Flappers and Philosophers

an hour after dawn she rose cheerily, donned her bathing-suit, and went up on deck. The negroes would leave their work when they sa

ff; or else they would lie on their sides in the sands of the southern beach, talking little, bu

ll the eventualities that presented themselves to her; thoughts were suddenly troublesome and decisions odious. Had prayers found place in the pagan rituals of her soul she would have asked of life only to be unmoles

ong the palms of the Gulf Stream is quite incidental. Most of us are content to exist and breed and fight for the right to do both, and the dominant idea, the foredoomed attest

oes had brought ashore their musical instruments, and the sound of weird ragtime was drifting softly over on the warm b

oked at he

an, yo

laug

ita Farnam becomes pirate's bride. Societ

sn't a

? Why won't

to break down

have no illusi

illusions abo

ed up in

ve I got to do with whatever st

mains to

over and pat

e," she said softly, "a

it ma

cause I think I'm

at her i

dozen," he suggested. "Suppose I call your

all

ged his

t married

y, but seriously; what would become of me if the people who wa

you weren

throw my life away just

little poor girl dreaming over

it have

atching your eyes open on things. If

ho stare into the wind

e it was too expensive and choose one of white gold for a hundred dollar. Then I'd say: 'Expensive? I shou

vulgar - and fun, doesn

ey right and left, and being worshipped by bell-boys and waiter

wish we we

Ardita," he

dish look for moment a

l when we come ashore. In fact, Curtis Carlyle, I like all the things you do when you're perfectly natural. I think you've got nerve and you know how I feel about

little more bored I'd go with you. As it is, I

rom sheer surplus energy. In single file they marched, weaving in concentric circles, now with their heads thrown back, now bent over their instruments like piping fauns. A

. "I can't sit still with t

nd as the fantastic symphony wept and exulted and wavered and despaired Ardita's last sense of reality dropped away, and she abandoned her imagination to the dreamy summer scents

call an exclusive priva

mad - but deli

generations of cannibals are watching us fr

that we dance too close, and that it was i

r across the lake they heard the trombones stop in the middle

matter?" cal

silver lake at a run. As he came closer they saw it was Babe in a state of un

a mile suh. Mose, he uz on watch, h

of a ship?" demand

's heart gave a sudden wrench as sh

e don't k

y landin

, s

up," sai

e were unaware of the contact, but though he hurt her she made no attempt to remove it. It seemed an hour's climb before they reached the top and crept cautiously across th

intake of breath. "They know! Th

standing by to take a look at the island in the morning. Fro

early two now. They won't do anything until dawn, that's certain. Of course there's always

may as well st

ldren. In back of them squatted the negroes, patient, resigned, acquiescent, announcing now and then with so

here were half a dozen rifles aboard the Narcissus

be made, he thought, if

ghed and sh

achine-gun. If you want to bury those bags somewhere and take a chance on recovering them later, go on and do it

d turned away, and Carlyle's voice

er had. He'd die for me, and

e give

wouldn't miss my trial for anything - it'll be an interesting experiment in notoriety. 'Mi

said. "I'm aw

isible on the ship's deck, and they made out a group of officers clad in white duck, gathered

p," said Ca

her eyes "We'll go back to the yacht," he said. "I p

he lake were rowed out to the yacht by the silent negroes.

an and the girl in the settees, and the negroes lounging curiously against the rail, they evidently judged that there would be no resistance, for two boats were lowered casually over the side, one conta

nly into his pocket he pulled out a round

" she asked

om the Russian inscription inside

where on

their performance in the tea-room of the hotel at Palm Beach, suddenly changed their instruments for

wned and t

you did! You H

bow

bourgeois qual

dream, enveloping them until they seemed gossamer relics of the late night, infinitely transient and already fading. For a moment sea and sky were

east their two graceful figures melted into o

lory," he murmure

led up

y, ar

s she would ever know. For another instant life was radiant and time a phantom and their st

r and two of the sailors with their hands on their revolver

d nodding hi

nsfigured and far away, fell upon the boarding party. Her uncle saw

is your idea of - of romance. A run

ced at him

ol you are!" sh

est you can sa

se. There's that well-known phrase with which I have ended

the officer, and the two sailors in a curt glance of

her uncle quite unfamiliar in most of their interviews. He gave vent

e, who had been regarding this scen

, hare-brained romantic chaser of rainbows, d

miled con

ever since I first heard tell of her wild career. T

in case you should have trouble with those six strange niggers. And we hoped we'd find yo

the worst. Lord knows you're welcome to her, my boy. She's run me crazy. D

le no

d. "She's co

t Carlyle's wrists. A puzzled look passed across her face. Back aft the negroes had b

aid Carlyle

d a step

It was all a plant, Ardita. My name isn't Carlyle. It's Moreland, Toby Mo

s her face. The three men held their breaths. Moreland, Senior, took a step toward her; Mr.

and with a little laugh she went swiftly to young Moreland a

uietly "That it was entirely

id young More

ad down and kis

st enviously. "I want you to lie to me just as

ily back, mingled in an air that

is a

ss and

to t

yell

the bags?" sh

d. "That was one of the t

said; and reaching up on her tiptoes sh