Evening star., 1927-05-11

I've seen the captain" sal
/ the purser. HE is sending ar
other radio to New York, but in an
case he thinks it is just as we'll if w
keep these pistols until we reach por
what do passengers want guns fol
anyway" he demanded. The captai
thinks that so long as we've got arm
in the ships store, there's no reasol
to worry about your hold-up suggeS
ton
'1Vhere is the ships store?"
Back of the chartroom" said tn
.purser. "We've got enough rifles an,
revolvers there 10 run q war"
y II see" said Bill You may b.
sorry, Mr.. Purser, darned sorry, befor,
this trip is through that you didn'
take my advice"
And then he strolled out to the decl
and did not tell the girl the content:
of the radio message until they were
alone.
They're so very satisfied that al
things are for the best in the best OF
possible ships that l don't think ii is
possible we shall shake their faith
The thing is to leave them to it."
4 She shivered.
'Tt is quite a horrible idea-I mean
that there are no arms on the Shir
except those in a store which may be
rushed a any moment" she said, and
he could only agree.
Going down to lunch. they Joined the
1ittle group that stood before the bull
letin board at the head of the compan-
CONWAY 1t was covered with sheets
of typewritten news that had been re-
ceived during the night. There was
the usual story of a Pittsburgh heiresS
xsrn- 4 M
Inevitable rail accident in France, a
speech by the chancellor of the ex-
chequer-the news was English and
would remain English till the morrow,
when Cape Cod would color the bulle-
tin with tales of chorus girl-million-
aire marriages, rising in Mexico and
fluctuations in the price of cotton. One
message interested Bill and he stayed
behind to read it.
Spanish police report the disappear
ance from Bilboa, under suspicious cir
cumstances, of oil tanker Thomas In
1and. During night, when captain and
officers were ashore, vessel put out to
sea without authority and has not been
sighted since. The Spanish gunboat
Alfonso XIII is searching for the ship,
but the weather in the bay is foggy."
He was going down to ponder this
matter when a man from the purSer's
department pinned up two supplement
tary messages, and one of these was
headed:
THE missing ship
''No further news has been heard of
fhe oil tanker. 1t is believed that some
English sailors who have been living
in Bilboa are responsible and that the
man who organized the theft was a
Capt. Harvey Hale, who is being
Fsought for by the English police
Harvey Hale"-H. H.! Bill gasped
as the full understanding of those ini-
tials on the knife came to him. Was
Harvey Hale on board the ship? If
he were, what connection was there in
this adventure of Laffin's with the
stolen tanker at Bilboa? The letter
'H'' was not an uncommon initial;
there might be dozen people on board
who could lay claim to it. But the
coincidence was very striking.
Smooth as was the sea, there was
Just the hint of a swell. and this had
been sufficient to send Give Lowbridge
to his cabin.
"Clive thinks that his coffee was
tarnpered with this morning." said
Betty. They were alone at the table, |
for Lambert Stone was too shaken to
appear that day.
Il expect we shall all be hypochon- |
driacs or initiating the Sultan of Tur- |
key, who has his food tasted by an
sofficial poisonproof varlet before he
eats anything, before we reach New
York" said Bill.
She was very serious and thought
pale. He wondered whether she shared
Give Lowbridge's objection to the
slight roll of the big vessel. But when |
he asked her tactfully if she would |
jike to cut out two courses and go on |
to the deck she declined.
You can cut out the courses. if you |
want. But it is more comfortable here. |
Besides, want to talk-always want |
to talk when / meet you," she added, |
.a little ruefully. BILLY, I'm going to
be an heiress after all, and against my |
will" And then, "Mr. Stone thinks /
my father is dead
He was silent.
You think so, too, don't you?"
Yes" Honesty compelled him TO
the answer. Il am afraid that it is
true he said softly.
Poor father! And syet--he meant |
so little to me, Billy He wasNas much
a stranger as you were. Is there an
instinct that makes children recognize
their own parents?"
Il don't think so,'' said Bill. 1.-THE
only instinct to which children re-
love for love and care for care. That |
as how have sized 1t up. If you give
children affection and thought and
sympathy, why, they return 1t to you
whether you're their father or their
mother or their uncle or their cousin
ninth removed. If you give them JUS
tice, they'll give you justice. A child
IS a mirror
'You talk almost like the president /
of an orphan home" she said with a
faint smile.
Don't I just? Children have been a
study of mine. I don't think you need
grieye too much. Remember, your
father thought you were dead and had
ceased to mourn you--and anyway,
had never known you or given you the
chance OF loving him.
i think Ill come up to the deck,
hfter ALL" she said with a sigh.
While she went in to see whether
her uncle had had his lunch he walked I,
along TO his own cabin. The steward
was nowhere in sight aud his hand
was on the knob of the door when
booking up, he saw on the white enam-
eled surface the print of a large, black
hand. He looked at it in amazement.
Was that a warning? Turning the
handle, he opened the door and stepped
In. lie took one stride, then stood like
a man petrified
Lying on his bed, his eyes half shut,
his clothes in rags was a man.
For a second Bill did not recognize
The haggard, unshaven face, and then:
My God"' he said "Bullot, where
did you come from?"