Evening star., 1926-12-28

| dropped and his eyes saddened as he
| stared from one to the other. SO II
| had come to the point of sidney.
| He sighed pathetically.
Mr. keeler, I'm really happy to
| see YOU again." she exclaimed, eX
| tending a small hand. It's great
| comfort to know that you don't hav,
| to get off at Key West
why, thank you, miss said
| Keeler awkwardly.
The debonair devilment of Capt
| Ferriss" had fallen from him like a
| mask. He was deferential again. OBJ
| sequious, almost cringing.
Anybody asking for me, Keller
| inquired Trask
Just the dragon, sir--last night
| l was standing guard at the door, won
| dering what had become of you. She
came by with Miss Kent, and she
| stopped long enough to hope you were
| well chained to your bunk, sir"
Did Miss Kent say anything"
Nothing, sir; she just looked"
Keeler tried to initiate the look
| Sidney stifed her laughter in her
handkerchief.
Did Capt. Blodgett send his re
spects?"
"Too busy. sir, 7 think. You saw
what he did, Mr.. Trask?"
The patient of the wheel chair nod
ded.
There's a man. muttered keeler,
stretching his great arms wide. as
though trying to expand himself into
the bulk of the Gulf Streams master.
"A champion. Mr.. Trask! A one.
punch man, sir! I'm no sailor. sir,
but l know a champion when 1 see
him, no matter what his game is.
III
had come to the point, I'd have
knocked the fat block off of him, Mr..
Trask. But now, sir-well, now, I'd
be afraid even to shadow box with
him. Oh, he's a man, siri He can
pivee weight to all of them
keeler was working himself rapidly
into an ecstasy of alteration. He had
discovered new hero.
And / indOrse every word you say
declared Sidney, warmly.
The Tennessee Tornado suddenly re-
membered himself. He managed as
much of q blush as his natural pallor
would permit.
Il was forgetting you, miss" he
said. II hadn't meant to he quite SO
Outspoken.'
But [ like you better as your real
self" she assured him.
were like a spear thrust into Keeler's
heart. He gulped, suddenly lost con-
troll of his legs and, as the ship tipped,
sat heavily into a convenient chair.
His eyes would not meet hers.
Really" she said touching his
shoulder. II think it was tremendously
nice of you to play Capt. Ferriss
| just adore adventures. 1t wasn't a
bit worse than a fairy tale, and / de-
voured fairy tales when / was little
I think you're lot better, just as
yourself-but Capt. Ferriss was nice.
too"
He managed to look up at her CRATE.
fully.
I'm sure meant no harm. miss
he mumbled.
You just wanted to encourage a fool
ish whim of mine. Thank you-very,
very much"'
Keeler's eyes expressed incredulity,
but he managed clumsy acknowledge
ment.
You think we'll last out the storm,
sir?" he asked, looking at Trask.
They say it's certain now
When it's over I'll get you back
into your chair as quick as / can,"
declared Keller, with a resolute shake
OF MS head.
'Oh, no, you'll not, my son. No
more chair for mine. Capt Blodgett
can't put me off now until we get to
the end Of the line. and think he'll
be too busy for a while to put me in
irons"
But when you go back to your
cabin, sir"
mot goingy'
Keeler was shocked. Sidney's eyes
expressed surprise.
mo, Keeler," added Trask. "I'm
not going back. / camped out last
night, and / guess / can manage for
the rest of the voyage. I'm through
with the highbrows in the first cabin.
Down here is the lifei It isn't that
their brows are not so high here.
Take 'em right through, / think
they're bit higher. But they don't
keep elevating their domes in front
of you, as If the main thing was to
show how high they are"
The Tennessee Tornado achieved one
OF his most disconsolate sighs.
"Whatn / ever say to DIR. Van
Norden?" he asked, hopelessly.
The gale blew furiously until mid.
afternoon. but the Gulf Stream rode
with comparative ease at her sea an
chor. Capt. Blodgett never left the
bridge until there was perceptible
leSsening in the force of the hurri-
cane, There We're scores of passen-
gers impatient to congratulate him on
his achievement, but he ignored them.
He was not seeking encomiums: his
ship came first.
1t was Sidney who first reported to
Trask that the storm was apparently
blowing itself out
Fathers barometers are climbing
again" she announced importantly.
That's d sign of good weather.
They're going up tremendously fast.
too. I'm almost afraid our adventure
is over"
I'm satisfied" said Trask.
he was bruised and sore from the
morning s work as a waiter
Toward sundown the wind ceased
with abruptness, the gray clouds be.
gan TO scatter and uncover patches of
blue sky, and the crests diSappea red
from the great Gulf waves that still
rolled in from the northeast 1t was
change Of weather as sudden as that
which had greeted the passengers
when they first looked out upon the
white fury of early morning.
Off to windward lay the heavily roll
ing derellct, her stumps sticking out
or her, sinister reminders of the power
that had transformed her almost in a
flash from a living thing into a dead
hulk. More than 200 yards of hawser
separated her from the ship that had
made virtue of necessity.
Continued in Tomorrow's Starr