Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-08-10

phsseuBetH hau been shown TO their state.
rooms and had established themselves, all
adeux had been made, tho anchor weighed,
tears shed, the sails filed, and we had been
for a couple hours threading the rocky chan
nels, aud not yet losing sight of the blue up.
land dipping and rising before the gentle
gale, when We were hailed by a l-boat
which, III reply to our answering halloo,
claimed to have run out from q point Of the
mainland to put a passenger on board.
hardly understood then the doubt heard the
captain EXPRESS under everybodys heels as
was, as they came alongside when we brought
too, as If he thoughtit were easier for them
to have run out from behind some ono of tho
craggy islets lifting their red sides on our lee.
wait till we show you our heels" said the
young fellow at the tiller, with laugh, "and
you won't fret about being overhauled by a
boat with the wings of the wind"
The captain gave him rough answer but
he helped the passenger aboard all the same,
the handsome girl with such a color on her
cheek, and such a sparkle in her eye az she
lifted it moment to speak her thanks Then
a couple Of portmanteaus we're lightly tossed
up after her, there were some good-by cries
and waves Of hand and the boat was shak.
ing out her canvas again and flying back with
the wings of the wind indeed Watching her
for moment, the captain calculated some
wish that packet-ship could run such rig as
that, and quite forgot his handsome passen.
ger. When he looked at her she was wipinp
her eyes and gazing after the flying boat, and
| in wide-mouthed wonder a cheek distended
on either side with the sweet and salty NOR
sci, was Offering her one of my store of butter
scotches She took the candy absently, held
it moment on the tip of her finger, and
flliped it into the sea.
"ImpresdOf,s du r0yage t cried one of the
vOuuu girls With san horn far,ii;or;t,.
had been walking up and down the deck with
Mr.. Brossier, laughing and talking. still new
to the treacherous swell, and pausng now to
look at Miss Burne. 'You are homesick. and
l am seasick," aud the next moment, turning
green, yellow and livid white at once with still
more acute impressions, she fed plunging
down the companionway, and Miss Burns
moved and gazed after her, as if to be sea.
sick we're to be phenomenon.
I was panied at the fate of my butter.
scotch, but nevertheless lost in admiration of
the person to whom butter scotch meant so
little | was not alone in my admiration,
however Mr. Bro5sier, the young minister,
admired the proud aud stately stranger as
much as | did, and il he did not follow her
about as much as did, he followed her with
his glances and host of small observances
He was a delicate pale little man, if l recall
him, with something, if not efeminate, yet
of feminine suggestion His fair thin face
had spiritual look that made him sometimes
seem of an unearthly holiness; l remember
having had a sensation as il / expected the
sun to shine through him He was the
only one of all on board to whom Miss Burne
greatly condescened, whether she was touch
ed by his delicacy or he was drawn by her
strength She never spoke loudly but her
slow contralto tones had a reedy thrill in
them, when she spoke with him, that linger-
ed on the ear, and she listened to him with a
mounting color on her cheek Although she
kept 80 much to herself and refused to Join
the parties going ashore every here and there,
yet in the evenings, long after l was in my
little berth, she was with Mr. Brossier upon
deck and child as l was, grew to be con-
scious in that tedious voyage. which filled q
month and should have filled week. that
Miss Burne had a nervous sort of wish that
Mr.. Brosser should not think i'll of her
or course much OF all this knew after.
ward from things which l did not put togeth-
er for their natural inferences then. and from
fragments of the remembered conversation
OF others. Why in the world should he think
i'll Of her? Silent as a sphinx the most of
the time, that calm and lofty manner of hers
was all there was to judge from, and certainly
one could judge little from that Still there
were some small indications outside of that
Berne, said Mrs. Ashly. in her mncing way,
one morning, holding up the sock which she
was knitting, and pointing to an additional
inch Of her work as a rebuke to sluggards
Just out for breakfast
"Do you knit as much every Sunday morn.
ing, Mrs Ashley ?" asked Miss Burne loftily.
And the good captains wife, who prided her
self on her observance of discipline, turned
in dismay to Mr. Brossier, who had perhaps
been quietly enjoying the sight of her indus
try, not too good for joke himself on that
innocent ignorance of the passage of time
which was a satire on the length of our own
passage.
II believe you knew it WAS Sunday all the
time, sir, said Mrs. Ashley.
"Why, of course did, said Mr. Brossier.
And didn't tell me"
II thought l should hurt your feelings"
And left it for her to do!
Il beg your pardon truly" said Miss Burne,
bending toward her, "if have hurt your feel
ings. am a sort of pirate anyway, and am
always doing something of the kind"
To hear Miss Burne say she was sort of a
pirate, aud that before the minister After
ALL then, could she care what he thought about
her?
But worse than that was to come.
II am very sure about it," said Mrs Ash
ley, on another Gay, to another group. Il
ought not to say word about it, for pas
sengers passenger, and it's my husbands
business But how can you help it ? When
a man drinks, it's bad enough but a woman
And her breath was unmistakable And how
Mr.. Brosser can Dear me, you are not
going under again, Mr.. Yerger 2" as the ship
gave one of those long lurches that seem to
separate brain and body.
This slow roll of the sea is worse than be-
inn, kha Oh - cold
Burne, coming up. '"Try this, Mr. Yerger /;
often do, and she took small flask of col
ogne from her reticule, wet with it a couple
| of Jumps of sugar in her fingers, and resisting
| the pitch of the vessel, she put one into his
mouth aud the other into her own. And we
all saw her do it "a good stimulant on oc-
casion, she said in that unaPproachablet tone
aud was lost in her book again presently.
"Aud it isn't only that" continued Mrs.
Ashley, in a lower tone and with a significant
nod. But if you want to know, look for her
| till you see a spark at the end of cigarette
in her mouth"
Lighting it for Mr.. Brosser," said some
body.
mo Mr. Brosser about it. She may do it
for asthma for all know, but she does il"
"Grls with such lot of brothers as she
seems TO have are apt to catch their tricks, -
said Captain Ashley as his walking of the deck
| brought him into the cluster
"Thats so like my husband" said Mrs.
Ashley, always defending the passengers.
To be sure, it's business but il it's pretty
girl, there's little heart in it. Though for
my part But as l said, her breath was un-
mistakable and she smokes Captain Ashley
or no Captain Ashley. There, child do run
away. You are always under ones nose"
II was sure Miss Burne knew what they
were talking of, for l saw a smile fit round
her mouth, parting the lips and showing the
broken corner of that pearly tooth, and was
quite sure there could be nothing in her book
to make her smile for it was one of Mr.. Bros
sier's sermons. But if she could be aware
that people said she did such dreadful things
and smile about it, how could she care wheth
er the minister thought ill of her or not ? Or
the whole from the oldest to the youngest
Miss Burne occupied a great deal more OF oui
thoughts than she would have liked to do haC
she fully understood it,
We had worried along our slow way, stop
ping here, there and everywhere, for reasons
convenient to the good old captain, aud a
length came to anchor in Portland harbor
where some slight repair was to be given t
the packet, and the customary visits on shor,
were made, and suffered my customary pan
10 for the night the dark wharves, the darl
water, the dark bulk of the ship, with th
| glimmering harbor lights that lust made dark