Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1871-01-05

! side, as ii about to speak but Direct,
after he checked himself and drew out al
other cigar
How very soon the motion of the YES
sci begins to affect you he said, with
smile.
! Affects you, you mean" replied.
| Yes, exactly. Curious though, AIM it
| Seems as If Nature never meant US K
! leave the land of our fathers--the place q
our birth, as the solg says, Ell! Ever beer
across befores" 81
"Yss, twice, said, sharply and then
walked away, for now, closely veiled, hac
seen the figure of my lady friend emefgin4
from the saloon door and upon my golng
up and asking concerning her welfare she
made no demur about taking my arm and
walking up and down the deck.
! | must confess that thought very little
Of the scene around, though kept, ~ the
1 strength Of old recollections, pointing oat
IA ,.s.pas familiar ttlJeets We wefa pass
I ing; for | had the idea In my hen ina
the remark my companion had ma : was
not the truth; In short ] did not !AeNt
/ that there would be any husband awaiting
her upon the quay at New York, and thai
after all it was but a bold subtrrtuge by
which a single and unprotected woman
wished to shroud herself In the respeci
paid to the married of her sex
That she was respectable was undouht'
ed but there was timid shrinking way
about her, so different from the quiet, calm
selfposessiop of a married lady and |
! felt assured that no one whose husband
awaited her upon the quay at New York
would so readily lay herself open to re
mark by accepting my arm upSn 50 short
an acquaintance.
"Ts-is that "a friend of yours'' sud
denly asked my companion,
"Friend friend of mine ?" | said, in a
puzzled way "No; have no friends on
board-at least, only one, hope / adoed,
meaningly.
II thank you" WAS the hestating re-
| ply, in the most gentle Of tones Com
| pelled as W. are to rely upon tie society
of so few during a sea-voyage, sfiendships
do soon spring up
But to whom were you abiding" !
said
ooh, it is nothing. but 4 am very
weak and foolish faneied tha the man,
the gentleman you were speaking to, was
watching us rather particularly"
/. "Yes, yes, dare say. | think, though,
| it is his habit. He looked just as earnestly
at me short time ago, and he has been
staring at every one in tun, You don't
| think he is looking after esnnaway young
lady, do youy' | added, laughing.
! In an instant my arm was dropped, and
though the veil was down, my cenpan-
! ions eyes seemed to flash fire as sht half
turned round toward me, .#
/ never professed to be very penetrating,
/ but was keen enough to see that ] had
touched upon n chord which kept bent the
I two ends Of bow O}mystery. | siW 100
that, but for careful management toe ad-
vance | had made IN tn9 good grace # an
admirable woman WsHld be destroyed in an
instant.
"Psay excuse my Experiment rel0frk, |
exclainee' eagerly - va b w.ava
meanip less, ard Uttered without fore
thought
Mycompanian. apparently rcassured, took
my arm once rnoTe and uttered Little low
laugh.
Meaningless, Indeed but for q moment
| thought"
| She did not finish her sentence; for at
| that moment my commercial acquaintance
passed close by u, gave me familiar nod
and smile, wasHl cloud of smoke into
the ladys face, ard walked on.
"such consunmate inpertinence !
4 said. "You would hardy think that
I had never seen tat man ,efore to day -
"Acquaintanaships do sping ap~fathel
rapidly sometir ss,'' was the fneaning
reply and glanced dows N the speak
er's head was silhtly agsy>l, and it seemed
| to me that she sioS~s husky tones.
For the nc@4. tiree dys the number oi
nassen~cls who showN on deck was strict
| ipnmited, in con.equece Of the state u
| the weather, and reilly the offices OF
! steward and stcwardes could have been
no sinecure, For myoart, can only own
| to being qualmish on tle second day, and
paced the deck hopefully in anticipation OF
| the advent of my ladyfriend But 20 on
! deck when would was certain to en-.
counter the cool, easy-assured nod Of the
bagman, whose conlmption of cigars
must have been something enormous. He
was as free aud obtrusRe as ever; but one
evening, Just as it was Atrning dark, had
the pleasure of smokins my pipe in peace
for saw him in deep Conversation with a
man had hardly noticed before, from the
fact Of his being one { the second class
passengers.
To my great astonisfmeut, though, after
! had gone into the ,aloon, the bagman
came strolling Ia, followed, a short time
after, by the man TO Shom he had beer
speaking and this later seated himself On
the opposite side Of ile ta6le In an Hb-
stracted manner, sat 'hisking for while,
and then slowly walked passed me and ont
OF the saloon door, softly shaking his
head
The next two dasa passed pleasantly
>7ough; for, though UaY Hing to come OF
deck, the lady passenEer was nearly recoy,
cred, and many q phtSant t6te-a -tets ] ca.
ioyed. | found her most lady like, and
thoroughly well infumcd while, as our
acquaintance warmH, If ! may use the
term, into something that was at least
friendship, i vs. h.ghted to find hat
mine had indeed ban a true sunnisei for
she conf ssed to laving determined 10
travel as Mrs savit, there being no hus.
band to meet her b. New YORK, only
brother
Perhaps / did plume myself on my
shrewdness ut q events, thai night after
winning from her so singular "a avowal, l
was cousiderably ekied | listened that
evening to the remarks Of passenger re-
specting the tcdimn Of the trip with
sense Of lofty conpmpt; fgr | bega1
feel that ! was ver, far goae, and
lantic seemed to mo the highest
overborue bs the buest Of skieal
in fact, In such state of ecst
went on dick to box up az
an hour before sc ing ~
Miss Savill--5avill VIZ
aistocradc name Misl
tired, OF how elorit vs.
in ttla' clear, diaux/
81 have watched =