Part 14 (1/2)
He walked back toward the cove where he had diseht of him, pulled up ”anchor” and paddled his boat to the shore But Mr Heatherblooet in; his eyes rested on the bushel or so of freshly caught, bubble-blowing crabs He strove to appear calet for the
”'Bout fifty cents de dozen, boss Crab ht ter be jest now”
”Why don't you try to sell theed to speak carelessly but it was a difficult task
”Jest becos she is 'over there', boss,” returned the darky lazily
”Mighty swift tide sweeping around de head of dat island!” he explained
”And you don't like rowing against it?” Quickly ”See here, I'll tell you what I'll do I like a bit of exercise, and just for the gaive you sixty cents a dozen for the lot, and keep all I can get over that The owner of that craft is a Russian and all Russians like sea food When they can't get caviar, they'll no doubt u on the dusky countenance--”an'--”
”Done!” said Mr Heatherbloo within hi his last bill to the other ”And now, get out It'll be easier pulling without you”
The darky grinned and obeyed This was a strenuous passenger truly, not averse to stiff rowing, after a stiff walk, ”jest for pleasure” But the dusky pilot had s before--”spo'tsmen”, they called themselves And a certain sense of humor, as Mr
Heatherbloom sat down to the oars, caused the colored ot a white man a-workin' for me_ He had only finished a bar or two, however, when the tune abruptly ceased on his lips ”Dat's too bad,” he said ”I guess de deal's off, boss” Regretfully
”Eh?” Mr Heatherblooain now, by force if necessary
”Look dar!” continued the darky
Mr Heatherbloom did look in the direction indicated A puff of black snificant fact!--the dark s beyond the sky-line of the sand-hill The young man turned pale
”It's de Russian yacht, boss She's under way all right!”
Mr Heatherblooaze Where the island was lower he saw the top--then the boat herself, white, beautiful, swinging out fro fast
”Dat's too bad,” murmured the colored man ”I done be powerful disappointed, boss!”
The other did not answer Going! going! He had waited too long to board her He could not reach her now--he would never reach her The fla sun flared in Mr Heatherbloom's face, but he continued motionless
CHAPTER XII
ON THE ROAD
Gone! It was the only word he, could think of Every thought, every eue No plan occurred to hi but one picture--a boat vanishi+ng Night had begun to fall as they returned to the city Its lights played ly in the darkness Mr Heatherblooaze The secret-service man, the chief of police and his assistants were on shore so to capture him, but he did not care Let them take him now! What did it ot out like an autoood night, but if so he spoke without knowing it The boatly; Mr Heatherblooain and the other overlooked rereenback was considerably more than the fare
Indifferent to his fate, Mr Heatherbloo dark highways, not through fear of being apprehended, but because his mood was dark He did not even notice where he went; he just kept going He forgot he was hungry, but at length, as in a dreaht nature asserted itself; he was not made of iron; hishis surroundings, he sank listlessly to the earth; the cool grass received his exhausted frahts of the city thre a sullen glow on the sky All was comparatively still about hihter sound of vehicles on the well kept, al country road It seehfare, but with little life and anio by occasionally, however, and, not far from Mr Heatherbloom, at a curb, stood a round in front of a s trees and surrounded by a stone wall overgroith foliage Mr Heatherbloos The laure on the front seat was barely distinguishable Now this person got down and lighted a cigarette; he seelanced once or twice at the house Froleamed; then it vanished, only to reappear a few e fireflies glistened; a tree-toad began to make a sound but almost immediately stopped The front door had apparently opened and sos on the gravel indicated rass, for there were no audible indications of their approach The arette and opened the door of the car Several people, issuing froot in Mr Heatherbloo shadows
The driver bent over and lighted one of his lamps As he did so, the flare revealed for an instant his face--square, rather handsome and bearded A faint flicker of interest, for some reason undefinable to himself at thewhere the grass was tall and now raised hi tops The car had gathered headway and swung out into the road, when suddenly son tongue That musical note--a word he did not understand--afted to Mr Heatherbloo to his feet and, bewildered, stared after the ? He could hardly at first believe the evidence of his senses, for the laugh, coht, was that of the woman for whom he had procured employment at Miss Van Rolsen's He could have sworn to the fact now And the man whose countenance he had so briefly seen was, no doubt, of her own nationality--a Russian!