Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-03-10
(Continued from Yesterdays Starr

He followed Capt. Mumm up the
| ladder. There was a group awaiting
them on the deck--a number OF men:
and there was a woman amongst them.
The red-haired skipper stepped down
on the deck--and then. under the glare
of the flare light, Peter stood suddenly
stock-still. His hands clenched tightiy,
| That slim, cloaked figure there! Hls
eyes met hers over the shippers mead
held hers. And he stood there
looking--looking. His face had gone
white; white as death---he senSed that:
Somewhere in the world around
the next corner /! 1t was long
ago, years ago. and then for only a
single moment, but 1t seemed now as
though there had been no years. no
time between. that 1t was the night
in the lobby of that London theater
again and that their eyes were still
holding each other. as though that
gaze, one upon the other, had never
lifted, never been broken.
And Peters hands clenched tighter,
and he stood observation-disclosures
looking
It might have been minute, or
few seconds. Time had no measure
for Peter. His heart was pounding.
driving the blood In smashing blows
through his veins. His whole being
was vibrant with emotion. His soul
was full of glad. wondrous refrain. He
had been right--a thousand times right!
She did not know his name. nor ne
hers; but that meeting had never faded
from her memory, and she knew him.
He had known that 1t would be So
been sure of 1t. And he was right.
The color came creeping gloriously into
her face: he saw her lips part slightly
as though to utter little cry, and then
close again.
The boats crew crowding up tho
gangway forced Peter to move. 1t was
as though some one had struck him
a sudden and brutally vicious blow. 1t
sense of his surroundings. 1t aroused
him to a new and cruelty different
mental state. Mechanically he stepped
down on the deck beside Capt. Mumm.
She was not looking at him now; her
eyes had dropped to study Of the
deck but the color still held In her
face. Peters glance went swiftly around
the circle. No one seemed to have
noticed what had passed between that
little cloaked figure ands himself, excep.
a dark. tall man who stood beside her.
and who. after a swift glance at the
girl, had fixed his eyes for an instant
on him. Peter, with strange, brood
ing scCwl.
His kind! That had been his thought
In the boat. And then-tllen for the
little while that was just gone, that
thought had been blotted out OF his
life. but 1t was back now. His kind.
1t had been bad enough in the boat.
here. She did not know his name. know
u-n hSf
but in @ moment she would.
oh, God!" Peters soul cried out in
agony.
He did not want her TO know. Every
faculty he possessed rose up antagonis-
ticaliy In fierce and savage opposition.
A thousand times better now that the
boat had never picked him up! Peter
Blake . for the murder of Tom Muir
Gibson ! Five thousand pounds
reward go. What CHASTITY traVesty
on that holy. sacred thing he had
cherished in his heart; the thoughts.
the memory of that face. the sure be-
lief, proven now. that she. too. had
never forgotten! He did not want her
to know. to stand there and listen
while he was proclaimed~~a murderer.
But he could not prevent 1t. She would
know In an instant Capt. Mumm was
that, Peter was conscious, had been
going on all the time around him.
''Mumms my name said the little
red-haired skipper with truculent
note in his voice. Capt. JosephuS
Mumm. master of the schooner Break
O. Dawn. Aye. you've sunk her! What
else? You cut her half in two"
A grim-faced. elderly man. with
shaggy eyebrows and gray hair. an
swered.
This Is the yacht Isis" he said. MY
name is Garth ~- Humphrey Garth -.
owner. It's not easy to put ones feel
ings into words In circumstances such
as these. captain. Your schooner Is
replacable - insured anyhow. probably.
It's the men who have lost their lives"
MIR. Garth's voice had grown little
hoarse-he cleared his throat. How
big a crew had you. Capt. Mumm?"
''Seven~-all natives" replied Capt.
Mumm grufiiy. But we lost three In
the bad weather We had the last ten
days"
THAT leaves four-out there--some-
where" Mr.. Garth spoke In strained
way. And mis- man here with you
he's your mate, suppose?"
Nowi II was coming now. Peters
lips frightened. Thank God. she wasn't
looking at him! She had drawn little
behind the circie-the dark-haired man
who had scowled almost hid her from
view. Unconsciously Peter squared his
shoulders. Well, then-~let 1t come 4!
His eyes fastened on Capt. Mumm.
Capt. Mumm had swung half round.
and-meeting Peters stare~~the shrcwd
little eyes narrowed And slowly Capt
Mumm rubbed a hand up and down
what was, Peter could see now. a dis
tinctly swollen Jaw.
Hint" calculated the little red
haired man tersely. mo fear! He amt
no mate No, nor even q sailor!
He" Capt. Mumm paused. and his
hand. from his jaw. went up 10 scratch
at the shock Of fiery red hair.
Peters hand clenched until the
knuckies cracked lie was In the full
glare Of the light. It was unbearable
, Pray God. he'd play the mani
He" said the little red-haired skip
per. stili scratching. hes sort of~~of
supercargo. me not being good at
figures, and, moreover and In particu-
lar, a white man that ! take along u
live with"
Peters nand went swinging TO his
forehead. brushing back the wet HAIR
out Of his eyes In dazed way. There
came surging upon him sense OF In
creduiity~~that fought madly With q
| sense Of reason which mistakenly af-
| firmed that he had heard Alright. The
| conflict seemed to numb his faculties
To rob him Of the power Of either
speech or movement.
II See" said Humphrey Orath.
| His names Dunn" said the little
d-haired skipper. as though II were
| All afterthought. Alec Dunn"
And then a quiet voice sp0ke~~cieaf
and soft with fiIst the s,tpQesti0n of "A