The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-02-25

rhauec that had como over sailor
town m few short yrars lie
fclt d would h. useless To- proceed
Ey ordinations he hurrr,iy u3ked
over his memory Tor directions. un.
willing 90 ask and plunged OF thru
the dripping ros again Now The
street Do trsNrTavd was blatant with
sound. garisb with flaming Kerosene
torChes Pub doors swung with q
regularity that kept d shan ~ sci
IoU light siabhins agynss the Eos
blinded pavement A happy sailor
,ruIsed by. q hFgy halted adA ioN
iuEly dupgd on each arm.
Drake laughed contrntsdN This
was Sailoftowu, as % old
rs a winding traverse that had
taken him into half a dozen color
ul resorts. Drake arrived Just be
FORE midnight. right in the thick
of the lie hts heart CRvcd Tor.
A lat man whecacd after him
"Mt Too. matcy Chat Amt no
place Tor a sailor 40 more, Hos
racin' ans ehuckin tah about
Wots IA world comm 10 dun
no, puued the friendly stranger
heavipE alongside and keeping step
Drake glanced az him au they pass
"a against "a lighted window, IL
was TAT little man A roly polls
little red man A battered cheese
cutter cap sQuatted him down solid
~ upon Eray shot red curls above
a ruhicund gray-ryed face. The hat
trrrd cap looked as v Dc were new,
battered by design for better com
fort. which n was
II VAS looking for The Chain
Locker. said Drake. glad Of the
company preferred Tho man look
ed an a sailor. anyhow lilo did
seem lat and ovcrfcd. perhaps. Tor
a decpwaterman. no doubt be had
becn getting nd o. a humping pay.
day; maybe he got a bit soft, like
Drake.
"Me too. uatey." The rat sailor
"C'm aiongR me. IN
show ser He guppcd brakes 81
bow with his fat. short fingers. and
Drake felt as II his arm had bcen
seired in rat trap. That Ertp
surely had been developed on many
a wet ballard and frozen brace
A. II he had noticed brakes up
praiS8l Of himself. and meant 90
return the compliment. the sailor
looked over the light ovrrcoat the
spattered dress trousers. and the
fine shoes In one swift glance
"Gotcher ticket amt ycry be
A. they passed under
lamp ne took another rapid glance
'Secun mate" he suggested Ne
body belonKtnE in Sailortown 81
cept The ncw second mate. would
wear clothes like that.
Not quite. Drake laughed Just
visiting"
"Ho' Mission blose' Erlnted the
fat man. and puffcd along N 81
leucc FOR awhile until he looked up
Just long enough 20 where
Thought you might he a moo
seeou' mate. Look some'at like
sailorman. too"
Alden Drake warmed to me little
man Here was a saiioriuan % dls.
cernment, The night promised wei
In a minute more they thrust thru
smudssd glass, doors. beyond which
WIS music. and stood together az
e crowded bar in a blue .hnzy room
that shook 20 the trampinE of
many capering feet. Al the soft I
lazy years dropped from him. This
was life' The music was lifting
blood tingiing. even tho u came
from nothing better than a German
and a fiddle Of no ancss-
Try. Sailors danced. Sailors sang
Men shouted 10 skystyauiers. Of
running dosgn the Fasting. Of Cape
sim The tobacco smoke stung his
eyes. made him want TO cough. a
sailor wearing earrings danced dc
corousiy with woman who smok
cd cigar and capcrcd with utter
abandon.
Alden Talbot Drake was long
Tong way from home, Ne forge,
that he had ever lived in = world
OF Aunt AnSeiinas. Of pcrfuned
PattyA. of Chemical Cslc=ies. Of
dinner parties and deadly deceucy.
CHAPTER III
Sailors Delight
HMY names Buntin'. Joe Bun
Ifl tin" wheezed the fat little
sailoruan at brakes side.
Thanks. Buutin. my names
Drake" grinned Alden, taking a fat.
short fingered fist and wincing at
the grip II gave him.
Not Buntin. matey. Buntin'.
the little man. u amt