The San: Francisco Sunday Call WHEN SANTA CLAUS BOARDS A LINER IN MID-PACIFIC CHIEF LEES AND THE POISONED CANDY < Continued From Preceding Page.) told the story of her life readily, not slurring necessary details, but she de clared her innocence of the awful crime or which she was accused, denying the accusation time and time again. Na turally the woman was nervous, markedly so. Who would not be placed In like position? /She sat at the table while the wary old chief interviewed her. asking her 3ust such questions about her- past as "were of especial moment to him. For several hours he kept up this questioning. Mrs. Bardin became more and more nrrvous. Her fingers trem bled. Without thought, as one grasps.. «Ny Ftraw within reach to relievo- the nerve tension, semieonseiously she seized upon a penholder. £he ntoved.it about here and there," BC ov Cely notlcln S what it was she held. She was answering questions. It 'was thf» tense, exciting moment — the crisis. I saw. then, the chief's ruse. There a sudden flash of hope in his eyes. He kept on prodding the prisoner, not Oaring to lose the thread of her story, or to permit her for even a moment to comprehend his uppermost desire. Her woman's wit would have fathomed his thought on the instant and the oppor-* tunity been lost. But his face betrayed, to me who knew him so well, anxious however well concealed from the prisoner before him. Mrs. Bardin had the pen in her hand. Fhe dropped it. Then she picked it up ftgain. Apparently quite unconscious ly, she dipped the pen point in the ink well. There was a convenient sheet of" paper close to her. In her excitement, to conceal her nervousness, no doubt, she began scribbling on the paper. She WM -certainly writing something — it was not mere pen scratches. The old "chiefs rnse had obtained. - : llrs. Bardin lia members . are: at 3 other, times *■ widelyjseparated, rand for/.thoae..: unable ' to^reachuhe? home: place.' or,'- for.'.vfhom^ ;no euch' place 'oxists; are "due: Cor an ; at-^ j tack- of; nostalgia "when the 5 Christmas | !Spirltifins'vthe*-aiK:' The' general vP&s-^ senger- agent,'" however. ; who lays S most stress : on * the..''Chrlstmas at Jiorac" .(ex'-{5 Jcusjb;.-- for ;llgh t'; travel, ':'. probaly . never " .spent -;a ' Christmas ;**at" sea,'; and.va.ny-' " way, he :1s needlessly his own business. '.-■■*<.■";':' • V '";■-" • .! '.,*v, ■'•■v- ..."'.'■ ' > ~. . Wheri-.gatheredfaround the rChrist "mas dinner Uable; it Is"; not. T unusual, fbr the. conversation to* take a 'sympathetic; turnVswl th"< poor Bill, who had *to - leave' for China, br^poor Mary,' whose steamer ' wont-ar rive; until Rafter ; the ■■ new year. . as i 6bj£cls. /of 'J. commiseration. 'As; a matter, of fact, v .poor, Bill ; and. poor '.Mary .;• '.are/ pVob'ably s lhayJhglthe'--time\'of their lives'; and jat that same", moment may he ■ Je^press'ing that v "the;folks";can hot.be lwith;.them;to. enjoy t the .delights of ja Christmas' at" sea/ :.'■ \ ■ ."",•■. I; belongs, "to the children. ' arid ,'the child-oHrenough'toappreeiate iitjwhoTlias spent a- Christmas at sea "is;.* all readr.ito. go .traveling again/ for.he ." or.she 'has "learned; that St»; Nicholas la . evenuinoref- wonderful' than wireless r telegraphy,' in~i.his lability: to.; reachi a . shipffar. out .over . the>waters.' ■/ "'.• ■' "'-'; I -Christinas*- is : - welcomed ,011 ..a1l kinds of 'Bhip~v**;om: the *bijg>passenger liner •;with ;It 3 electric lighted Christmas -tree to the deep sea wind jammer, 1 where •.the: season 'Of good cheer is represented 5 -. by;.a' respite. from- toil and a plum -pud-/-' ding 'that makes the -most pessimistic" -of; sea lawyers forget: for " a spelt his .diet. of salthorse and hardtack. this wet , blankets 'and 'the; mate's*- biting: tongue or heavy fist or foot. The steam schoon-. ply-up • and down thetfeoast Tte ; usually the first to welcome the ; ; Christmas spirit.,. A 'week wears off .until < after Christmas, unless" the cook: should hnppen to fall down on that" plum spudding. - While the Christ . raas'.tree is at : the masthead the mate .modifles;his-exactions and the skipper v says "good morning", to the mate every day. -:..-. •' • -,-. " ;_, >- --U y \ TVT n ? coasters are too _ busy to mako much fuss about .Christmas, but .few and^far between are the. ships of* any thnt k do not make some oon 'cession'to Pt. Nicholas.' On the Yankee clippers/ where the motto, day and • night: Is' "drive," .only necessary work 'is done on Christmas day and there ts always a plum pudding anil a few extras at dinner time" for all hartds. 'it 'is on the.; big ocean -liners that S Christmas'^ Is- celebrated with as much" . oerembhy/as .on shore.' They ~ have a r Christmas Hree, a real . Santa ' Claus. -and, preceding tlie bier day. a regular _tbur ' of ?. Christmas shopnlng. 7 I All. >;tt\e big steamship •: companies . mak^ /. regular- preparations for the Christmas celebration -in addition to filling. tho ice house with turkeys and other, seasonable meats. "Before leav ing the. : home port tho chief steward -o'frthe ship that is to spend Christmas ; at flea* makes out .a : special Christmas requisition; This Includes a Christmas tree,; decorations for ;th<* same as well ' i»s : : suitable decorations for the.blg'din .inff.caloori."; In addition to the decora tions .th 6 provides a - supply of gifts for the passengers.' These gifts • arc -Individually, qf nominal value, but the "total, in the? case of a company operating a large, fleet of steamers represents a. handsome contribution to the festival. While the company pro ;vidfls"as it were). the background for ,the celebration the ship's- barber/ who, i'.ruddition 'to cutting-hair and shaving* beards, runs, a little store; stocks 'up on . ee&soriable "novelties- for. sale- .'to pueh passengers> as. embarked without the equipment. for an individual. Santa • Clausact.; ■■'.. ■ ..] .- • .. • ■ . .; "All the; Christmas- gear Is -stowed away and as far as the passengers are 'concerned.t here "1$ no evidence of any Intention to make the day they ought to bo at home any different , from other., "days at sea. . • - •» ; The barber/ however, some days be fore Christmas, lets it be known that he has. on hand a. stock of odd 3 and iends- suitable for seasonable remem brances.and, like the merchants ashore, advises/ his public to do their shop pinflrearly. Hfe'on shipboard is usual ly productive,: of new friendships and if the ship has been at sea for any length of time before Christmas day the man or woman who went on board alone and among strangers has'usually found some man, woman or child they would like to remember with a gift. The barber, around Christmas time, must play the diplomat and keep a close.,- mouth. The element of unex ■pectedness~ adds to the value of a Christmas gift, and it's up.to the bar ber'to help with the surprises. n When-, the passengers turn out for breakfast Christmas morning, they meet their first surprise. The saloon, yesterday bare of .everything but Its .regulation furniture and decorations, ;has. been converted overnight into a . scene that even In midsummer would suggest December 25. .On passenger liners -■ running between here and the orient Japanese creations are : in strong evidence. of silk flags, em blems" of ajl" nations,, are strung in all directions and fluttering gayly on the hreathv. of. the- swingins: punkas or whirring elec'rric fans. If Honolulu be the^ outward jterminiis of the r ship"3 voyage vthe beautiful ferns ; and . bril liant, foliage of the tropics enter large- | ly" into, the scheme of decoration, but whatever the ship and wherever bound the -prevailing note is Christmas, em phasiEed by a profusion of holly and mistletoe. " ~/- t - r After breakfast the passengers are shooed, out of the saloon and kept out until the big event of the day takes place." About .11 ; o'clock in the fore noon 'tlie "liner's whistle toots in an alarming "fashion and somebody in a .loud-voice reports to ; the- captain that: "-"There is an old party with whlsk ,ers and abig: pack on hisJiack who in sists>on coming. aboard." ■ "Well,", says the. skipper, "you'd bet ter- let him come. It must be - Santa •Claus." ' - ; ~ .By .this -time "all the passengers are interested, and.- everybody, with the children'in the. front row, goes for ward ' and watches the rail, over, which Ink few minutes the sailors with much pulllng'ana hauling and lio-heave-hoing essist;old Father Christmas. ■Vl.The" grownups may have some doubts about the jsaint's, oakum whiskers and : the^surgeon. could perhaps tell how . his > lint,, supply ; was. raided to make 'those snow white lock?, but the chil dren, know that this "must be the real , ~thing, s at;last ; and that after all there. Is a Santa Claus. for didn't they see -him climb-right up out of the water? J .."He explains; however, that he is .really.-Neptune and that he has been deputed to - officiate .for Santa Claus, r whose reindeer do not like swimming Jn,7salt water.. He and- Santa Claus smoked' a -pipy together the night be fo're.^at the north "pole and as v .the ■show-fairies danced for their enter tainment the paintf gave the. old man of , the Wa a list of the people at sea for whom he had gifts. As there are still many "ships to. vl»it, Neptune can not linger long and if the good people will please show trie, way to the sa loon ho will leave his gifts there. He goes to the saloon alone. He returns on'deck later and orders every body below. . as he does not wish the gentleman "passengers to flirt with his mermaids, when they bring h!s s»a chariot alongside to take him to tft« ■next ship. \^That is the last they see .of Neptune.- >'>*•" '< ,-When they reach the .saloon th» passensrers find another transforma tion. 'On- the center table is a bisr. real Christmas tree with the scent of tha woods still on it. It \3 brlsrit. with electric lights and besides the glitter- Ing ornaments with which It is decker! are gift!* bearing the .names of those fqr whom ..they are Intended. Tiffin^ which follows the distribution of the gifts. Is usually a light and rather dis orderly meal for the reason that jrood will-is just about as disturbing, when born unexpectedly, as grief. The afternoon is devoted it» Jlscus slon of th* events of the morning ami at night the passengers sit down to an old fashioned Christmas dinner with turkey, plum pudding and mince pie. The day is usually concluded with a dance and -it is between the numbers that, the travelers who In the mornlnjr deplored their, inability to be at home for Christmas express resrret that tb? folks at home couldn't h« with them to enjoy the novel celebration. The child ashore, even If born with a v silver spoon in his mouth, can have but one Christmas in the year. The youngster at sea. if the ship he la on happens to be crossing the one hundred and eljrhtfeth meridian on "Christmas day, ha.s two Chrlstmas-es, as the day after-is also Christmas for the purpose of keeping the calendar straight. This, however. Is only in the case of ships coming this way. If a ship bound In the other direction happens In this part of the world on Christmas day, the youngster misses It altogether, for here is where a day Is dropped. Christmas is always a welcome day on sailing ships. There Is no -Santa Claus and no Christmas tree, except on some of the German and Norwegian ships, and If the sailors hang up their .stockings it Is merely to dry them and not :that they expect anybody to fill them with nuts and apples and oranges during their watch below. • „Some skippers would make more of an. occasion of Christmas if sailors were not a very peculiar people. On a sailing: ship the work on Christmas day Is reduced to a minimum, ami a big plum pudding is served In the fore castle. I asked a skipper once If . h» didn't think they should do more than this, and he .told me this story: "My wife, as you know, always ac companies me on all my voyages. The .first voyage she made with me we spent Christmas at sea. A few days before Christmas I had a turkey killed. " 'For our Christinas dinner/ I ex plained to her when I took the dressed bird in to show her, 'and I want you to cook it.* " '111 cook It/ eho said. *but what are you going to giva the men?* " 'Plum duff/ I said. " 'No turkey?* she inquired. " 'Not much/ I said.