| OCR Text |
Show Wallis Leaves the Ship Dramatically To Search for Maida Ashore Serial, 'Both Over 21,' by Samuel Hopkins Adam 1 'Miss McCabe't expenses up to now have been paid by the Lex-Lohen- I grin, for which I am acting. W 1 still consider ourselves responsible for getting her back. Unless, of course, she gives me an official discharge dis-charge from my responsibilities." His voice retained its lightness; but his eyes were grave as he turned them upon the girl. "IS that what you want to doT Am out?" "No-n-no, not exactly." The handsome face of the dancer i darkened. "Then what about our agreement?" he demanded. "Give me a little time," she pleaded. "Can I go back to the Chateau Duchesse?" she Inquired of Wallis. - "Why, yes; 1 suppose so." "Then I'll see you tonight at tha Glorlana." she told Aymon. "You don't mind, do you?" she added softly. "It'll be all right." Aymon perceived that there was nothing to be gained by Immediate debate, of the question. He took off his hat with a handsome flourish. "Au revolr, then." For a moment It seemed that j (ConUniMd en tha Following Pass) CHAPTER SI , Toiling In the wake of his Impetuous Im-petuous companion, Mr. Metziger traded Wallis Kane around the curve of the deck to the far side, which was almost deserted. On his tour of search Wallis had noticed a half deck mainly taken up by a racing sloop, cradled and lashed. Here he turned In. The manager's man-ager's voire halted .him. "Hey!" Wally! Where dVou think you're going 7" "Ashore." , "You can't." "Shut up. Stand by that entrance. en-trance. Don't let anyone In." With a Jump he caught the combing of the sloop and drew himself up. As he had hoped, there was a coil of stout rope at the stern. He made one end secure and, dropping back to the deck, carried the rest to the rail. "Don't be crazy," besought Mr. Metziger. Wallis Ignored him. Peering down the 20-yard drop to the water, he selected from the attendant at-tendant fleet a motor boat hardly larger than a water bug. directly beneath. A red-headed, red-faced yuulh was at the uneet Warns set his hope on that sanguine hue. Human and adventurous tendencies tenden-cies are often housed beneath that type of thatch. "Ahoy, below!" The face turned up. "Ahoy, yourself." "Got any sporting blood?" "What's the bet?" "There Isn't any. I'm coming down." Over the rope, swiftly unlooping. Wallis committed himself him-self to It. Now he was swinging dizzily In midair. A swerve bumped him painfully against the curve of the hull. People were shouting. Metzy's distorted countenance coun-tenance loomed. Slip slide check whirl. He loosed his knee grip and hoped his trousers would not catch fire from the friction . . . Bang! "Whoa, mare!" Competent hands gripped and steadied him. "Thanks," said he. "Love and kisses," said the navigator. navi-gator. "Have a quirk one?" "The quicker the better." They had It. "Now! Why the little boarding party?" "I want ashore." "Leave something?" "Yes?" "I thought maybe It was a getaway. get-away. Your friend la throwing a fit." ". . . full authority . . . any reasonable rea-sonable expense . . . Lex-Lohengrin . . . see . . . New York." came In shrill fragments from Mr. Met-tiger's Met-tiger's looming countenance. Wallis Wal-lis waved his acceptance of the charge. "Where to, Bud?" Inquired the skipper. ' "Sea those two people on the beaeh?r The young man took a look, got out his nautical glasses and took a longer look, centered upon Maida. "Gee!" said he. "Is that what put you on the flying trapeze?" tra-peze?" "Yes." "I wouldn't blame yob. Do we land there?" "No. Around the angle where they won't see me." "Right." The craft edged alongside along-side the wait "Good luck. 1 wish It wss me." Maida had not noticed the landing land-ing party, being occupied with a further line of conversation contributed con-tributed to her ear by Aymon. It struck Wallis that she was not giving to It the attention which it presumably merited. Her gaze was fixed upon the slowly swinging swing-ing liner and, though her mouth was set in a determined smile, there seemed to be a lack of conviction con-viction about It. Wallis approached from the rear. "Do you mind If I Interrupt?" ha Inquired pleas-ntly. pleas-ntly. Maida started. "Your she cried. The tensity of her lips relaxed. "Yuu wert-ttF."WW"polntea out somewhat superfluously. "Did you get left, too?" "Not exactly." "Oh! 'Then what" "I came back to look after you." "Old Faithful," she commented derisively, but not quite steadily. "Taking over for Metzy and Lex-Lohengrin," Lex-Lohengrin," he explained. "That will hardly be necessary any longer." This from Aymon. "No?" "Miss McCabe has made other ' arrangements." "ts that true?" Wallis asked the 1 girl. "You went away and left me." she retorted defensively. "It Isn't my fault." "I suppose It's the ship's fault for sailing on time." He turned to the dancer. "May I ask what these other arrangements are?" i "No. you may not," put in Maida hastily. - I "That's the Idea," confirmed Aymon. "I don't see that It's any of your business." "You may be right," admitted Wallis with unruffled amiability. "It depends. Am I fired?" he asked the girl. "Fired? From what?" . "The onerous Job of looking after you as agent for Lex-Lohengrin, vice Mr. Metziger, outward bound." "I know what kind of agent you are," stated Aymon wamingly. "Do you want me to tell Miss McCabe?" s "Oh, she knows all about the milk route." was the rheerful reply. re-ply. "It's the present status that needs clearing up. You see, all Wallis Leaves The Ship (CaatlalMS rroai rraeaata Fast the girl was going to call him back. Sh half rose, then relapsed into her seat There was a petulant petu-lant ring in her vole as sh said to Wallts: "I'd almost forgotten that I dont Ilk you much, in fact, not at all." "Sorry. That'll hav to wait Business first Excuse m for a few minutes." He disappeared Into a small neat building at th side of the pier. The Bermuda board of trade Is one of the world's unheralded benevolences. It is the tourist's helpmeet the travelers hsven, the sure refuge of those who are distressed of mind or spirit. It knows all the answers and Its motto Is: Nothing is too much trouble. A dozen succinct questions, put and promptly resolved, a brief telephone operation, and the inquiring in-quiring stranger had the data which be sought. He returned to Maida. "You get accommodations on the Emperor day after tomorrow." tomor-row." "The same as I hsd before?" "Well, not lust exactly. You draw part of one stateroom." "You don't mean that there'll be another person in with me!" "Three." "Three people thst I've never set eyes on before? How do 1 know whst they might be like?" "How do they know whst you might be like?" Thst phase of it hsd not struck her. Nor did It appeal to her. "Don't be ridiculous," she said. "Nobody travels like that." "Oh, don't they! You'r lucky to get that much. The ship Is full to capacity." "I won't go." "What will you do?" "Wait until 1 can get decent accommodations." "You'd have to wait a week. Everything Is taken in advance." "Then I'll wait a week. I'll wait two weeks." Maida was feeling a sans of Injury against th steamship steam-ship line. Their old scow might have delayed its departure a few minutes for her! "Where will you do all this wsiting?" - "At .th Chateau Duchesse, I suppose. "Who will pay for It?" Til charge It To Lex-Lohengrin. I'm their guest until the end of the trip." (T be continued Thursday.) |
