The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-08-23

and, though the veil was down, m
companions eyes seemed to flash fir
as she half turned around toward me
spray excuse my impertinent re
mark" / exclaimed, eagerly. 9TH
words were meaningless, and uttere
without forethought."
"My companion, apparently reas
sured, took my arm once more, an
uttered little low laugh.
meaningless, indeed; but for
moment 1 though"
She did not finish her sentence, fol
at that moment my commercial &C
quaintance passed close by us, gave
familiar nod and smile, waited o clou,
of smoke into the lady's face, an,
walked on.
"Such cOnsummate impertfn8nce 7,
1 said. "Ypu would hardly think tha
1 never saw that man before to-,lav
"Acquaintanceships do spring u,
rather rapidly sometiraes,n was tn
meaning reply; and l glanced down
but the speakers head was slight,
averted, and 1t Sc .med to me that sh
spoke in husky tones.
For the next three days the numbe
OF pasaeng ers VINO showed on deck wa
strlct:y limited, in consequence of tn
s,aU. of the weather, and really tn,
OF Ices of steward and stewardess cOuIt
lave been no sinecure. But go OF
I deck when would I was sure to en-
counter the cool, easy, assured-n nod o
the bagman, whose consumption o
cigars must have been something
enormous. He was as free and Obtru
sive as ever but one evening, just al
it was turning dark, l had the pleasur,
of smoking my pipe in peace, for
saw him in deep conversation with {
man I had hardly noticed before, from
the fact of his being one of the second
class passengers.
To my great astonishment, though
after L had gone into the saloon, the
bagman came strOlling in, followed q
short time after by tho man 10 whom
he had been speaking, and the latter
seated himself ON the other side of the
table i'm an distracted manner, sal
thinking for O while, and then walked
slowly past me out of the saloon door,
softly shaking his head.
The next two days passed pleasantly
enough; for, though unwilling to come
on deck. the lady passenger was near
ly recovered, and many pleasant
tete-d-tetc enjoyed. found her most
hdy-like, and thoroughly well-inform.
ed; while, as our acquaintance warm
ed, If / may use the term, into some
thing that was at least friendship,
was delighted to find mine had indeed
been a true surmise; for she confessed
to having determined to travel as Miss
Saville, there being no husband to
meet her in New York, only brother.
l listened that evening to the re-
marks of a passenger respecting the
tedium of the trip with a sense of lofty
contempt; for began to feel L was
very far gone, and the Atlantic seemed
to me the biggest of seas, OverbOrne by
the bluest of skies. 1 was, in fact, in
such state of ecstasy that went on
deck 10 look up at the stars for an hour
before seeking my berth; for Miss
Savillc-Sayille, what an old and
aristocratic name!-Miss SavilIe had
retired, or how glorious it would have
been, in that clear, diamOnd-illumined
night, to have watched the sparkling
of the spray, and
Was 1 mistaken? Had she not
parted from me a quarter of an hour
before to retire to rest? And now in
this veiled figure that glided by me in
the darkness, was not this she?
Impossible! l laughed the next
moment; for ! knew that my mind
was full of one form, and that in the
hasty glimpse 1 had obtained had
invested another with the attributes of
her 1 loved.
was standing i'm the shadow of one
of the quarter-bOats, aud l had just
turned, with the intention of descend
ing, when some one passed me whom
l recognized TO be the secOnd-class
passenger; and then for a few mo-
ments / heard q low, murmured con-
versation at short distance, when the
man passed me again, going forward.
Five minutes afterward l was at
the saloon door, when a hearty clap on
the shoulder made me turn, to find
that it was the bagman, who laughed
softly at my angry face, and then add
ed to his former Obtrusiveness by
tbrusting his hand into my side, as he
whispered to me:
al say, my lad, I'm going to open
your eyes for you to morrow, SO look
out. There, don't be uppish; come
and have cigar, up i'm the bows-just
one before you turn in"
81 am much Obliged" said, "but ]
am going b. my berth"
"Just as YOU like" was the non
chalant reply, and he turned away.
"Let me see," said the Captain at
breakfast next morning; where's my
friend who sits third down on the left
Mr.. Lister? Steward, go and zee if
Mr.. Lister is unwell again-nO, not
again, because he seemed 10 be an old
sailor-see ii he's in his cabin"
The steward returned with reply
in the negative; when, supposing him
to be OH deck, the breakfast was
brought TO an end, and Mr.. Lister, or,
as called him, the bagman, was for
gotten.
The day passed and evening had ar
rived when, as l was sitting in sweet
intercourse with Miss Saville, rumOr's
busy tongues began to announce that
Mr.. Lister was missing.
/ Immediately recalled his promise
to open my eyes that day, and also
that he had invited me to 90 forward
with him and smoke q cigar; and L
know not why a strange feeling of in
terest made me leave my seat, and
apologize to Miss Saville, who bowed
stiffiy and went below, while l went
forward to group, to find the subject
in full discussion. Two of the watch
had seen him 60 forward with a light
ed cigar between his lips, and perch
himself close to the bowsprit; but they
could not recollect seeing him come
back, though one man had some faint
idea of something black coming close
by him, but he was not sure.
More excited groups formed, and !
soon found that search had been made
through the steamer, and that the cap
tain was in great trouble respecting
the missing man; for all pointed to
one fact-that the poor fellow had
chosen a dangerous position, and had,
without giving the alarm, slipped and
fallen into the sea, to be borne under
in an instant by the huge cutwater of
the vessel.
l shuddered, for thought that, had
/ accepted his invitation, I might have
seen him fall, and, If powerless TO stay
him, still have given the alarm, per-
haps i'm time for boat to be launched
"Can any gentleman afford any in
% said the Captain, address
ing the group where / stood.
al can only add" 1 said, "the cor
robOrate testimony that Mr.. Lister in