Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-04
INSTALLMENT /.

AEUtoSuE-
T@HE two men. GREATNESS. swaying
with fatigue. their clothes IN
rags, the bleeding feet of the
i shorter protruding from a pair
Of ragged canvas shoes. stood at
the end of the wooden pier which
Skirted one side of the harbor of San
Paulo and watched the departure Of
the small coasting steamship whose last
siren had blown as they had pushed
their aching way through the streets OF
the little South American port. A SOL
der on sentry duty--a small, brown
man. but with fierce, black mustache-
watched them suspiciously. The taller
was an Englishman beyond doubt:
the other might have belonged 10 any
nationality Some instinct, acquired IN
the turbulent little district. warned him
that these were desperate men.
He has caught the boat, Solomon
We can do nothing.
The man addressed shorter and OF
thicker build. and. considering the ci:-
mate of remarkable pailoT, twice
opened his cracked lips without speech.
Then. finentIy and blasphemoaisly, he
began TO swear. He made use of every
foul word in the English language, and
invented more When he had finished
there we're tears in his eyes.
May his bones rot in hell!' he con-
clu6ed, with sob
They leaned upon one another for
support as they watched the miserable
tramp steamer. its decks Uttered up
With ETeat piles of bananas. SO creak
Ing azsd g-oaning its way out toward the
opIu ia The eyes Of both we're in-
tent *FSon that little space anidships
where a few lengths Of white rail be-
tokened the space set aside for passen-
gers A young man. of medium height.
in spotieSs white ducks and dropping
panama hat. stepped out CT the COM
panion-way and lollnged over the rails.
simultaneously they recognized him.
They tried TO raise their voices. but In
vain. TIE departing passenger uDon
the steamer waved his hand. He lifted
his nat and there was note Of mock
cry Is he called across to them.
Too late to see me of. my dear COM
panions. Never mind, / viii take tine
win for the deed The world is small
place. We shall meet again. Work
81 d at the mine, and remember my
snare
They shook their fists in silent fury.
The steamer was already out Of range
Of their poor attempts at rejoinder.
Then there nItteFed through the COM
panion- way 10 the young mans side.
girl, also in white. with wine black hair.
baTe-headed. but protected from the
sun by a little native parasol. She
waved her hand In adteu to the two
men. and there WIS mcckery as well
~ iubiiafion in her tone.
you are very stupid thieves" she
cried In robbers without
brains. Here Is one who IS cleVerer."
She clutched at her companions arm
es-H fstxs Alu IN fGlf Gr rf
the two men upon the quay. the ole
who up TIL then had shown the greater
restraint. seemed 10 find In the sound
OF that voice and the little afTectionate
gesture a madness which made him
forget al his exhaustion. his dis
reputable pitiful state His first i'm
pulse seemed TO be- TO throw himself into
the sea with some desperate effort at
bridging the distance between the rot
ten plank upon which he stood and
that challenging voice Then he checked
himself, looked wildly around, and
lurehed heavily toward the sentinel
soldier With strength which, undE
the circumstances, wag amazing he
wrenched from the istters hand the
rife be vas carrying. end STOPPING down
took careful aim at the passengers on
the boot. There was sharp click oa
ne pulled the triggerv~~notillng mere.
The magazine Of the rife was empty.
The soldier. recovered from his sur
prise. stepped fsiriously forward.
you are under arrest" he declared.
''Yod will come with rae IT 0nce-you
and your companion. We 30 first 10 tbs
prison"
The man %l10 had sought 10 COM
nit murder stood for moment as
though deaf His eyes were fixed upon
toe steamer. nov passed outside the
fsf41or and plOwing is lsbori0us way
through the cobalt oily sea The figures
Of the t@o passengers had disappeared
He faneied still, however that he could
hear an echo-~or was it a repetition ~z
a That little m9ckiDg laugh He was
~ have the same fancy many times IN
later life .
The same two men, Victor Porte
ard Solomon Craunt, were hnebinR
together. one morning. some fifteen
years later IN business mems ciuh
o. The twentieth story oi great down
town New YORK building.
They we're ataifed nov IN The well ~cli
business clothes VI the typical New
Yorker and each seemed W have i'm
biDed something Of the aieftne5s Of tht
metropolis III which they had lived f0l
the last 10 years. Solomon Grannt hae
increased I'D girtn uDiB MS figure wa
almost tlIbby, the pall0f of the cit
lad replaced the aunbarn Of S0utS
America, but hts gray-green eyes, al
though unpleasant, were keen aat
bright. Victor Porte had preserved
WITH his slenderness ~ figure that 81
If distinction which seemed always Z
..u..~nts 4s4.sa q little sn class from al