The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-02-18

| pO"etlul uONS Ava
for its greatest projection of
strength, hurled himself toward
the two hateful backs and struck
down both men simultaneously.
He had reached the edge of the
| deck and had a leg over the bull
wark before two other marines
seized him and brought him back.
After that things happened
rapidly. There was a report to
the Captain who listened atten-
! lively and smiled oddly.
I at was the large man" he
asked. "Whitfield?" This was as
it should be. 1t would have been
awkward, had it been the other
one who had bolted. The Cap
tain gave an order.
A call was piped shrilly, calling
all hands. Cabell, listening on the
ladder of the hold, knew what this
meant. He too must go above. He
went, with sick heart and drag
ging feet.
To Jerry Whitfield, reason had
returned. Instinct still surged
within him-the old primitive in
stinct that writheS at the feel of
a whip on naked flesh-but rea-
son dominated. With a proud and
scornful dignity he went where
he was commanded to go, per-
mitted without useless struggle
the shirt to be stripped from his
back and his feet to be fastened
to the grantings. He heard the
command Twenty lashes" with
out moving his eyes from a dis
tant cloud. He was conscious
then of nothing except his own
super-human determination to
make no cutlery.
AS he turned to go, afterward,
he looked into a ring of faces
that had been summoned to wit
ness his punishment. Some were
brutally pleased, some stoical and
hardened, some plying. He saw
a very young midshipman look at
his bleeding back and fall in a |
faint. He saw Cabell Banks stand |
ing with folded arms and frozen
expression.
Banks fell into step with him.
The two prisoners went below.
Banks said, Heres some salve
bought from the surgeons help
c.. I'll put it on for you" His
aristOcratic, ugly face was as
white as death.
Thank YOU" Jerry Whitfield
said.
Presently they pulled hemp
strands from the damp rope and
resumed their game of yesterday,
and after that they spoke of how
the foliage would soon be turning
in Massachusetts, and of the
Shcarcity of wild turkeys near the
settled places.
1t was not until night, from
the depths OF a pain-filled sleep
that jerry shouted, "I'll get even
with them for thisw 1t was the
threat that cruelty automatically
produces.
In Boston the hour was not so
late. Mr.. Cabell Banks, senior,
was pacing the drawing room
floor in his beautiful square
Georgian house on Beacon street
while his wife sat erectly before
the fire slipping coffee from a
small fragile cup and urging him
tobe calm.
Beside Mrs. Banks on the high
armed regency sofa sat a small,
almost pretty, very intelligent
young woman, perhaps 22-years
old. She too slipped coffee. Her
shppered feet with the neat rib
bon lacing around her ankles
were placed properly together on
the Persian rug. Her dress was
slim and high wasted, squarely
cut at the neck - identical in
style, indeed, with the frocks of
! Maize Miller and the Empress
Josephine, for while three coun-
tries were warning with all their
might, their women stood reso-
lutely together as regarding short
waists and tight skirts.
Prudence Winthrop was this
girls name, and her father was
in business with the wirey old
man who paced the floor. She
was very much attached to that
old mans son. She confessed as
much now to his parents: If Ca
bell comes home and asks me, /
shall accept him. He's homely
and high-strung but l find him
stimulating. | am very fond OF
him." ->.
Thank you, my DEAR" said
Cabelps plump and proper mo,
Their. She leaned to kiss the cool
young cheek affectionately.
Mr.. Banks too was pleased. "ThiS
/. is highly appropriate" he ex'
fclaimed. "Your father and | have