The Guardian Angel

A COMPLETE NOVELETTE

By Octavus Roy Cohen

.... cuardlan An*«l yawned ailjhtl .t retched lururionajy eeaed hlm-elr ^ the inlge ot a fleecy cloud tad i.'.-d Idly down upon tbe ehtp-dottci

Urbor.

Tin part.culnr har'ior wa* a pet >pot to the Guardini Ansei when ybiiMnrM was dull eiaevhere. The hrrbor waa Hoed with maailre piers, : i.mpride of which we*e moored pa ..iul liner*. rflBtUj dilapidated f rakish schoon-rs, and last. I ul by no means least, t he squat, ugly febtinjc *hip* of the naty. It »as on one of the*:—the U. S. S. i I nr.cfleid—that the gase ’ of the Guardian Anrel was lent. The glanl <; ulser Uy just off Uu nary yard, her j-rsy form rising gritnl • from the sun- ' -d waves; her biy guns gilntlns \ ii -ously in their • nrrets. decka . tibed to surpassing whiteness, her brasswork rivaling tb‘ day itself lu II JlUancy. A fiRurt stood aion- on the Sprlnftf.iW apart from Its fellows. The ** Guardian Aagel bent a speculative eye upon It. It so.Ueuly, toppled overboard, Kplashcf into tbe river, struggled frantk>.!!> fo.- a moment, sank, reeppeared. and—the Guardian ,.u£el got busy. A second flguer, catapulting from th< leadman’s platform, shot clear ot the ship and cleaved the water with 1 Lifelike precision. A bugle .sounded <brilly. Tbe "Man overboard!" signal fullered at tbe halyard, and tbe crew rushed to Its appoined formation. Tbe struggle in the waiter was brief end businesslike. The second figure •■sped t'Je first by the back of bis ...ruper. clutched at the lifeline, and k lr> a very short space of-tira* both i tore, yore back on the ship, anu it. Guardian Angel smiled a satisfied : ;!«• us he settled back more comfort ;-.H> on tbe edge of his clrud- \ poor lookle." soliloquized the ' : :cL ''A poor, green, ha! f b-ked • ili.-and-water rookie. Oh, well, I ..'l-.-se 1 rulsbl as well help him a hating nothing else to do." -The Guardian Angel vanished. - rookie stuck a dripping head" tbe odorllcrous galley, coujtln.l ly to attract the attention of the :0k. oml spoke in a voice as watety us bis clothes. "I’loase, ..ir. may I dry my clothei In the kitqhen?" "The »hat-a-atT” mated the call uiry emperor. "TL kitchen." i "Wow!" creamed the Irascible core “Let you in my galley? Why you dried-up. pink-cheeked, skinny dt ikswah you! - Wh'dnys think I'm ruruin’ aboard this craft a Chink L-undryr ' N n-n-no. sir. But you see"Sure I see. An' it ain't nothin' much to see either. It's n bloomin’ pity they didn't let you sink 'stead of fishin’ you out!" Cookie was grow Inr excited. "Why. you poor !n-si«-t Lfl-cant. cock-eyed, bow-legged son-of-a-gun! Get C 'ell tut o' my galley ot HI heave you overboard again; .•ou hear me. you rubber-boot?" • The rookie only made bad ms I tenworse. __ "Please. -Ir," be advised In a mild, shaky llttie tremolo, "you hadn't cugt to get mad. I didn't mean an;' harm, sir; only wanting to dry my clothes.” "Mad!" the cook lankhed wildly, av'ng his arqis and thereby tntr. ^ ling a bucket of spuds . Oh. my G?wd! I’ll show you who Is mad! W hat d'ye chink you are. anyhow, you " And cookie t oured forth n nrean of naval Billingsgate that ciackled in the fetid air of the galley ^Le a wireless -park run amuck. The rookie remembered the better part of valor and crawfished hastily out of the guile), amid the fanfare of Jeers from the seamen, who had listened grinning!)' and appreciatively to Ihe cook's electrically personal re-

on th' old Monongah la " enfolded the navy ya-d when tbe lib"Aw! save It, Sails. We'll listen any party of tbe U. S. S. Springfield to that ou Sunday." chicked out. The moon had not yet The abashed rookie backed away liven, and the few sure Jn the heaven I-om the crowd and sidled across th« Imparted no light to the dingy streets deck In tbe general diiectlon of the diverging from tbe vicinity of the

midshipmans batch. navy yard.

"Hey. you!" bellowed a bull-lik. The liberty party checked out alow"Itw fir* think yV ly and by dint of intensive strategy

the part of the three conspirators.

luuuted

“Do utu want

he demanded. "Just look st the boob. Hr ought u. he home in bed 'stead of cn a bsiib-uh'p. l»rdy, whal are "Slipped overboard." chuckled tbe auartermasier. "Any' jusl ought tn cf beard him hollerin' for help.” “»‘>h, f'r tbe old navy." cMmed In the ancient saitmaker’s mat* "He i reds keel haulin', that’s who' ll’u

headed!

Tbe rookie answered politely: 'Down stairs, air; to dry my clothes.’ A shout of derision rose heavenward. "Down-stain:!" groaned the

coxsVsln.

Down-stairs! listen to it would >e? But you ain't bound down-stairs.' rookie. Y'r bound to get a deck-swab an' swab np that track of water you just let Shake a leg!" Yes, sir. Of course, sir.” The rookie walked apologetically forward Into the eyes of the ship, where he be»lde himself in the ardurous and thankless task of wringing out hU cit-tbee under the eyes and lashing tongues of his hypercritical shipmates. It mattered not when or wnere be tnmed. there was always some one profier sarcastic advice. “Don' go too near the edge, eonny, you might fall in again and got ajl Brn't locIsle think hljn might catcj cold?" Does um want a hoi water

bottler

1 ventual!y he aeoored a swab—an clt* one—and returned to bis appoint etl task of swabbing tbe traeka left 6) his dripping uniform. Cockswain bullied him through the job. much be delight of the bystanders. And llntiry. the task finished, he sough 1 stlnce in self-communion while his tormentors gathered in the forecast! herd, while the master-at-arms discoursed sagely to the assemblage. "An’ did you hear him talkin' about nr'down-siiiirs' for 'below,' and 'Yea sir' for 'Avc. aye'? An' six weeks he - been aboard now. He Just ain't go* i sailor's head on th.m 'pink shouldei.

of his."

"iiuh." laughed *he cockswain. “You ought to hear him at mcvs Why only tbl..'morning he saya, 'Will ><-u pieas*- pass tbe butter when make there sings out. ?IL on th' grease!' lie looked surprised rn' flustered like.' "I got an Idea.” They crowded about him. for cookie was notoriros for two accomplish' minis—the awe inspiring now of profanity ever at bis tongue's end his fertile brain. "Shoot, cookie: what Is It?” "Tonight when we gets ashore starts up River street, we’ll lay fc~ lam. We can scare the very devil out of him an’ yank him down to the caga's place."

"Good."

"But what 11 we do then? 1 Cookie struck an attitude patterned ;enenJly after the accepted posture cf one G. Washington navigating the Delaware. 'Match him agalns* a wop!” *-a-a-a-ah'" An inhalation of general admiration wafted upward to tbe -earns of the overhead deck. Gee. whal a swell idea.” •He’ll fight, of course. Hell havi to. An' maybe hell get some of that namby-pamby stuff knocked out of him; an', anyway, well see has he got any guts.” "Why not here on board," objected tho quarterma'.er. It'd be more fun. "Yah! An' get Jacked up before hr mast for harin' a rookie. Nope t's gotta be done ashbre." "But,' interjected the practica’ ;taster-at-arms, "s-pose he won't let you take him down to th' dago's place good-sized kid. S'pose he pals U| a fight?" Cookie roared with laughter. 'Good-sized be barged. Well pick th.ee—say. you an' .Hake an' me. A fat chance he'd have. ' don't think He'll come with us meek a lambwell hunt for the other down to

dago's.”

is Ii sues re?" F ilia re!" bellowed the cook. "Why 't It sTUare* Answer me that. W>t gonna do nothin* 'ceptin' match him a trains! some one of his own s-ze-' .he dissenter, discovering hirose'.t t-.. be a very puny mine rlty, subsided. The cockswain hailed ibe object "Avast there rookie! “fiwsb that deck some more.” The rookie did aa bidden, and eventually satisfied his tkskmaker. After which he ihankfally replaced the swab, wen* below to rhe bag-room end prayed devoutly that be might never again slip overboard. “Now, let me see.” murmured the thuroAghly interested Guardian Angei thoughtf, "Lot me see." He pondered a moment, and then: “Got it!"

the rookie waa The last to leave the ship. From their vantage point on shore they watched him head up River Street, the one street leading directly from the navy yard; and the cook

chuckled.

"It's twenty to nothin'," he sibilated. "that he's bound for Ah Wong's a.T a bowl of chop suey. He's right pcsalonate about 'bat Chink kasn. Hell cut through th' alley " River Street reminds cn? of Riverside Drive—it is unlike that fashionable thoroughfare. It Is dark and poorly paved, and flanked on either side by somber rows of squalid, redbrick tenements. At each corner a sputtering arc-light battles noisly to dissemble the Stygian gloom, but with faint success. I a the middle of the street, on the right, a noisome alley, empties Into the main thoroughfare. At tbe Intersection of alley and street the city has placed an old-fashioned gas-lamp; but the denizens of River Street cannot remember when historic lamp bos burr'd, and so it is that tbe meeting point of street and alley Is aaturally dark; and on this particular nigh, tnt Itself several hotter. The waylaying trio knew ihe one weakness of the roekleis gastronomic department. Inevitable as sboreleav bir first stop waa at Ah Wong's for a dish of succulent chop suey, that Chinese dish which is not at nil Chinese and never eaten by a Chinaman, and thi refore of great appeal in ibr occidental palate. There weic routes from the navy yard to Ah Wong a—one to the end of River and around Jhrcc tortuous Mocks; the othe", and ih.- only direct »n>, lay up River Street to the a*ley md through that alley to the gilt-and-vd porals of Ab Wongs. So they ratted in the darkris spot in the dark alley for their man. The slim figure clad In dr«- blue) swung lightly up River Street, paused uncertain!) at the mouth of the alle; and swung by that route toward Ah Wong's. The three in the fastness of alley darkness flattened themselves against tbe wail, grinning Ip anticipatory glee. 'Here he comes now.' whispered

the cook

'Sure?" questioned the masterrrms In a subilant whisper. “The last nan." nodded the cook tfirmatively. "It's him all right. The figure .pproached the oppolnted spot unsuspectingly. The muscles cf the conspirators tensed. Cookie gave

tbe signal.

•Now!” be shlieked in a high falsetto. “Grab him!” The lone figure jerked up with at oiclamntlon of surprise He leaped backward until his sboulderr werv acalnst the wall on the opposite side of the alley. He laughed shrilly. The attackers closed In. The mastei-at-srms dived viciously for the legs: s regular football tackle, at which he was expert, being an on the team of the U. 8. S. Springfield. The prospective victim sidesiepped nimbly, circled with stxprisIng agility, and a big fist crashed ith trained precislo nagninxt the side of the cook's Jaw. Tbe cook paused uncertainly, 'he look of utter surprise which flashed his face being wasted In the lav penetrable blackness. Meanwblio the nutter-at-arms had tackled—with litsuecess—tbe red-brick wall. The cork sagged in the middle and droppea like an empty flour sack. Blake him! in. whooping like a madman 'Paste Tm!” he yelled. “He sin’' gonna le* us lake him!” The master at-nrms scrambled *•* a feel, paused In ds.*»d uncertain r a second, visualize*, tbe filTun- .if |their antagonist in the bloom, .in'! jstarted bravely for him. He had n>.1 witnessed the blow that felled th- ■

Blake was both a valiant man and a good boxer. He squared off and the two men sparred briefly. Blake step, ped in to have his head snapped back by a straight left Jab. He tried it sg'Jn only to have the performance repeated. Blake began to realize that the- man opposite—whatever else he might te—was certainly a trained bnzer. Ani the Jabs hurt. Only theman on the receiving end of the Jab fusillade knows how much they hurt. Blake proceeded with groater caution—but he proceeded. The other sprang In with Hghtnlng-llke quickness; the left Jabbed Blake's heao hi:ok on his shoulders. With marvelous speed the blow waa repeated and then before Blake recovered his balance. hta opponent stepped in an 1 crossed hia rigb? to the Jaw. and BUke journeyed peacefully to a temporary residence lu the land of flow ere and sunshine and atreeta of gold and radiant angels. The victor laugh ea shortly, surveyed the fruits of victory, and strolled slowly—Insolently almost— UP the street. He paused at the en nance of Ah Wong's and Inspected his right thumb. "Sprained!" he muttered angrily. ITien he stumped up the stops for his dish of chop suey. It was perhaps ten minutes ta'.er that the master-at-arms convinced himself that bis breathing apparatus not been permanentlv paralysed and fire minutes after that he had succeeded in getting cookine an-l Blake propped against the wall. Thu yiaster-at-arms rose to heights of sa r - "O. no," he gasped, "he ain't got a chance, he ain't!" ‘Lordy,” breathed Blake enviously ••What a punch that kid does pack!" The cook said Jus*, one work by way •it correction. “Unpack, you mean!” It was the following morning that the cook, nursing several contusions, cornered the master-at-arms, who wa* busy ditto. ‘By golly!” sighed cookie. Ill show him I'm a man even if I aln' 1 fighter." Before the eyes of those who had derided the younc chap on the pr s day he made ihe amends hoecrahlo. He sidled up to the rookie and extended his hand. “Sty." he growled. “I'm here to sa.that whenever you have any «l :ds to oiy. >cu can Just heave 'em Into my galley: see? 1 got an extra line triced up In there. The rookie shoo* hands weaklv. trembling from sheer surprise. "Thanks.” he mumbled awkwardly. ‘"Ss all right," mannered the cook.

rolling away. "S all right." Then to himself: “Chee! you wouldn t think he could do It!" A few minutes late at mess, the rcckie quavered a Umid question to the mast* r at-arms, who fidgeted n rvously at bis left: "Will you pleas-, sir. pass the buttei?" That worthy nodded haatily. "Sure! Sure!" his bull-like voice bellowed the length of the table. “Hey, you! Pass the butter up here. Whatcha wanna do—starve this end of th' table?”* At that moment a sailor garbed in dress-blues, whose cap bore an inscription other than that of U. S. S Springfield, sat aloft* In the reading room of the Naval Y. M. C. A. expen B.entally wiggling an Iodine-painted ihnmb. "What's the trouble?" Inquired a solicitous and admiring clerk. Tbe middleweight dhamplou of the Ailantic fleet, on furlough, raised his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Aw. nothin' much." he answered, as he gave his thumb another painful wiggle. "Nothin' at all.” The Guardian Angel yawned mightily, stretched luxuriously, seated him s«if comfortably on the edge of his favorite fleecy cloud, and gazed affectionately at tbe shin-dotted harbor beneath. "That.” murmered the Angel contentedly. “Is what I call a pretty fair jcb!"

He was paying the doctor's bill. "1 hope you have profited by my advice •nd treatment." said the doctor. "Well, speaking erf profit. I'll go 50-W with you on 1C suggested the patient.

r32,B»«« 9114" H3S*

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The rlnnci

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tbs ns .ii by jhr cried exultantly. mb*.- we.*?* Tbe blanket of night had -1 ready

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