Evening star., 1933-07-02
BY HARLEY COPE.


--HE sharp. shrill indisputably insistent
sound of the siren echoed and re-
| echoed throughout the tiny compart-
ment of the American submarine
Lila A sudden silence. then again
its inhuman tones. Its final notes
were drowned out by the new noise IN the boat
.as the men on the diving stations opened up
the ballast tanks of the submarine to the
sea and .endeavored to get the boat in sub
merged condition as quickly as possible.
At this dark period In 1917, quick dive,
spoken of as a crash dive, could only mean one
thing-the standing of once more of destruc-
ton and death from some surface vessel, all
enemies to the undersea craft.
Amid the shuddering and Gathering din
figure suddenly stirred on the deck of the CEN
tral operating compartment. raised himself un-
certainly on unstable 1eet and enoeaVored 10
rally his clouded faculties.
Making a wild effort to control himself, he
shouted out to an enormous young man with
dark brown hair. a blue straightforward pair
Of Irish eyes, and magnificent muscles rippling
under coat of tan, whose two gold stripes
On his sleeve denoted him as q lieutenant in
the Navy one Roger Baxter commanding Of
dcer of the U. S. s. Lila.
The officer at the time of being addressed
was very much interested in the picture that
was getting closer and closer to his vision
through the periscope. that Of a sleek, stietto-
like destroyer, bearing down on him at full
speed.
'\A/HERE the devil am 1'" came the high
w pitched question from that partially
bald and rotund parsonage in q blue frock coat
with gold buttons sleeves supporting two and
Q half regulation gold stripes. marking him as
. lieutenant commander in the Navy.
slow smile twitched at the mouth Of Bax-
ter and rippled for an instant over his face.
I'm the central operating compartment Of
the q. s. S. Lila, making a crash dive trying
to avoid being bombed by a destroyer. with the
odds against u.s. he added laconically.
The throat of the strange guest evolved
weird sound of abysmal detection, as nothing
but animal-like sounds seemed to emanate
from q highly -parched throat. His mind raced
through the chaos of his thoughts as he tried
10 peace together the blank gap Of unconscious
ness.
The Jogging depression gradually cleared ~up
As he recalled that night in the club-it must
have been the night before, though it seemed
years ago. Like sunshine feeling its way hest
tatingly and gingerly through fog vague
and nebulous memory came.
He had paraded blusteringly into the officers
club at Queenstown, garbed in dress uniform
to daunt the two and q half stripes that a
generous government had bestowed on him,
Mahan Jones, for many years the socially elect
member of the Naval Reserve Chapter OF Long
Island What he didn't know about this mans
Navy was no mans business. He had hardly
finished of his first drink when he found him.
self rubbing shoulders with q few well-tanned
American naval officers.
Mahan Jones had listened to their stories of
dangers and hardships with lordly tolerance and
lofty disdain. No one had paid any particular
attention to him until Roger Baxter related
how he had narrowly missed being depth
charged and then shot to pieces by one of
the American destroyers because he had failed
to get of bis recognition signal fast enough.
The uninvited guest had become the cynosure
Of hostile eyes he twisted his lips into a Ian
guild smile of contempt and unbelief as Roger
finished his none-too-pl pleasant yarn.
The face of the L-14s commanding officer
had turned a dull red as the angry blood
rushed to his head. The veins in his sturdy
neck stood out belligerently as he took step
toward the gentleman possessing generously
round front and an unmistakable air or pros
perity.
After grim silence, the tanned face of Roger
Baxter had cleared, his blue eyes sparkled, as
his voice, heavy with sarcasm. said:
Excuse me, Admiral Sims. Sure you're
right. Our little trips barging around in the
Irish Sea are nothing but pink tea affairs and
we just make them to rest up from the siren
uous life on the beach,"
THERE had ensued brief, uncomfortable
u pause. The thinly veiled mockery of the
submariner slowly seeped into the mind Of the
staggering and loud-speaking Jones, who then
became vocal with the vehemence Of one who
releases q long-pent grievance.
Look here young fellow. I don't like your
tone of voice." he had said. II am lieutenant
commander in this Navy and it's time you
young neutenants learned your place"
The others gravely bowed from To- waist
IN mock politeness