The Complete Works of Stephen Crane by Stephen Crane Read Free Book Online Page A

him. He grinned and placed the points of his fingers together stretching out his legs in a careful attitude of indifference which might even mean disapproval. “To-morrow,” he murmured teasingly.
    “By jiminy,” exclaimed Coleman, ignoring the other man’s mood, “I’m sick of the whole business. I’ve got out a Sunday paper once a week for three years and I feel absolutely incapable of getting out another edition. It would be all right if we were running on ordinary lines, but when each issue is more or less of an attempt to beat the previous issue, it becomes rather wearing, you know. If I can’t get a vacation now I take one later in a lunatic asylum.”
    “Why, I’m not objecting to your having a vacation. I’m simply marvelling at the kind of vacation you want to take. And ‘to-morrow,’ too, eh?”
    “Well, it suits me,” muttered Coleman, sulkily.
    “Well, if it suits you, that’s enough. Here’s your check. Clear out now and don’t let me see you again until you are thoroughly rested, even if it takes a year.” He arose and stood smiling. He was mightily pleased with himself. He liked to perform in this way. He was almost seraphic as he thrust the check for a thousand dollars toward Coleman.
    Then his manner changed abruptly. “Hold on a minute. I must think a little about this thing if you are going to manage the correspondence. Of course it will be a long and bloody war.”
    “You bet.”
    “The big chance is that all Europe will be dragged into it. Of course then you would have to come out of Greece and take up a better position — say Vienna.”
    “No, I wouldn’t care to do that,” said Coleman positively. “I just want to take care of the Greek end of it.”
    “It will be an idiotic way to take a vacation,” observed Sturgeon.
    “Well, it suits me,” muttered Coleman again. “I tell you what it is—” he added suddenly. “I’ve got some private reasons — see?
    Sturgeon was radiant with joy. “Private reasons.” He was charmed by the sombre pain in Coleman’s eyes and his own ability to eject it. “Good. Go now and be blowed. I will cable final instruction to meet you in London. As soon as you get to Greece, cable me an account of the situation there and we will arrange our plans.” He began to laugh. Private reasons. Come out to dinner with me.
    “I can’t very well,” said Coleman. “If I go tomorrow, I’ve got to pack—”
    But here the real tyrant appeared, emerging suddenly from behind the curtain of sentiment, appearing like a red devil in a pantomine. “You can’t?” snapped Sturgeon. “Nonsense—”

CHAPTER VII .
    SWEEPING out from between two remote, halfsubmerged dunes on which stood slender sentry lighthouses, the steamer began to roll with a gentle insinuating motion. Passengers in their staterooms saw at rhythmical intervals the spray racing fleetly past the portholes. The waves grappled hurriedly at the sides of the great flying steamer and boiled discomfited astern in a turmoil of green and white. From the tops of the enormous funnels streamed level masses of smoke which were immediately torn to nothing by the headlong wind. Meanwhile as the steamer rushed into the northeast, men in caps and ulsters comfortably paraded the decks and stewards arranged deck chairs for the reception of various women who were coming from their cabins with rugs.
    In the smoking room, old voyagers were settling down comfortably while new voyagers were regarding them with a diffident respect. Among the passengers Coleman found a number of people whom he knew, including a wholesale wine merchant, a Chicago railway magnate and a New York millionaire. They lived practically in the smoking room. Necessity drove them from time to time to the salon, or to their berths. Once indeed the millionaire was absent from the group while penning a short note to his wife.
    When the Irish coast was sighted Coleman came on deck to look at it. A tall young woman immediately halted in