The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-10-10
THE STORY-TELLER.
A MIDDLE.AGED LOVE STORY.

ii"i SOLic, libtlO SlOup VI
friendly faces, to watch me off, with
waving handkerchiefs and kindly good
bys; and l stood on the stern nodding
and waving back, till the steamer swept
down the river out of their sight
L knew l should have their prayers
that the great sea might be gentle with
me; L knew they would watch the
weather, and lsok for the telegram of
the arrival of our ship; yet knew was
taking nothing from their lives, and that
they each would go home hardly missing
me so it was with no great wrench of
heart that I saw the pilot put off from
us, and took the last look at my native
shores.
During most of the passage I was Just
comfortably seasick, SO sat all the day
long in reclining chair on deck, watch
ing the white caps on the purple and
green and blue waves that mounted and
fell, down and up, up and down, away
out to the far horizon. l saw the shin
ing nautiluses float by, and now and
then whale or a shoal of porpoises, or
a sail speeding white and full across the
water.
saw also good many other things
nearer by, for 1 didn't put my eyes in
my pocket along with my short-sighted
glasses and nobody was much likely to
mind a middle-aged woman in hood
and waterproof.
The first thing saw was young girl
with dark eyes and brown hair, that
rippled itself into tangle of rough
curls Whenever sho took off her net. She
was not so very pretty, nor so very bril-
liant, but there was piquant charm
about her that attracted half the pas
sengers before the first day was over. By
the end of the second day every body,
from the captain to the ships surgeon,
and from the surgeon to the cabin-boy,
was eager to show her attention, and
every body was met by the same genial
smile and lively retort.
She won her way at once into my
heart by the kindly thought that led
her to bring little relishes from the table
to tempt my sickly appetite, and to
soothe my forehead with bay-water and
gentle touches of her shapely brown
hands, where a great emerald glittered
encircled by diamonds. Very soon she
got into the habit of drawing her rug
beside my chair, and sitting on the deck
"6NAAoe iiiSb ~ tA1oS -
"pet her" as she said.
This was how it happened that my
quiet, out Of the-way corner came to be
the centre of the life and gaiety and ro-
nance of the whole shipboard.
1t seemed this young girl, Rosa Ar
mour, was an only child, and an orphan,
going to an uncle in Germany, her near
est of kin.
"Dear heart I hope her uncle will
be wise as well as loving" said to my
self very often, for she seemed too frag-
lie bubble of humanity to drift on
through life alone.
The tips of her brown curls were
lighter than the rest, and here and there
were little bright touches all over her
hair, as though the sun was shining in
spots on it. One morning l sat coiling
these CLEANS of sunshine around my
fingers, and watching flock of Mother
Carey's Chickens skim restlessly over the
restless water, thinking these thoughts
about Rosa, and having her soft pres
ence alone to myself for few moments.
Not many, however; soon up came
New Zealander-of course there was a
New Zealander or an Australian on our
boat.
"You are very lowly, Miss Armour"
said he; let me bring you chair"
"Thsnk you; l prefer to sit here on
my rug, and have Miss Wells pet me"
replied Rosa, turning up her eyes Ian
guidly. 1.-The deck is my favorite seat,
if l can only have an excuse to sit
on it,"
"But you need something over you,"
persisted the New Zealander, going
away, and coming back directly with
his own heavy gray wrap. Then he
seated himself on low camp-stool be-
side her, folding the wrap over the two.
"I never saw so rough sea as this all
the way from Honolulu to San Francis
CO." said he, looking out upon the gentle
swell of the lazily- mounting waves.
Rough" cried Miss Armour; "Im
sure the ocean is as smooth as mill
pond
80, but not as compared to the Paci-
fc-peacefulAAit was rightly named.
We have never such gales on that as
sweep the Atlantic, but only the gent
lest westerly breezes." The New Zeal
ander shivered as he spoke, and drew
his wrap. closer over his knees We
have the most charming climate in New
Zealand" he went ON; 1--WE are never
too hot and never too cold. In fact, we
never think of the weather. And the
soil is the most fertile in the world"
"Pity it is in such an out-of-the-way