Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17

ERALD BRATTLE was saying good
by to his Aunt Abigail Brattle.
There were no tears. Aunt Abigail
never shed them. They sat In one
of the high, enormous INSIDE
shuttered windows of Aunt Abiga1ls house.
BE sure and pack your rubbers," she SAID.
at know that's supposed to be Joke-DuS
wet feet in foreign land is no joke Ia pack
two pairs A 1O-months' cruise is long one"
They're in aunt" replied Gerald. Il guess
I've got everything
"Your medicine kit9 Don't forget that"
And for the dozenth time, Eyes, indeed. Ger
aid. think this trip viii be the making OF you
Gerald gazed fshily at her. Aunt Abigail,
there are times when it is best to face the truth.
I'VE been doing lot of thinking. don't think
this trip viii make any difference You ana l
both know I'm hopeless
Tut tutl Nothing of the kind!
"A,Int YOU don't know. Why, in the once
they call me Mr.. Drattle and sometimes Mr.
Cratic. I amor wasnt-even lmpof1anC
enough for them to get my name right. II
0You mustn't be downhearted. Gerald"
snapped his aunt. mo Brattle ever struck his
colors-
He laughed coldly. I'm not downhearted.
Just realize things, that's all. Only wanted
YOU to know left Boston as resigned third
assistant clerk to the fifth vice president Of
business house. And that's all I'd got to be IN
IL years.
He stood up and looked out through the
window He did, indeed, look something Ike
he'd said, a zero. Not bad good looking, not
tall or short, not thin or fat. Even his deScrlp-
ton has to be in the negative.
GERALD never received eight months of his
paid-for ten-months' cruise. One day,
while the old S. S. Blenuria was moving along
her rolling way in the South Pacific, storm
came up-and once up, stayed up. Gerald may
have been, as he had said, a zero, but he
certainly got a good high mark for the way
he accepted his fate. Almost calmly he waited
for what might happen. And things didn't
look any too good
For three days the old Blenuria rode it out,
a gallant last gesture She was leaking badly.
She had been blown miles OF her course ana
the end looked near.
It came at the end of terrible night. Gerald
never was clear about the details. He remem-
bered getting into madly tossing lneboat and
being pitched out of it afterward in the dark.
But he had life preserver on and, magically,
the sea became quite a bit calmer.
Gerald padded easily, looking about in the
coming dawn for anything. The seemed
empty, terribly empty. Not a sign of anybody
else or any boats. And then most heartening
sight came A bit of land, sticking up like
gray tuft In the half-ight. He struck out for 1t.
But the sea was not empty. Ten minutes
after seeing this bit of land, he sighted what
looked like a girl, swimming, and supporting
herself by plank.
Gerald reached her side And was surprised
to find 1t was two girls!
It was something of struggle, but they made
It about an hour later. Utterly exhausted, the
three of them threw themselves on the warm
sandy beach of the island and slept.
Gerald was the first to wake some 10 hours
later He sat up, dazed wondering. Then the
picture crashed into his senses Here he was,
Gerald Brattle of Boston, one-time clerk,
stranded on a hunk of land miles and miles
from any place at all! Castawaysl
He laughed aloud. One Of the girls stirred
Then she struggled to a sitting position, rubbing
her eyes.
'what-what-where are we?" she asked
bewildered.
well, we're alive-and on an island" NUT
tered Gerald. That's all know"
The other girl suddenly awoke with a Shrek
began laughing Historically.
"Hil" called out Gerald "You mustn't DO
that!"
He crawled over TO her; pulled down her
hands, which were clawing at her face. He held
her-tried to calm her-and marveled at him
self for his first performance of the kind But
she persisted in her shrieks.
:Steadyi" he ordered her. "This won't do.
Come out Of it. Or-or I'll sock you'll"
Her cries seemed witless. Something had to
be DONE So he gritted his teeth-and swung
his open hand across her face.
shut upl" he commanded.
THE effect was magic. Her eyes stopped
rolling and steadied. The lids f1utAered,