The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-02

dressed to the interdicted man at the
WHEEL
Hitherto had contented myself with
the fascination of his presence from
afar, wisely, perhaps deeming it dan
gerous to a true picturesque perspective
to alter my distance, and perhaps, like
the best of us, fear; preferring to keep
my own idea of him rather than to run
the risk of altering it by a closer ac-
quaintance. But one day when | was
lounging by the stern rail, idly watch
ing the logged ostentation of the screw
that had been steadily intimating, after
the fashion of screws, that it was the
only thing in the ship with persistent
purpose, the ominous shadow of the
slouched hat and the trailing duster
fell upon me: There was nothing to
do but accept it meekly. Indeed my
theory of the man made me helpless.
81 didn't know till yesterday who
you be- he began deliberately, cor 1
shouldn't hev been so onsocial. But
I've always told my darter that in per-
misskiss trav'lin' man oughter to be
keerful of who he meets. I've read
some of your writings-read 'em in n
paper in Injianny, but Inever reckoned
I'd meet We. Things is queer and
trav'lin' brings all sorter people to-
gether. My darter Loueze suspected
ye from the first, and she worried over
it, and kinder put me up to this"
The most delicate fattcry could not
have done more. To have been in the
thought of this reserved gentle girl,
who scarcely seemed to notice even
those who had paid her attention,
was
"She put me up to it," he continued,
calmly, though she, herself, hez a
kind o prejudice agin you and your
writins-thinkin' them sort O. low
down, and the folks talked about not
in her style-and We know that wom-
ems mater, and she and Miss Montmor-
ris agree on that point But thar's a
few friends with me round yer ez would
like to see yen He stepped aside and
dozen men appeared in Indian file
from behind the roundhouse, and, with
solemnity known only to the Anglo
Saxon nature, shook my hand deliber-
ately, and then dispersed themselves in
various serious attitudes against the
ratings. They were honest, we'll
meaning countrymen of mine, but |
could not recall single face.
There was dead silence; the screw,
however, SYSTEMATICALLY went on: 'You
see what | told you,' it said "TKis is
vapidity and trifling. I'm the only fell
low here with a purpose. Whiz. whiz,
whiz; chug, chug, chugr'
L was about to make sonic remark of
general nature, when | was greatly
relieved to observe my companions
friends detach themselves from. the
ratings, and with slight bow and an
other shake of the hand, severalIy re-
tire, apparently as much relieved as
myself. My companion, who had in
the meantime acted as if he had dis
charged himself OF duty, said: Thar
oilers must be some one to tend to this
kind O. thing, or thar's no socialble.
ness. took deportation into the
Cap'ns room yesterday to make some
propositions, and thar's minister of
the gospel aboard as ought to be spoke
to afore next Sunday, and I reckon it's
my dooty, onless," he added, with de-
liberate and formal politeness, "you'd
prefer to do it, bein', so to speak,
public man." .
But the public man hastily depre-
Gated any interference with the speak
er's functions, and, to change the con-
versation, remarked that he had heard
that there was a party of Cooks tou -.
lists on board, and-were not the pre-
ceding gentlemen of the number? But
the question caused the speaker to lay
aside his hat, take a comfortable posi-
ton on the deck, against the rail, and
drawing his knees up under his chin, to
begin as follows:
"Speaking O. Cook and Cooks tour
lists, I'm my own Cook. | reckon | cal
kilate and know every cent that I'll
spend twixt Evansville, Injianny, and
Rome and Naples, and everything I'll
see" He paused a moment, and lay
ing his hand Familiarity on my knee.
said; Did | ever tell you how | KEN
to go abroad?"
As we had never spoken together be-
fore, it was safe to reply that he had
not. He rubbed his head softly with
his hand, knitted his IRON gray brows,
and then said meditativelV: "Noi it
must hev been that head waiter. He
sorter favors you in the musstache and
central get up. l guess it was him |
spoke to-
| thought it must have been.
"Well, then, this is the way it KEN
about. l was sittin' one night, about
three months ago, with my .darter
Loueze-my wife bein dead some four
year-and | was reading to her out of
paper about the Exposition. She
says to me, quiet like-she's a quiet
sort O. gal if you ever notissed her
L should like to 60 thar | looked at
her-it was the first time sense her
mother died that that gal had ever
asked for anything, or had, so to speak
wish. 1t wasn't her way. She took
everything ez it KEN, and confound my
skin eff L ever could tell whether she
ever wanted it to KEN in any other
way. | never told We this afore, did I?''
No." l said hastily. $50 on.''
He felt of his knees for moment.
and then drew long breath. per
haps," he began deliberately, eve
don't know that I'm poor man.
Seem me here among these rich folks,
goin' abroad to Paree with the best o.
them, and Loueze thar-in the first
cabin-a lady, ez she is-ye wouldn't
bPeeve it, but I'm poor! l am. Well,
sir when that oral 1ookS IN of ma o,,d