Part 11 (1/2)

”Mean skunk!” coue on his lips ”What about having a drink of some sort?”

”He struck me,” hissed the second an to bustle about sympathetically ”Can't possibly talk here I want to know all about it

Struck--eh? Let's get a fellow to carry your chest I know a quiet place where they have so the shore through a pair of glasses, inforineer afterwards that ”our late seconduncoether fro of the needful repairs did not disturb Captain MacWhirr The steward found in the letter he wrote, in a tidy chart-roo interest that twice he was nearly caught in the act But Mrs MacWhirr, in the drawing-room of the forty-pound house, stifled a yawn--perhaps out of self-respect--for she was alone

She reclined in a plush-bottoilt hammock-chair near a tiled fireplace, with japanese fans on theher hands, she glanced wearily here and there into the es It was not her fault they were so prosy, so coinning, to ”Your loving husband” at the end She couldn't be really expected to understand all these shi+p affairs She was glad, of course, to hear from him, but she had never asked herself why, precisely

”They are called typhoonsThe mate did not seem to like itNot in booksCouldn't think of letting it go on”

The paper rustled sharply ”A calm that lasted more than twenty htless eyes caught, on the top of another page, were: ”see you and the children again” She had ahoood salary before What was the matter now?

It did not occur to her to turn back overleaf to look She would have found it recorded there that between 4 and 6 A M on December 25th, Captain MacWhirr did actually think that his shi+p could not possibly live another hour in such a sea, and that he would never see his wife and children again nobody was to know this (his letters got mislaid so quickly)--nobody whatever but the steward, who had been greatly iive the cook so solemnly, ”The old man himself had a dam' poor opinion of our chance”

”How do you know?” asked, contemptuously, the cook, an old soldier ”He hasn't told you, ive me a hint to that effect,” the steward brazened it out

”Get along with you! He will be co to tell me next,” jeered the old cook, over his shoulder

Mrs MacWhirr glanced farther, on the alert ”Do what's fair

Miserable objectsOnly three, with a broken leg each, and oneThought had better keep the”

She let fall her hands No: there was nothinga pious wish Mrs MacWhirr's mind was set at ease, and a black marble clock, priced by the local jeweller at 3L 18s 6d, had a discreet stealthy tick

The door flew open, and a girl in the long-legged, short-frocked period of existence, flung into the room

A lot of colourless, rather lanky hair was scattered over her shoulders

Seeing hereyes upon the letter

”From father,” murmured Mrs MacWhirr ”What have you done with your ribbon?”

The girl put her hands up to her head and pouted

”He's well,” continued Mrs MacWhirr languidly ”At least I think so

He never says” She had a little laugh The girl's face expressed a wandering indifference, and Mrs MacWhirr surveyed her with fond pride

”Go and get your hat,” she said after a while ”I a There is a sale at Linom's”

”Oh, how jolly!” uttered the child, i tones, and bounded out of the rooray sky and dry sidewalks Outside the draper's Mrs MacWhirr senerous proportions ar falsely above a bilious matronly countenance They broke into a swift little babble of greetings and exclaether, very hurried, as if the street were ready to yawn open and s all that pleasure before it could be expressed

Behind the People couldn't pass,patiently, and Lydia was absorbed in poking the end of her parasol between the stone flags Mrs MacWhirr talked rapidly