Part 1 (1/2)

The Captain of the Kansas

by Louis Tracy

CHAPTER I

ITEMS NOT IN THE MANIFEST

”I think I shall enjoy this trip,” purred Isobel Baring, nestling co the cushi+ons of her deck chair A steas arranging tea for two at a sines, was speeding evenly through an azure sea

”I agree with that opinion h, to be sure, so much depends on the weather,” replied her friend, Elsie Maxwell, rising to pour out the tea Already the brisk sea-breeze had kissed the Chilean pallor frolish peach-blooed with the warranate

At sea, even in the blue Pacific, she carried with her the suggestion of a tropical garden

”I never gave a thought to the weather,” purred Isobel again, as she subsided more deeply into the cushi+ons

”Let us hope such a blissful state of mind may be justified But you know, dear, we ale before we reach the Straits”

Isobel laughed

”All the better!” she cried ”People tellinvalid I look like a creamy orchid And what luck to have a chum so disinterested as you where a lot of nice men are concerned! What have I done to deserve it? Because you are really char, you know”

”Does that mean that you have already discovered a lot of nice men on board?”

Elsie handed her friend a cup of tea and a plate of toast

”Naturally While you were hts and tints of the Andes, I kept an eye, both eyes in fact, on our coin with, there's the captain”

”He is good-looking, certainly Somewhat reserved, I fancied”

”Reserved!” Isobel showed all her fine teeth in a smile

Incidentally, she took a satisfactory bite out of a square of toast

”I 'll soon shake the reserve out of hi before we ale of yours”

”Isobel, you pro the voyage Do you think that I intend only to sleep, eat, and read novels all the way to London? Then, indeed, I should be ill But there is a French Comte on the shi+p He is mine, too”

”You mean to find safety in numbers?”

”Oh, there are others Of course, I am sure of my little Count He twisted his mustache with such an air when I skidded past hiive the chatterer another cup of tea

”And you proood-humoredly Even the in a long voyage with idiotic programs of work to be done

”I mean to substitute a live Frenchman for a dead one--that is all