The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-10-10


several English towns of thirty thous-
and inhabitants each and we never
think of ourselves as being out of the
way, but rather feel sorry for those who
live so far off," returned the other,
bending his tall figure earnestly for
ward.
Rosa leaned her pretty head toward
him in a confding attitude of interest,
and laughed: 40, SO you are the people,
and wisdom is going to die with you I"
said she. "But what do you do out
there in the heart of the universe y
ave dig gold for one thing, and raise
sheep for another-millions and mil
lions of them from thirty to forty ves-
sells are constantly plying to England
with the tallow and pressed wool"
"What do you do with all that NUT
tol, 7" asked Rosa, looking idly at the
light in her ring, and then as idly at the
light in the speakers eyes.
ave use what we can" was the re-
ply "and sometimes, 1 am sorry to say,
we bury the fesh-not usually; but
sometimes an order will come to one far
mer for a thousand sheep, if you please,
and all he can do is to clip off the wool,
get out the fat, and bury the car
cases."
"What q pity the meat can't be sent
to the hungry poor at home Why don't
somebody condense it, as they do the
beef in Texas?" said, in my practical
way.
ain good time I dare say somebody
will, but we can't do every thing at
once" replied the New Zealauder, look
ing with sudden interest at the game of
SWITCHBOARD being played beside us.
Just then along came the ships sur
geon, blonde youth in uniform with
his hair parted in the middle.
"Miss Armour" said he, "the gun is
to be fired at the bow; will you come
and see it done?"
Miss Armour started up at once, turn
ing some half-confding glance and
ready smile upon him she had been Civ
ing us.
al am going to leave my rug with
you; shall come back" said she, BEAM
ing over her shoulder as she took the
surgeons arm and went away.
The New Zealander looked after her.
tried to console himself by drawing his
wrap in another fold across his knees,
did not succeed, and finally got up and
went away. OF course it was not worth
his while to make himself agreeable to
a middle-aged woman in hood and wa
terproof. So I sat and looked at the
likeness of lake among the sunset
clouds, and tried to decide whether 1
had better take oatmeal Cruel or biscuit
tea for my supper; wondering the while,
half unconsciously, about the old chord
in my memory that was always being
struck by certain musical ring in the
New Zealanders voice.
After an hour or so the gun was fired,
and presently Miss Armour came back
with the disorder Of the strong wind
in her hair, and its freshness in her pref
ty pink cheeks.
"Tve come as said" she murmured,
dropping at my feet again, and smiling
up, as though she had got where she best
loved to be-just such smile as she
would have given to tha stokers down
in the engine-room, or to the ships cat.
But it was lovely to look upon while it
lasted, and we middle-ag people have
learned to warm ourselves in any chance
ray of sunlight, without stopping to
consider whether it is likely to be per-
petual.
This time the bit of sunshine did not
stay long, for there came up an artist
with his sketch-book; and when Miss
Armour had sufficiently admired his
graphic pencilings of the captain and
the quarter and the sea-sick oc-
cupat of an upper berth, it was time to
throw the log, and so he bore her off to
find out by her own eyes whether we
were actually going at the rate of thir-
teen knots, or only twelve and half
That was how the days went. The
passengers read and paced the deck,
played games and guessed riddles, and
were always hungry; the pilot stood
steady and firm at the wheel the sailors
ran up and down about the rigging like
overgrown spiders, and were forever
securing and scrubbing, tying and un-
tying, drawing up and letting down.
Thus at la t we had come safely almost
to our desired haven. With fair sailing,
we were only one day out from port;
and fond as we had grown to be of each
other, we were getting impatient to
pant.
Miss Armour, during all the voyage,
had kept on as she began, beguiling ev-
cry one with her trick of lip and eye.
They ran after her like boys at the
string of kite. Well, they had moth
ing better to do just then and when
she had faded out, as a rainbow fades, l
made no doubt she would be as easily
forgotten, or only remembered as a mid
day-dream, by ALL unless it
might be solitary, warm hearted man
like the New Zealander.
To tell the truth, was little sorry
for him. Evidently, life had not brought
him all it might, and he was hungry for
the love and confidence that had never
been his. So was afraid he would miss
this little sparkle of girlhood and warm
youth, and find the void deeper when it
had gone out
To the very last day Rosa kept her
place by my chair, and to- the very last
the New Zealander kept his place by
her, when no one younger stepped in to
carry her off which was pretty often
to be sure. Then he always quietly
went away himself, with kind of grave
regret in his face. On this last morn
ing, Miss Armour had just left us along
with young lawyer; TO drop oranges
and lemons among the steerase passen-
gers, when noticed the New. .Zealander
looking after her with a sadder regret
than usual-almost pain-in his eyes.
He had such handsome dark eyes. l
see that without my glasses.
"Now," said to myself, al hope he
isn't going to get soft, a sensible, gentle