Picture Play Magazine (Oct-Nov 1915)

22 PICTURE-PLAY WEEKLY and had stopped before the cabin three doors away from his. "Frances !" he repeated cheerily. "We're anchoring now, and they've come to take us ashore. Coming, Frances — coming?'' Frances' maid, straightening things up inside, said that Miss Durant was already on deck with her father. Pinckney hurried out and made his way with difficulty among the groups of officers and their wives who were now crowding the forward deck of the little yacht. He passed by his host, with a word of congratulation for his quick recovery. Then he found Frances, smiling, bright, and cheerful, and apparently quite herself again, standing talking with Admiral Barlow, with whom Pinckney shook hands cordially as he came up. "You've heard the good news, Frances ?" "Yes; isn't it good?" replied the girl. "The doctor has just said that every one of the wounded men will get well, and Admiral Barlow has just been telling me that last week he had ordered the San Juan and Lieutenant Sommers to report to him here to-day. I've explained to the admiral how we kept him down at Bagol, so he'll excuse him for being late. But if he followed us up right away, he will be here pretty soon, and maybe even in time for the dance to-night." "Oh, so there is to be a dance tonight, admiral ?" "The governor general's reception to the officers of the army and navy. Mr. Pinckney. We are very glad that you, and especially Miss Durant, have arrived in time. We have far too many knights usually and far too few fair ladies." "Isn't that fine!" cried Frances. "Fine !" echoed Pinckney, trying to look as though he were pleased. "But I thought, Frances, that you might be a little glad to hear that the government had just given us the order to go ahead upon the Rheinstrum guns." "Oh, yes, and congratulations, Etherington ! Admiral Barlow has told me. But what do you think he's just been telling me, too? Lieutenant Sommers has invented a gun which, he thinks, may be better than the Rheinstrum, and, if it is, maybe we'll be making Lieutenant Sommers' gun for the government, instead." "What, admiral, our friend and noble rescuer, Lieutenant Sommers, has a gun which we may make?" asked Pinckney, pleasantly surprised. "I am afraid Miss Frances may have been a little previous." The admiral smiled at her enthusiasm. "Before I recommend the gun to the board, Mr. Pinckney, I want to have your advice upon some practical points with which I am not familiar. Just now I am standing rather alone in my advocacy of this gun ; but I hope, when I show you his designs, that you can support me. I am glad, at any rate, that you are here ; and he will be, too. So I can make up my mind finally now. You will look over the designs for me?" "Thank you, admiral. I shall be glad if I can do some service in payment for the trouble we gave Lieutenant Sommers. I need not tell you, if I can convince myself at all honestly that his gun is good, that I shall give it a good report." CHAPTER IV. DICK SOMMERS. "The Sail Juan, my dear," said old Admiral Barlow, "was sighted and signaled from Cavite at seven this evening. I had the word before I left my quarters. I left orders for her commander to report to me here. So, my dear Frances, I shall soon show him to you very soon 1" "But aren't you going to tell me about him first?" It was ten o'clock in the evening, and the big military band at the army-andnavy "hop" was just settling down to work. The quick, enlivening rhythm stirred Frances' blood, and her eyes grew brighter than formerly. Her father found her tapping her foot restively to the time of the music. She was glancing expectantly about the big ballroom after the admiral had left her, but before her father's eyes she colored, a trifle confusedly. "Waiting for Etherington, my dear? Don't be angry with him if we must be even later than this. You know, Admiral Barlow asked him particularly to give his expert opinion of Lieutenant Sommers' gun to-night, if possible; and he was still at the plans, locked alone in his cabin on board the Irvcssa, when the steward brought my things ashore an hour ago." "Oh, I won't be angry." She smiled to reassure her father ; but when he had turned away, she puckered her brov, together again. For a full hour the big ballroom ha] been filled to overflowing. Not only a Manila, but every one in the Philippin archipelago who possessed any sort c uniform or any style of evening clothe: seemed to be crowding there. Within the week several new regi' ments had arrived from the States; an', several others, having finished thei Philippine service, were at Manik waiting to embark. The officers an< wives and friends of all these wen represented. Moreover, two big cruiser, had just brought from Annapolis anc from the home stations some scores o; middies and minor officers, to comple ment or replace the navy men on the ships gathered in the bay. Official; from the different departments of government and instruction, district supervisors of construction work, tall, tanned men from the engineering corps — all crowded into the hall ; while sons of old Spanish families, prominent Filipinc politicians and planters, with wives and daughters very gayly decked, added the Oriental note to the ensemble. But the one for whom Frances looked so frankly did not appear. Admiral Barlow had made a mystery of him to tease her ; yet she was sure that if she saw him, she must know him instinctively. His ship had been sighted and signaled off Cavite at seven o'clock ; it was already well after ten, and he had not come. Suppose he were not to come, after all? She colored furiously, and became angry at herself for it; for she tolcf herself that she was merely curious about him. She did not care. Their few rapid, but still remarkably, personal passages with the wireless had caused a natural curiosity concerning him — that was all. And she wanted to thank him more properly for what he had done for the Irvcssa. She found herself growing more defiantly furious at him for not coming to show some curiosity in his turn ; but suddenly, when her next partner — a young lieutenant from the admiral's flagship in the harbor — came to claim his dance, she was very calm and collected again. At the first pause after the introductory trivialities, Frances found herself openly and coolly demanding of him : "By the way, Lieutenant Collins, do you happen to know Lieutenant Som