Evening star., 1925-07-09

self in his room until eight bells
way, he celebrated the occasion by
smoking cigar. His usual load was
| plug.
| Sinful pride, I remarked
"Ye think so?" asked McWhee,
surveying me over a whisky glass.
Aye. Ye would = no bein' a Scot.
But Bob Graham the elder was a
religious man-an' a philosopher"
| on, | said, repenting my irony.
| Aye" said McWhee.
! 1t is a well known fact in physics
that oil and water won't mix. 1t is a
still better known fact at sea, where
the two substances are brought TO-
gether through their attorneys, the
engineers and the deck officers, that
| unless both oil and water are un.
usually pure they will form an un-
pleasant compound at the line of
contact.
On the City of Mombasa, the engi-
neers were sufficiently alloyed with
human nature to crow over their
hereditary enemies, the deck crowd
and Williams, the captain, was i'm
pure enough to desire revenge
So he dropped into the engineers
mess one afternoon al tea time and
after inquiring about certain ballast
tanks started during the storm, i'm
proved the shining hour by taking the
chief engineer to task before three
juniors.
Why did you have your son ship
under a false name?" he asked
Mr.. Graham thought about that
during three several gulps of boiling
tea.
'Expeejency," he growled at last.
Meaning what?" asked the captain,
settling himself comfortably against
| a doorpost.
Graham laid aside his cup.
We'll, III tell you, Cap'n Williams"
he said, slowly. "Ah'm no a liar bv
taste, just the same's the board o.
this line are no fools by profession.
But in some respects they are fools;
an one o these respects is their dis
like for havin' relatives together in
ships. All m God-fearin' mon, Capt
Williams; but on that very account
Ah'm also a just one. The Man
chester bein' laid up for repairs, my
boy was in need o. this job-an weef
fitted for't-as he proved twa days
Syne"
One of the juniors chuckled.
Graham stared him into decorum
SO" ended the chief, when he was
TO be robbed OF by prejudice. | de
Tended him by lyin'. The matter was
no important"
why didn't you keep the lie up?"
Because when he'd cut the bull
wark loose, it became important,
Ahll no go intae the philosophy OF,
Capt. Williams. Ah'm a just mon, as
I've telt ye; an justice demanded that,
havin' howked the boy through every
thin from measles to smashed fingers,
an stayed in jobs for his sake that no
bachelor or childless mon would ha'
stuck for week, / should take what
credit he could do me, an rejoice in
the same
Williams gave a short laugh
"Well-heads | win, tails you lose
he sneered. That's a regular Scotch
trick. You disown him except when
he makes hit, an then you step up
for your share of the glory. Your
God-fearin' scales of justice have only
got one pan
Graham arose.
You misunderstood me, Captain"
he said grimly "Ah'm indifferent 10
the lad only so long as 1t mak's no
difference. If l TAX pride in him
when he deserves it, TAX responsi
bility for him when he doesna."
You mean that If he'd come into
notice for stealing rivets, instead of
cuttin' through couple of them, you'd
have said you were his pa just the
same?" demanded Williams, moving
out into the alleyway. Yes. you
would. like"
Ave" said Robert Graham, ST.
Judging by the finality with which
McWhee reached for the bottle, this
seemed to be the end of a chapter or
something-an unsatisfactory end; an
embarra ssing end subtly menacing
end. which left me i'll at ease.
That word Aye, the present
writer remarked nervously. seems
to be much in use among engineers,
he-he!'
"Ayer' said McWhee
We now come to the City Of Nom
basa's return voyage from Bombay
to Barrow-on-F -Furness with cotton.
week the second. and the third day.
I apologize for this affected and in
accurate method of saying 1t was the
seventeenth day out; but McWhee was
SO Internally biblical that ! find my
style still Influenced.
Continued in Tomorrow's star>