Evening star., 1934-02-16

4CcbAfdls AldA JAAC nSAlb1Ilk VI
the sand dunes by the harbor to look
after alone and was making a half
hearted Job of it. Packy, who had
strolled onto the dunes for a pipe be-
fore returning to his boat, found him
self in a world Of shadows. and after
one or two stumbles on the uncertain
pathway, he decided to sit down and
stroll no more.
1t was a warm, soft, silky night,
restfully silent, night for a good long
lovers reverie. But Packy, oddly
enough, was not thinking Of Beatrice.
1t was the picture Of the girl Jane
Opal which filed his mind. And as
he thought of Jane Opal remorse be-
gan to grip him.
He could not conceal 1t from him
self that he had failed the poor child
IN the hour Of her need. Stung by
the others sneers, he had definitely
parted brass rags with Mr.. Gedge,
with the result that. however large
and varied the house party at the
Chateau Blissac might be, it could
never now include Packy Franklin
in its ranks. He should have perse-
Yered with Mr.. Gedge, he realized
100 late. He should not have per-
mitted few derogatory observations
on the quality of the foot ball PLAYED
at New Haven to divert him from his
purpose.
He had Just arrived at this con-
| clusion when abruptly through the
night there came to him the sound
OF running footsteps. The next mo-
ment, the moon shone weakly down
on the well-remembered form of Mr..
Soup Slattery.
Mr.. Slattery came galloping along
sighted Packy, recognized him. waved
an sgitated arm in the direction from
which he had come, shot at him one
brief, concentrated look of appeal.
then, leaping TO the left with the
last remnants Of energy in him, sank
with a gurgle behind the knoll. And
for some moments nothing was to be
heard but his mufled gasping.
And then once more running fee;
became audible. and almost immedi-
ately there burst IN view q posse oi
st. Rocque's able gendarmerie. Packy
was not a French scholar, but hil
special knowledge enabled him Il
make a guess at what they wanted tc
know, and he pointed with animation
along the path beyond him.
The pursuit rolled of in that di.
rection Only when the last footsteI
had died away did the head Of Mr.
Slattery emerge from behind the
knoll, like that of a difhdent turtle.
"zowie!" was Mr.. Slattery's com.
| ment on the affair. Not pausing tt
ask for explanations, Packy seized hi.
arm and hurried him down the slopt
to the jetty. He thrust the hunted
man into the dinghy and pulled out
for the yawl.
Brother" said Mr.. Slattery, sink.
ing on a pile Of rope on the deck ot
the Flying Cloud and taking of his
shoes, "h I live hundred years, II
never forget this night and what yoU
done for mel"
| Packy waved away his gratitude
mcdestly. What happened? Die
you murder somebody"
mo, sir; I didn't murder nobody
But :"
~ SCG gO0 d AAAs Sd4o EdChy
! remembering his obligations as host
-"Ah!" said Mr.. Slattery, passing {
long tongue over his lips.
When Packy returned with the ma.
terials for q nightcap. his guest ac-
cepted the proffered glass and drained
it with relish.
boy, could write a bookI" he said
He was so evidently convalesceni
that Packy felt there would now bC
nothing inhuman in asking for de.
tails of the affair. Tell me ALL" hs
said. Why the cops?"
ME singing-that was the star
of it,"
Can they arrest you for singing
in France?"
well. what I mean, I was break
ing the table, too"
II see. That may have been partly
the trouble, Why were you breaking
the table?"
why not9" said Mr.. slattery rea'
sonably,
"of course" said Packy, seeing hi
point.
Mr.. Slattery refreshed himselt
again. We'll, anyways, there I am
| cutting up and having a good time
and all of a sudden bunch of fel'
lows dressed as French cops come W
and start pushing me around. Well
hell" said Mr.. Slattery, with feeling
nobody can say I'm not good sport
So when they push me. 1 push them
| And so on back and forth
quite right"
"Waitl" said Mr.. slattery. "Yol
don't know nothin' yet. It WASH
more than about half a minute wher
one of these palookas suddenly pull
out young carving knife and stick
me in the wishbone with It, It goi
me plenty sore. And say to my.
self, Well, here, what the help"
"You could hardly have said less.
"'Well, what the help say tC
myself. I warn him first, mind you
1 say, Brother, don't go letting that
party spirit run away with you. broth
err I say. But no, he has to cticE
me again, and that burns me up anc
I cut loose. Two, three Of the guys
must of poked in the schnozzle, ano
I'm just beginning to go nice wfer
all Of a sudden. -. Ever been struck
by hghtning?"
packy said he had not.
"Well, it was Ike that. Because
right in sort of flash it dawns on
me that these fellows amt Just party
hounds made up for cops. They're
real cops. And, what's more. French
cops. And one thing you learn ovel
on this side Is that France amt
America. In this darned country q
man might get sent to Devils Island
or somewheres for hitting a cop. Sc
I don't wait to apologize ] beat 1t
with the whole bunch after me. And
| where I'd of ended up If you hadn'i
steered them of Of me, I wouldn't
like to say. You're aces, boy, and
you can write home and tell the folks
Soup Slattery said So"
"Soup?" said Packy. "Is that youl
name?"
"It's what they call ne back in Chi