The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-10-18
A MIDDLE.AGED LOVE STORY.

A MIDDLE.AGED LOVE STORY.
They had come, a little group OF
friendly faces, to watch me of, with
waving handkerchiefs and kindly good.
bys, and l stood on the stei n nodding
and waving back till the steamer swept
down the river out Of their sight.
knew / should have their prayers
that the great sea might be gentle with
me; l knew they would watch the
weather and look for the telegram of
the arrival Of our ship; yet l knew |
was taking nothing from their lives, and
that they would each 90 home hardly
missing me; so it was with no great
wrench of heart that / saw the pilot put
off from us, and took the last look at
my native shores.
During most of the passage was Just
comfortably sea-sick, so sat all the day
long in reclining chair on deck, watch.
ing the white caps on the purple and
green and alue waves that mounted
and fell down and up, up and down,
away out to the far horizon. saw the
shining nautiluses float by, now and then
q whale, or shoal Of porposises, or q
sail, speeding white and full across the
water
saw also good many other things
nearer by, for didn't put my eyes in
my pocket along with my shortsighted
glasses, and nobody was much likely to
mind middle.aged woman in hood
and waterproof.
The first thing saw was q young girl
with dark eyes and brown hair thar rip.
pied itself into a tangle of rough curls
whenever she took off her net. She was
not so very pretty or so very brilliant I;
but there was piquant charm about
her that attracted half the passengers
before the first day was over. By the
end Of the second day everybody, from
the captain to the ships surgeon, and
from the surgeon 10 the cabin boy, was
eager to show her attentsntion; and
everybody was met by the same genial
smile and lively retort.
heart by the kindly thought that led
her to bring little ielishes from the ia.
BILE 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 in the habit of drawing her rug b..
side my chair, and sitting on the deck
leaning against me, so that might
"pet her." as she said.
This was how it happened that my
quiet, out-of.he-wsy corner came to be
the center of the life and gayety and
romance Of the whole shipboard
1t seemed that this young girl, Rosa
Armour, was All only child, and an
orphan, going to en- uncle in Germany,
her nearest of kin.
"Dear heart 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 the 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 / sat coil.
ing these CLEANS OF sunshine around
my fingers, and watching a flock of
Mother Carey's chickens skim restless.
ly over the stless water, thinking
these thoughts about Rosa, and having
her soft presence alone to myself for
a few moments. Not many, however;
soon came up New Zealander Of
course there was New Zelander or an
Australian on our boat.
You are very lowly, Miss Armour
said he. "Let me bring you a chair"
"Thank you prefer to sit here on
my rug and have Miss Wells pet me-"
replied Rosa, turning up her eyes Ian.
guidly. "The deck is my favorite seat,
If can only have an excuse TO sit on
it,"
"But you need something over you,n
persisted the New Zealander, going
away, and coming back directly with
his own heavy gray wrap. Then he
seated himself on low camp-s.ool be.
side her, folding the wrap over the two.
| never raw so rough sea as this
all the way from Honolulu to San Fran.
CISCO" said he, looking out upon the
gentle swell of the lazily-mounting
waves.
Rough - cried Miss Armour. al
am sure the ocean is as smooth as
mill.pondr'
"0h but not as compared to the
Paci6e-peaceful; II was rightly named.