Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02
LOVE AND LONGITUDE
The Romance of Race Around the World
BY LINTON WELLS
Special CORRESPONDENT

safe yet. you know. ! wish you could
feel my heart"
Your heart?" she commenced, with
concern in her dark eyes. How
long,"
Ever since you opened the door
and l got the scent Of black narcis'
sus." he interrupted. ITS terrific.
Natalie"
She flushed again. gently but did
not move away from the door. Her
cameO-like profile was turned from
him. while she gaZed out to sea. Jim.
my felt his pulses pounding; he had
not lied about his heart.
He could hardly believe it all.
Here she was. delicate and sweet and
gentle. fragile and womanly-close
enough for him to touch her. If he
dared. Womanly-almost a little girl,
slender and daintily clad in mode
that would be in place on the Bots.
or Fifth avenue, this woman who
could be a Valkyrie Of the skies when
he had needed her. whose nerves
were steel and whose courage matched
his own-for his sake.
In the days that followed, the
thought Of Frances Lassiter grew into
the dimnest of memories. There was
Natalie, all day long, in the close init
Rogers was there. too. wondering.
perhaps, at the understanding be-
tween them. But Rogers could know
nothing of it all. Jimmy knew.
The man had never met Billy's
sister; he had not seen her on the
long trip. He could only wonder.
and the thought pleased Jimmy so
much that he put off the inevitable
showdown between them.
Natalie Natalie - narcis-
sus noir. Jimmy forgot, in the long,
gloriously lazy sea days, that any
thing mattered beyond her. At last
he had found her. The mate Of the
eagle and adventurer
It was she who recalled him, as the
big ship was nearing New York, to
the task ahead.
you've got to win now. Jimmy,
she told him.
"Why?" he asked. his voice low.
1t was night. They stood at the
rail- far forward, while a Keeling
moon behind the dizzy mainnlast ca
reened drunkenly and sent showers OF
silver spray from the cleaving bows
of the Faustania. kissing the million
wave-tips with a Bacchanalian over
flow Of affection. From the salon the
faintest wisp of orchestra music
drifted forward.
Why" repeated Jimmy.
She turned her pale face up to him.
Her red lips quivered.
Because I want you TO-" she said.
her voice low. Haven't / proved
that?"
He smiled gently. And so, be.
cause you want me to- SHALL" he
promised Its going to be neck
and neck race from her on, though
According to the Faustania's sched-
ule, the ship was destined to arrive
in New York early in the afternoon
of the twenty. eighth day following
Jimmy's departure. Rogers and he
were even now. Unless one or the
other of them could get some ad-
vantage in the last precious hours,
they would arrive simultaneously.
Jimmy knew that Rogers millions.
on tap In New York, would do more
on this last lap than they had else.
where, and they had proved effective
enough already. There was no ne
cessity, either, he knew. for one or the
other of them to pass quarantine or
customs. He had arranged that
before leaving and he suspected that
his rival had.
Rogers, he told himself, had a
powerful yacht. 1t was logical to
suppose that he would use it and dis
embark from the Faustania near Mon
tauk Point.
(Which is exactly what I'll do"
Jimmy decided. only it shan't be on
a yacht"
Ten minutes later a radio message
was filed to New York, in which
Lieut. Ogden Graham, Naval Air
Service, was requested to secure a
power boat to take a passenger from
the Faustania out to seaplane
which would be waiting off Montauk
Point.
Jimmy figured gleefully on a swift
flight in Graham's plane, which would
land him at the Battery, lower New
York, before even Rogers yacht
could be near there. And when a
reply came back that night, he open
ed it anxiously. 1t read:
Message received. All set. You'll
win, If 1t breaks my neck. Graham"
He hurried to where Natalie awaited
him in a deck chair on the lee side
of the promenade and repeated the
word She looked up quietly, smiling
a little. and the hand that he found
pressed his gently.
There's only Austin Rogers last
play 10 watch for now" she said.
Watch it, Jim. There's too much at
stake to be careless