Part 8 (1/2)
A myriad of questions in his brain strove for utterance. But the girl spoke first.
”Who are you?” she whispered. ”I am Eileen Lorimer.”
”I am--I was the wireless operator of the _Vandalia_.”
The coolie paused a moment for breath, then the mad plunging of the paddle sounded again.
”The wireless operator? You heard my call?”
”Been waiting for China's lights--ever since. But how--what?” he demanded.
She was silent a moment. ”I know the code. My brother owned a private station. We lived in Pasadena--ages ago. It does seem ages.” She stirred feebly. ”You don't mind?”
”No, no,” he protested.
”I am afraid--such a long time. Weeks? Years?” She shuddered. ”I do not know. Oh--I want to go home!”
The coolie broke into a working sing-song as he struggled. The tide should s.h.i.+ft before long.
”Were you in the loft above Ah Sih King's?”
”Roped! I broke loose.”
”The red note?”
”I scribbled with a nail, and threw it before she knocked me down.
That woman was a demon!”
A pale, yellow glow seemed to body forth from the enshrouding mist.
Dawn was breaking. Soon the great river would be alight.
”School-teacher,” the girl was murmuring. ”A wedding present for her--in Ah Sih King's.” A small hand fumbled for his, and found it.
”In the back room they began gibbering at me. And this demon came.
Meaningless words--Ah Sih King leered. Called me the luckiest woman in China.”
”But how did you know?”
An empty freighter with propellers flailing half out of water pounded through the yellow mist close to them.
”Hie! Hie!” shrilled the coolie's warning.
Light seeped through the doorway. The outlines of a dark skirt were silhouetted against the scrubbed white floor.
”He said when I saw the lights of China I would go aboard a beautiful s.h.i.+p. She was watching you. Three times our stateroom was changed.
Always at night.”
”You used a coil?” Peter was professionally interested on this point.
The girl murmured affirmatively. ”She had some affliction. A San Francisco doctor said the electric machine would cure it. And I pretended to use it, too. But it broke down that night.”