Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02

move, every motion graceful now, easy, 1.-the,
natural. And more than he caught her
watching him, her brows lifted little, her lips
parted, something queerly speculative and warm
in her eyes. He would have given the world to
have put his arms about her then and feel her
head upon his shoulder.
THEY sat down to eat at last. Emma kept
her eyes on her plate and ate quite me.
chanicaIly and grew quite confused once when
he asked her If she would like any salt He
cut up his meat and put some Of it in his
mouth and apparently swallowed it whole. He
had no recollection of eating at all. He could
not take his eyes from Emma. The little aunt
sat huddled in her chair, her eyes DINNER now,
watching first one and then the other and sip
ping between times at her tea cup and nibbling
her biscuit. She complained ENORMOUSLY at
last that they were both so quiet folks would
think he hadn't been away nine months for all
they were saying. At which Emma's ears went
pink and the sailor hurriedly began to talk OF
some member of the crew who had fallen down
hatchway in Port Said. Very professional he
was And an unusual twinkle passed for mo-
ment across the old lady's eyes.
There was the washing up then and they
grew easier and laughed at intervals quite
naturally while he wiped the dishes she passed
to him. Until their hands began to touch and
once, when they both bent to pick up some
thing she had dropped their cheeks brushed
one against the other and they grew suddenly
quiet again, until the sailor reused himself,
If he remembered something, and, picking up
his sea-bag placed 1t on the table and began
to let go the boat lacing which held its mouth
together. Emma brought the red-shaded oil
lamp closer and watched his hands they
ripped the knots apart, brown and strong with
blue tattooing on their backs. Wonderful
hands, she thought. He was so big and brave
and friendly.
Then she was lost in delight He had
hro., ifsRfa oil tna
Whales teeth and sharks jaws; carved ebony
boxes silks from India, tea from Ceylon
magnificent shawl from Port Said, and, lastly,
q ring of hammered gold with solitary pear
shaped pearl blister mounted in a snakes jaws.
She claSped her hands together and said soft
little words and her eyes shone with the
der of it all. And yet she was afraid. No man
had ever brought her such things before, such
costly things. She was afraid to take them,
not for what they might imply but because she
would not know what to do with them and they
must have cost him so much, most of his wages
perhaps.
But he laughed and gestured widely What
would he do with them If she refused them?
He had searched the shops and bazaars for
her. She would never know how many streets
and alleys he had tramped looking for gifts
within reach Of his pocket. Nor how much the
memory of her lips and eyes had helped him to
spend his money that way instead of with his
shipmates in the water front bars. No, she
would never know that. But she must take
the gifts He took her hand at last shyly still
but with trace of firmness and on one finger
he put the ring of hammered gold with the
pearl blister mounted between snakes jaws.
And then, and because the flush was in her
cheeks again and she looked very lovely he
kissed her, trembling and afraid she was,
trembling and afraid as he was himself. And
nothing else mattered
Life was very wonderful. The dim and
dusty little junk store absorbed the whole world
and all the things within it were as bright and
golden as the treasures of a great palace. The
little aunt in the back room was querulous no
more, for she had a warm new blanket for her
knees and feet, her canister of tea was always
filled, there was always something for Emma to
cook now and there was no need to worry II
day passed and there were no customers. The
whole place seemed wakened to a strange and