less only the
I accent and the hiccoughs-then old
{ Robert Graham turned slowly about.
| picked UP the object like a lump OF
coal, which had lain at his feet when
! he accused the serans. and made as
/ IL 10 stun this object into his ajan1as
! pocket. This task proved dificuit.
! the object being Of awkward shape
and Graham's fingers trembling as II
! palsied,
| Finaiy he took heart Of grace and
! fung It on the plates at the seran1's
feet.
"11l-I'n no remember seducer Of
women" choked the chief engineer.
Throws cap-throW's cap in-after
| i'm
Then. none hindering. he stumbled
| through the stokehold door and back
into the engine room.
Robert Graham. jr., alias James
ker. was logged as lost at sea.
Once more his father locked him
/ was no smell OF cigars.
! lis that alI?'' asked
Ave" said McWhee, and went 10
! sleep
! He was fairly gone this time bur
Z had chair and novel and pipe.
| and I waited until he awoke. This
was two hours. during which time
! J read one paragraph and a half. The
! rest OF the time was occupied in an
examination Of the face Of McWhee.
which in all probability bore a strong
| resemblance to that OF Robert Ora
| ham, ST. Same county, you know;
anle boiler works; same religion.
There were many things TO notice
! in that face-a. lot of faces, for one.
! There was distinct resemblance 10
John Calvin and another to Abraham
Lincoln. though that may have been
| merely a. matter of warts. Then one
was reminded, somehow of geology
and botany-ef granite rocks and OF
| sparse. desperately vital heather
! overgrowing them.
When he awoke I asked him one
| question.
] ID you expect me to believe thst
| tale about Graham and his SON." /
| inquiyed.
Ny drunken friend stared reproach-
| fully at that blab, the empty bottle.
/ wiped his mouth with the back Of
| his hand, and then looked me in the
eye much as Graham must have
| looked al the serang.
"Ays," said McWhee
THE END
Intern ational Magazine Co.. story ard Illus
trattons Copyrighted. 1924.