Kit Musgrave's Luck

scious of some disappointment, because on the voyage to Las Palmas he had pictured a romantic white city shining against green palms. Its inhabitants were gra

hem rose the Isleta cinder hill; in front, coal-wharfs and limekilns, hidden now and then by dust, occupied the beach. Moreover, the Spaniards on board the boats about the ship were excited, gesticulating ruffia

re soothing. Kit had not known much romantic beauty, but he knew the Lancashire mining villages and the mean streets behind t

enerally given the Castilian title and the Spaniards declared the island would soon be his. He was an English merchant of the new Imperialist school and he gave Kit exactly one and a half minutes. Perhaps he approved the embarrassed lad, for half an hour afterwards Kit had engaged to start for the Canaries and take

ucted by the Liverpool Y.M.C.A. Since he thought the association's motto, Mens sana in corpore sano, goo

p farmer, his father kept a shop and had taught Kit the virtues of parsimonious industry. His mother was kind but dull, and had tried not to indulge her son. Although Kit was ho

sometimes to a cheap concert. Betty did not go to theaters, but now and then took Kit to church. She was high-church and wore a little silver cross. Betty was thin, pale and quiet, and Kit's mother approved her, a

. Her quietness had some charm, and she was marked by a touch of beauty that might have developed had she enjoyed fresh air, good food, and cheerful society. Women had not then won much reward for their labor

and perhaps to West Africa! Are

back then. You see, I'm forced to go. There's no chance for me in Liverpool; you get old while you wa

ary to get up

red whether she got it at church. Kit had not heard another clergyman preach like the vi

t up honestly, you have got to get up. You c

ew all he knew about the pressure of the crowd. Then she said, "If only we

hard, I must seize my chance. I shall miss you. You have been much to me; now I've got to go, I begin to see how much. Perhaps it'

him a curious smile. "Do

retty, to send them things, to josh and make them laugh, and now and then to quarrel about nothing. Rather a bore w

t much use

s face got red. "You couldn't go now, but I'm coming back. Suppose

r all that, he thought her hand shook w

e. Perhaps, if you do come back, we'll talk abo

n a sense, however, her refusal was justified. Perhaps he was a dull fellow; a girl by whom he was once attracted declared he was as gloomy as a funeral

dreary shabby street she left in the morning for her nine hours' work, the pinching to make her pay go round. All was dull and monoto

her lodgings. She opened the door and then looked up the street. Nobody was about and when Kit adv

he said, and

Betty before. To hold her in his arms had rather moved him to a curious tenderness than to passion. When he thought about Betty

not state his rank. Bones and Blades were raw lads from Lancashire going out to a West African factory

ough to see the town, and they tell me wine is cheap. I'

until you come bac

white, but he turned with unexpected sw

t your deck-shoes won't go o

book and went to t

ty good pals on this voyage and I hope w

kled face got grave. "All the same, Africa's a queer country and you can't have

ic adventures was not realized. His job was to count bottles of trade gin

t. He wore neat white clothes, thin, red slipp

when I get to Africa I'll have long enough to play up to my job. At Las P

en the Spanish boatman rowed him across the harbor to a lava mole he roused himself. The patron declared that although the fare was fixed in pesetas English passengers paid with shillings. It was, however, not for nothing Kit sprang from

gnified. The other was young and wore a dress of corn-yellow. Her eyes were brown and luminous, her hair was nearly black, and her rather olive skin

her, Don Pancho Brown, carried on a merchant business. People said Jacinta Aust

t. Don Erminio was big, brown-skinned and athletic. He wore shabby English clothes and a small English cap, and looked something like a bullfighter. On

to take a post; he was raw and did not wear the tourist's stamp. Mrs. Austin knew men and there was some

e," the girl remarked. "I wonder where he's goi

rtant," Mrs. A

m, and he's fresh blood anyway. One gets very bored by t

; the young man looks honest," said Mrs. Austin, and turning

but the captain knew she meant a small

animales the Yngleses of Don Arturo. Verd

y friend," Mrs.

e others! With teeth and neck like the camel, and the air commanding. They come on board my steamer. 'I am Yngl

xpect the young man will have some trouble on board Campeador. All the same, Don Erminio's really

end of the mole the boatman called a tartana. Kit got into the little trap, and Considine, pushing the driver from

remarked. "In the South, we're joyfully

s no use in bothering about things like that.