Evening star., 1933-09-16
INSTALLMENT vi.

"NHE yacht Wings was a yaWl rig
about As feet over all, with an
apparently competent auxiliary
i motor which was capable Of
kicking her along at 10 miles
an hour, or slightly better in a mod
yawl is neither fish nor fowl, but for
service it is very practical design.
Once Wings had been a fast and sea-
worthy craft, probably a race winner
in the class. Now she was old and
suffered by comparison with the happer
yachts with their fresh paint and one
piece lines, but she still rode the morn
ing swells that rolled into the bay with
reminiscent and naughty bravery. She
carried her age like an old actress: one
felt that when she perished 1t would
be all at once and with the sound Of
applause In her grateful ears.
Irene had the wheel and Vernon was
tidying up the deck, coiling the lines,
which had been left In shiftless tan
gle by the deserting crew. and swab
bing a deck which was muddy from
the tramping Of many feet the pre-
vious evening.
Irene noted his activities with ap-
proval and when they had passed Ellis
Island and were in the comparatively
him to the wheel.
ANY experience as q sailor?" she
asked BRIEFLY
Navy during the war, that's ALL"
TRY your hand at the wheel"
He did while she explained the pecu-
liarities of the yawl's gait All vessels
from row boats to liners have some
individual habits
You'll do" Irene commended. Hold
her for the narrows while I cook some
breakfast"
There was a small galley forward
and presently the prophetic aroma of
coffee and bacon came back to the
steersman. It smelled like good coffee
and good bacon, too.
1t was-better than any that Vernon
had tasted in years. But, then, he had
never before been served by SO interest
ing steward on the dawn Of promis-
ing adventure.
The sun was breaking up the mist
now and the voyage looked more like
Were it not for Miss Ferguson's evi-
dent concern that they make all pos
sible speed Vernon would have felt
that the entire party was a lark excur-
sion to Coney Island from which they
were going to return in the afternoon.
The girl vouchsafed no further ex-
PLANTATION of her situation nor did she
enlighten Vern as to their ultimate
destination. Apparently she did not
trust any one with her secret troubles.
Vern rather suspected that being the
daughter OF shiftless, unreliable
father such as hers, had forced her
to develop an independence of thought
and spirit which was probably not
germane to her character.
Vern liked her more by daylight. He
was inclined to scof little himself at
the stand he had taken the night be-
fore when he had stated that destiny
seemed to have appointed him her pro-
tector. He had been kidding himself
out of a stagnant boredom by the pre-
ing rays of the sun it scarcely seemed
likely that Providence had picked him
out. But the girl who had won his
instant sympathy was still just as COM
pelling as ever
Her hair, which for practical reasons
was cut short like boys, was high
lighted chestnut shade Her skin had
that clear, cool pallor which is the
healthy hue of some compilations which
do not burn. There were honest
freckles on it, many of them. and few
weather lines around the mouth and
eyes Any one who was out of doors
much was bound to have those tight
little wrinkles.
The thing that was most character
istic of Irene Ferguson. and Vernon had
much corroboration of this latter, was
her calm poise. In a world of neures-
thenic women Irene was unruft1ed. She
suffered anxiety, she was tremendously
upset right now, but she sat calmly on
the transom, her hands folded quietly
in her lap no movement to her grace
full body save an acknowledgment Of
the slow roll of the yawl. Despite the
fact that he had sailed with other girls
whose fathers owned yachts and the
to keep them up. Vern admitted
to himself that he had never known
young woman who seemed to fit better
against the background of the sea.
White clothes embroidered with fouled
anchors were not necessary to stamp
her as a good sailor Irene was the per-
sonihcation of capable grace directed by
a calmly competent mind and that,