Evening star., 1928-03-06

THE Isis, owned by Mr.. Hum
plirey Garth. was a vessel q
some 5000 tons; she was roomy,
i comfortable. luxurious. she had
powerful wireless and even 4
hcoadcasting radio set. she had SWIM
ming pool. which. If small, was charm
1uelv and exouisitelv designed: She had
an elevator for her owners convenience
and the convenience q his guests. Ne
had every innovation which nala.
architecture could suggest. even 10 --'r
forecaS:!e accommodations, where. cargo
space being a detail with which She N"s
not concerned. her crew was housed. -
g speak. SpaciouS!y.
This was neither oS:entation nor
swank on the part Of Nj. Humphrey
Garth-it was merely typical Once
MI Garth decided 70 possess yacht.
Il must be utilitarlan 10 the last de-
gree Of service Of which yachts were
Capable-whetller for pleasure or con-
venleuce. II possessed exactly the same
status on these grounds as his motor
car. He sometimes motcred for pleas
tire: he always motored from his sub
urban home 10 business. So with his
vacht-he sometimes very frequently
indeed. INDUCED in pleasure cruises.
he always. when business called him
10 London. or elsewhere that necessi-
tated sea voyage. gave his sailing
orders to Capt. Stone in as quite a
rnatter-of-fact way as he would have
given his chauffeur directions 10 drive
him TO a certain number in Pitt street,
and the Isis took him to his destination.
1t was eXpenslVe-very. But Mr.
Garth was an exceedingly rich man. He
could afford il. without Il thought tC
the pounds. sllilllngs and pence in
NFy-al ns1 f1n- h1a
the nature Of MI Garth 10 have had
nothing whatever TO do with a yacht
Of any description. or. for that matter
anything else pertaining TO his mode
OF living that his very shrewd business
mind held as being at all questionable
from the standpoint OF sound financial
propriety.
Ordinarily. Mr.. Garth was extremely
fond Of cruising. On the present oc-
casion, however. he had reached that
state OF mind where he was not al
all sure but that he was subjecting him.
self 10 disagreeable ordeal rather than
treating himself TO a period OF en-
hanced enjoyment On the evening
ot the sixth day out from Sydney-lt
vas after dinneY-Mr. Garth was stand
ing At the head 0: the main compan-
1onTsy. and gazing somewhat moodily
st the little batze covered notice board
OF which was displayed together with
the radio and wireless news items, the
daily chart defining the yachts posi-
tion. posted at noon every day. and
embracing besides her exact latitude
and longitude a record OF the miles
she had made during the previous -
hours, her course, her average speed
r. knots per hour. the direction Of the
wind. ard a terse nautical comment on
the weather.
His brows contracted obviously. Al
the expiration OF six days they were
still not around the corner" Of IN
northern coast CT Australia. Not that
Lr Garth was in q hurry--it merely
evidenced very eloquently the persistent
vileness o. the weather. The Isis was
fast and splenGidly Seaworthy-but nC
vessel could make a showing against q
rerer-ending succession of gales and q
continuously heavy and head sea.
ny. Garth dug his hands into tbs
packets q bis dinner jacket, twisted
his cigar With coTkgcrew motion oi
tis lips from one side of his mouth K
the other-and then suddenly. rernoV.
Ing the cigar. he wh!s1led an air with
the obvious idea of keeping his spirits
Up. though the effort was performed
somewhat lugubri0usiy. a moment
ia.cr, however Re brought his oWn muSl
ca! efforts abruptly 10 ~ end - listen
u those II another From the lounge
very low, restrained. SQoCQec. caine Z
remarkable terror voice
The singing steward" grunted Mr
Humphrey Garth.
He trorned. II wouldn't DO, O
cosjYse! Not IN there! The fellow va
setting olt the bridge table, and nstu.
rsIiy enough thought everybody va
O.. on 6erk fo- breath 81 air. nn9
that the sra vas down for about IN
frst tine. and no more than bcasflj
fog 10 make Things uncomfortable Still
Il wouldn't d., That was The fellow
one taUlt~--eVeYlaStlnR!y al Il. morning
noon AID Yigit-hUmming or singing
Marvellous yoice, though ~trar;clops
Re Humphrey Garth. was always tor!
iDetwfen the decision q! kicking III
fellow .oYyarc into the fpYerast.c ali,
kceplg.g him Ihere--nr spending 4 teP
thousand po'.ucG III seeing Haa1 r0ujt
be coDe IN tne Hag &! training tnl
6fsp'G Yclce
Mr Garth sIcKed on his cigar TIL
man WAS az. East Indian Whpsc uafH'
vas Ilahat Khan. An ezcrl,ent steward
Though -~- better By long Ray thar
Tooerts. Sflo. ug N tins tip f4ad .si8et
the berth c"e: k.rce ne las had Dcel
s.. commission Roberts lad got
better 3no. Small bjamr ~ !pt,eYts