Evening star., 1938-08-28

son. He was fitting crown prince to an
empire of lucrative rackets
At this precise moment young Matteo felt
little like a crown prince. He was gasping in
the dark, hot hold of a vessel whittier he had
taken refuge from Officer Comskey and side
kick Some one had put the lid on the hatch
way through which he had dropped catlike in
the darkness He had tried to gain the shelter
of his fathers car, parked against the curbing
near the wharf, but finding it locked and being
hard pressed, he had ducked into the shelter
of the pier and down the forward hawser of
the Falcon.
Lying on top of crate, wedged between it
and the deck, he heard his father and Brooklyn
Joe go ashore, but thinking it was the officers.
he kept quiet. The next thing he knew, the
hatch was being battened down. He was ex-
hausted and breathless from his long run
lodging the officers. 1t was insufferably hot
on top of the crate next to the deck. The
stuffy air made his brain reel
At eight bells on the morning watch, Nc
Groarty, the mate, came dragging something
into the mess room by the collar. The Falcon
was bucking head sea off the Jersey shore.
To one whose seagoing activities had been
confined to picking pockets of excursionists
on the Staten Island ferries, the behavior Of
the schooner was disquieting.
The heir to the De Franc empire was very
sick crown prince. His face was the color of
unbleached muslin. and his dark eyes were
CLASSY. He could stand only with the support
of the mates grip. Captain Blum removed
his spectacles. What! A stowawayr'
Il heard commotion below" the mate
nodded, so unbattened the hatch and found
this tangled up in crate of alarm clocks.
What shall do with it? There are no spare
hunks, for ard
The skipper leaned back in his chair and
looked his passenger over. so you want to
be a sailor?" he said, not unkindly
Who? Me?" Matteo retorted with more
spirit than he looked capable of at the mo-
ment. Il want to 60 home"
Tired of it already, eh? All right, son.
we'll take you home - in about nine weeks"
Mine - what? want to 60 home, now:
don't like this ferry
This is not ferry, son. It's the topsail
schooner Falcon. bound for Port Tobacco.
West Indies"
Il never heard of the place. don't want
to go there want to 60 home"
What shall do with him?" the mate
asked HE bit my thumb half off - the
young whelp."
IF I'd had my monkey wrench. Id have
pushed your face I'M" Matteo snapped.
The mates open hand came in contact with
Matteo's cheek, not too hard, but hard enough
to make recipient blink, and evoke string
of lurid curses. The skipper put forth re-
straining hand. GO back on deck, Mr.. Nc
Groarty," he said "I1l handle him."
When the mate had gone. Captain Blum
said to the boy: Now, then, let's have the
truth What have you done??"
"Nu - nothing. The cops got it in for me.
They chased me. saw this scow with the lid
off and hid out. Then somebody put the lid on,
and passed out with the heat"
Il see What's your name, SOM"
"Matteo De Franc. And my old man will
give you hell if don't show up"
The skipper blinked. de Frano?" he re-
peated. Dave De Frano?"
Sure The big shot Everybody knows my
old man. If you know what's good for you,
you'll turn this ferry and take me back
The skipper sat looking at his passenger.
trying to adjust his mind to the pranks of
fate 81 Ook son." he said finally I'VE 20 on