THE TENTS OF SHEM

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 110, 22 February 1950, Page 7

THE TENTS OF SHEM

“ By Grace Jones Morgan E

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CHAPTER XXXY.

O, SAILOR, SAILOR!

“My God, are they real pearls?” asked Mariette.

“When I was a girl the collar fit me/’ said Marie. “Now my neck is too fat. But see how they suit Fanchee, how prettily the strands loop. Ah, she should have it, but dog-collars are going out of fashion. Everything is long strands. And the women who would wear this are past youth and their necks are too fat . - .”

“Dorsey, you ought to have it? You ought to . get. that Swede sailor or Louie Rosbloom to donate you that. Real pearls, my God!” . Fanchee laughed.

“Yes, I’m likely to have any man pay five thousands dollars for a pearl collar for me!”

“It’s been done,” said Mariette. “This is a real home, too. I’d like a place like this, but it’s too 'far away. A whole suite, bed-room, sitting-room and bath. There’s class to you, Dorsey, No wonder you kept the address dark. And a telephone. I f ll see if it’s working . - .”

Fanchee was placing the pearls in the box Marie held as Mariette called a number.

“That you, Maisie, well this is Mariette. What’s on your mind beside a henna rinse? Yeah . . ..well tell him 1 know the place now. Wait a minute. Dorsey, this here Captain Hervey Axlegrease Sundersen is pestering the soul out of Maisie the Beauty Queen right at this minute. If you don’t want Maisie to skin his face or do him a wave in his hair you’d better tell her what to say to him ...” Fanchee forgot the'pearls. She took the telephone receiver. “Hello, Maisie . . . Oh, Hervey Sundersen . . . yes . . . wait a minute. Marie, is it all right for me to have a man call here for us . . .?” ’ “But, of course, dear. This is your home.”

“Hervey, you may came, and the address • •

“Dorsey, borrow the pearls. Knock out his eye with your splendor. That baby’s got money, slathers of money. His father owns ships and they live on Pacific Avenue, away out where it means something. Stick around with ■your pearls, Miss Rotofsky . . .” “I want you to stay, Marie. Not for the pearls. Mariette. talks a lot but she dosen’t mean half she says. The pearls don’t tempt me a bit, Mariette. Pearls mean tears ... Wait till I powder my nose. Don’t go, Marie

Time flew. She had bathed her face, brushed and coiled her hair, changed her dress, piled coal on the fire. Mariette was downstairs with Marie Rotofsky looking at other treasures of the house when the doorbell sounded and was opened. “Go upstairs. Miss D’Arcy is there . . .” Marie’s soft voice directing Hervey, then Mariette’s noisy welcome. Fanchee’s greeting to his was: “Did you ever hear such a tongue as Mariette’s • . ?” He had her hands tightly clasped between his big ones. He lifted them to his breast, slipped her . hands in one of his, and suddenly swept her to his heart, his mouth on her. mouth! O Sailor, Sailor! Mariette’s cry rang, sang in her ears, in her heart. Sundersen’s kisses touched her eye-

lids, her cheeks, hex*, throat. Sundersen’s arms were like kteel. “Oh, what have you done . . . Sailor, Sailor!” /

“Fanchee, I thought I’d lost you. I’ye been here a week and you were gone. I couldn’t find you. And tomorrow.we sail. A new ship, Fanchee. I was to have it before, but everything went wrong about the vessel. Regular jinx ship. Now it’s ready and I’ve got her to take east. And I may be gone a year. No wonder I haunted Mariette and Maisie to find you. And they wouldn’t even tell me where you worked. I went to that corset department, ifeeling like a fool; me among women’s underwear, but they kept close-mouthed. Mariette said you didn't want anybody to know, including me. Why, Fanchee, what made you run away from me?” “Not from you, Hervey. You see . . .” But she could not tell him she ran away from Nina, from her own mother. She could not mention Nina. He would be horrified, shocked. What a coward she was ...

“You see, Dick, my husband, is in the city. I don’t want him to find me. Hervey, I couldn’t bear to let him find me • ’ “Fanchee, afraid? Why? Why be afraid of a man? He’s nothing to you now. And it’s time, more than time, you got that divorce started. Will you Fanchee? Will you promise by the time I return to be free . . . And next voyage, come with me . . .?” “Come with you - . - Hervey?” His arms held her, flattened .her body to his own, his kisses took her breath. It was like Straith, her boy lover. It was like Love! The Ivory Elephant! The Ivory Elephant! The Eelephant of Ivory! “Hervey! Before Mariette comes I want to ask you something. She’s always wanted' an ivory elephant. Will you bring one when you come back a nice big fat ivory elephant for Mari“Of course. What else? What will I bring for you, Sweet?” “Just bring yourself, O Sailor, Sailor. Come back safe and sound. ¥ I ve missed you ...” 1 “Fanchee, I wish you could see that ship. A windjammer, Fanchee. You’d love her. I’m taking her to make a record trip, to sell her over there. She’s an old ship made over, and a beauty. Why can’t we go down tonight and see her? Will you, Fanchee?”

“Isn’t it late to start?’ - “What do we care for time? rou can sleep for months- when I’m gone. Come on. We’ll take Mariette and the other young lady - • ■ Make a party of it. Will you -,-•?” She could not refuse because his kisses left her no breath. Behind her closed eyes danced the scene in a Canadian woods, a girl standing against a tall old tree, a boy sweeping her to his heart, kisses making flame of her blood, tingling in her flesh. Love. Real Love, first Love! “Will I make myself a gooseberry on the only evening a man has with a girl?” Mariette demanded when they unfolded that plan to visit his ship. “I will not. If a man spoke to me with heartbeats in his voice like this old sea dog has got right now I’d say gently but firmly, ‘You have located me and what are y.ou intending to. do about it?’ ” “Mariette, you might spare my blushes. Marie, did you ever heai an>ono like Mariette?” “I like her. She is so American. May I wish you luck on the voyage, Captain Sundersen. I’ll lake the pearls, Fanchee. I’ve been . showing these ladies my pearls, Captain Sundersen . . Marie opened the box. “And Dorsey’s got the only neck m San Francisco to fit that dog-collar, Sailor. I’ve been telling her . . .” vTo be continued).