Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-02-28


"Very obliging. indeed. One might
almost think him fit for something
better. Such life must be degrading.
/ passed him to-day as he sat at dinner.
You should have seen the great dish of
corn-beef and cabbager'-with n shud-
der.
Dear mel Was he eating it2"
well, he was looking at it."
'.Dear, deari WHAT a beautiful
night. Teresa! Itreminds me of Naples
Bay"
The young people returned in high
spirits, and, AS soon as the boat left
the harbor, got up social dance in the
cabin. Helie, who furnished the music
from the cabin piano, was greatly
amused on glancing up to find her
cousin Isabel waltzing with-the stew
ard.
Isabel spoke of it Il little later in
singular tone of hesitation and depre-
cation: at was so absurd! The stew
ard came up and asked me to dance.
| hardly knew-that is-well. he waltz
es very well-came right up and asked
me
"Yes, DEAR" put in her mother
suavely. "And such an obliging per-
son, really. You are tired; you mustn't
dance again.
And now to get back to my starting
point as fast as possible: 1t was mid
forenoon of the fourth day-Friday-
when Agnes Wolfe, who had been
lo.ling on the upper deck with good
ish umbrella and baddish novel-her
back against a small boat, and her feet
most anywhere-heard her sisters
voice in the passage below, and leaned
forward to see whom Helie was talking
to so contidentially. Immediately after
she sprang up, and, flouncing forward
to the ladder, she descended rapidly
and sought her mother.
Mamma she cried, gasping and
choking over it: Mamma, Helie is
flirting with--the steward"
my love! You shock me. Ask her
to come to me at once"
And Helie saw no more of Mr.. Law
son until, standing by Delicia, in the
sunset, she observed him patrolling the
passage with his cigar.
Delicia carried her off presently to
prepare for supper.
Delicia talked a great deal.
''It's been lovely trip, Helie, The
St. Clair Flats were heavenly-if the
men hadn't tried to shoot birds. l
can't see any fun in shooting things
you don't want. Can you?"
No." said Helie, with disgusted
brevity.
That night, when Delicia's regular
breathing told that she slept, Helie
slipped down from her berth, drew
aside the curtain. and peeped out. One
single, melancholy figure leaned upon
the railing.
phil
He turned quickly.
''Helie darling"
''Phil, it's making me awfully ner-
vous.'
lis it, darlingp"
"Yes."
but your father will surely forgive
us
Il think he will. But, Phil, if he
shouldn't, you are young and brave
you could work"
80 yes. could work; I'd make the
chi II :"
"Chips?"
"Yes. Out OF the log, you know"
But if any one knew, what fuss
there would be! What time do we get
to Buffalo"
"About noon." They whispered a
while, then closed the conference, and
Helie returned to her berth.
frax,yorI loxr
general stir. Sentimental passengers
gathered in the cabin and sang The
Sweet By and By" Miss Heliotrope,
not being of this assembly, went out
and feed the baggage-room porter to
unstrap her trunk, from which she
took sundry small articles and crammed
them into her ALI ligator satchel.
Then she went forward and climbed
to the upper deck to hear the steers
/ man yarning as he neglected his wheel
and got the steamer headed for the
sandy side of the lake until the skipper
ripped out an oath or two and bade
him to be careful Then the city grew
nearer and nearer, and finally the jour
| new was at an end.
Five of the Wolfe-Close party seemed
in no haste to land, but stood gazing
intently over the railing.
''Ah, there is Mr. Wolfer' cried his
wife, waving her handkerchief. "Ag-
nes, Helie, there's papa! He will come
on board. We must wait here!'
Some ten minutes after the gentle
man was embracing them all in turn.
"Where's Helie?" he asked at length,
in surprise. "Why didn't she Gomez"
Sure enough, Helie was missing.
Mr. Wolfe turned pale. Had anything
happened her?
The girls ran hither and thither
wildly. The other passengers had
landed and the crowd dispersed. Helie
was not on the landing.
Mrs. Wolfe was faint; Mrs. Close
frantic; and the girls hysterical.
"Where's Capt. Burkep Where's
the stewart" cried Mrs. Close. But
neither gentleman could be found.
After half-hour's excitement the
baggage-porter appeared, and, with a
knowing grin, admitted having seen
the steward and the young lady going
ashore together, the very first of all
Mr.. Wolfe was nonplussed for little,
then started to the door Qhey were all
in the cabin), where he was met by the
porter, who had gone out reconnoiter-
ing, and returned to report the delin-
quents as coming aboard again in good
shape. ..
Mrs. Close, first to recover, darted
out to meet them, leaving the others to
regain self-possession.
"Ol, Helie! How could you!' cried
her aunt, reproacnfully. "Your mother