Adventure Magazine Cover — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

pie him nearer to Paris or Boekene than to the Flanders mud. However, he knew Paris and London from a moneyed point “wy AS ADE 7 mt Ate i> va 4 ve Sa ay > HE NAAR RICO eR toad +41 * ait, i Pt kt PBA CT dt ke A ae 8 Abs, Wael »* 1% t ‘% 4 . ‘ ’ < Ta? - the heat. ~ nib tae : < a - % a a ‘tae _, — ny pale try =a = = ae ele SS Fh ee es ae “nee a. ae - . ‘ a - <n = of view and his flippant descriptions and remarks were amusing enough to pass the time under a sky of blue on a violet sea. According to his own account he was a bit of a gallant, and of his prowess he was. apt to boast to a point beyond the canons of good taste. But to Viafter her shoulder rubbing with the world in the past four years such a small matter seemed rather silly than otherwise. And to tell the truth a small incident led her out of idle mis- chievousness to rather encourage him, for one afternoon as Selwyn was stroking his tiny mustaches with much gallantry in the. middle of an account of life in war-time Paris she chanced to look up and beheld the Second leaning over the upper bridge, where obviously he could not help but hear, with a portentous frown of genuine anger on his face. / “Of all the —— impertinence!”’ ex- claimed Vi, and laughed loudly, a hilarity Selwyn naturally credited to her apprecia- tion of his story. 3 SO THEY chugged across the Medi- ba B terranean and through the Suez “b® Canal. The weather was as hot as the proverbial Red Sea. In the lightest of crash gowns, Vi gave up even reading in A light breeze was dead astern so that they were denied even the air made by the speed of the tramp. Selwyn, cursing fluently’ because there was not an ample supply of ice, tried to bribe Chi Loo to steal some from the cabin ice-chest for his champagne, of which he guzzled exceedingly, ignoring the advice of the captain that wine merely made him feel the heat more than ever. At dinner one night Selwyn implored the captain and Vi to join him in his cups. The heat certainly was trying. Although the captain refused Vi laughingly consented to have some. Selwyn became more than usually jubilant. But the Old Man was right. In such a heat wine, particularly sparkling wine, does have an abnormal effect. The grizzled mate, as soon as he had finished his food, apologized and departed to the bridge to. release the second. As he entered the saloon Vi was raising her-.glass to her lips. ke ees es ~ oe a —— = = a 2 » a ae Sebo ee . aus = . = he. > a al é -: Soe” Ste a ae aT = oo > eine. aS SS =A . ~ - >* cs <— eoatiings taken bee a —— . It willdo you good.” — “have a glass of wine. “Ves,” urged Selwyn hilariously, willing — to support anything that Vi should propose, “come along. ‘There’s still some left—and anyway we'll have another. Hi, there! You yellow-eyed rabbit! Chi Loo}” Carnell stood before his seat and eyed them both. Then he leoked straight at Vi and said very solemnly and distinctly— “Thank you very much indeed, Miss Kelvett, but I don’t dri “What!” gasped Vi, holding her glass in the air in her surprize. “‘What! You don’t drink! Come, don’t be absurd.” “Tam very sorry, but that is the truth,” he repeated gravely, and sat down. “Come along,” urged Selwyn bolsters ously. “Don’t be such a prig.’ “Thank you, no, sir,’’ responded Carnell quietly, and began to drink his soup. As-Vi resolutely refused to share another bottle they went on deck. They sat in their usual chairs near the chart-house and smoked, watching the stars like illuminated crystals. Vi was vaguely aware that Sel- wyn had become unusually quiet. The thump of the engines, the occasional clang of an iron away down in the belly of the ship or the harsh creak of a fireman twisting a ventilator in the vain attempt to catch some air for the stokehole, were the only sounds. Captain Kelvett, in white duck, came on deck. The glow of his cigar seemed like a golden insect attracted by Selwyn’s. The Old Man poufed his disgust with the heat, and, remarking, “There’s more air up top, I think,” mounted the bridge ladder. “T hope it won’t be as hot as this in Cal- cutta,” remarked Selwyn. “But we’ll have a good time there. I'll make the beggars turn out and cart us all over India, what?” “Really?” said Vi languidly. “That will . be rather amusing.” Again he was silent. “What?’’ “T wonder if you’d mind if I call you Vi? Do you?” ep don’t care what you call me,” said Vi, laughing lazily, “particularly in this heat.” “Oh, don’t say that. I mean it, you know.” On her hand, resting on the canvas arm of the chair, his anaes closed. She alee ee Ste ee aA i Rie ~~ ~’ rs ~<a PO one as . = <—— Per = ben if <> Ft s ed “a . = as % 2 . a 4