Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-01

peculiar facial type. At last the new voy-
ayers began to emerge from below and to
look about them, vaguely, with that sus-
picious expression of face which is to be
perceived in the newly embarked, and
which. as directed to the receding land,
resembles that of a person who begins to
perceive that he is the victim of a trick.
Earth and ocean, in such glances, are
made the subject of a general objection,
and many travellers, in these circum-
stances. have an air at once duped and
superior, which seems TO say that they
could easily 60 ashore if they would. 1t
still wanted two hours of dinner, and by
the time Vogelstein's long legs had meas
ured three or four miles on the deck, he
was ready TO settle himself in his sea
chair and draw from his pocket Tauch-
nitZ novel by an American author whose
pages, he had been assured, would help
to prepare him. On the back of his chair
his name was painted in rather large
letters, this being precautiOn taken at
the recommendation of a friend who
had told him that on the American steam
e-s the assengers-especially the ladies
thought nothing Of pilfering ones little
comforts. His friend had even said that
in his place he would have his cOrOnet
painted. This cynical adviser had added
that the Americans are greatly impressed
by a cOrOnet. / know not whether it was
skepticism or mOdesty, but Count VOgel-
stein had omitted this ensign of his rank;
the precious piece Offurniture which, on
the Atlantic voyage, is depended upon to
remain steady among general cOncus-
sions, was emblaZOned simply with his
title and name. 1t happened, however,
that the blaZonry was huge; the back of
the chair was covered with enormous
German characters. This time there
can be no doubt. 1t was mOdesty
ton, in placing himself, to turn
this portion Of his seat outward, away
from the eyes of his cOmpaniOns--to pre-
sent it to the balustrade of the deck. The
ship was passing the Needles-the beauti-
ful Outermost point of the Isle of Wight.
Certain tall white cones of rock rose out
of the purple sea; they flushed in the
afternoon light, and their vague rOsiness
gave them a kind of human expression.
in face Of the cold eXpanse toward which
the ship was turned; they seemed to say
farewell-to be the last note of a peopled
world. VOgelstein saw them very COM
fOrtably from his place, and after awhile
he turned mis- eyes to the other quarter,
where the sky and sea between them man.
aged to make so poor an opposition. Even
his American novelist was more amusing
than that, and he prepared to return to
this author. In the great curve which it
described, however, his glance was
arrested by the figure of young
lady who had just assembled to
the deck, and who paused at the
mouth of the cOmpaniOnway. In
itself this was not an extraordinary
phenomenon; but what attracted Vogel-
STEMS attention was the fact that the
young person appeared to have fixed her
eyes on him. She was slim, brightly
dressed, and rather pretty. VOgelstein
remembered in moment that he had no.
ticed her among the people on the wharf
at southampton. She very soon saw that
he was looking at her; whereupOn she be-
gan to move along the deck with a step
which seemed to indicate that she was
coming straight toward him. VOgelstein
had time to wonder whether she could be
one of the girls he had known at Dresden;
but he presently reflected that they would
now be much older than this. 1t was true
they came straight toward one, like that.
This young lady, however, was no longer
looking at him, and though she passed
near him, it was now tOlerably clear that
she had come up stairs simply to take
a general survey. She was a quick,
handsome competent girl, and
she wished to see what one could think Of
the ship-Of the weather-Of the appear
ance of England from such a position as
that; possibly even of ones fellow pas
sengers. She satisfied herself promptly
on these points, and then she looked
about, while she walked, as if she were
in search of a missing object; so that
NOgelstein presently saw this was what
she really had. come up for. She passed
near him again, and this time she almost
stopped, with her eyes bent upon him
attentively. He thought her conduct re-
markable, even after he had perceived
that it was not at his face, with its yellow
mOustache, she was looking, but at the
!, fn1
words of his friend came back to him-the
speech about the people, especially the
ladieS-On the American steamers taxing
to themselves ones little belongings.
Especially the ladies, he might well say;
for here was one who apparently wished
to pull from under him the very chair he
was sitting on. He was afraid she would
ask him for it, so he pretended to
read, without meeting her eye. He was
conscious that she lowered near him, and
he was curious to see what she would do.
1t seemed to him strange that such nice
looking girl (for her appearance was
really charming) should endeaYOr by arts
so fragrant to attract the attention of a
Secretary of Legation. At last it be-
came evident to him that she was trying
to look round a corner, as it were; trying
to see what was written on the back of
his chair. ''She wants to find out my
name; she wants to see who l amp This
reflection passed through his mind, and
caused him to raise his eyes. They rested
on her own, which, for an appreciate
moment, she did not withdraw. The lat
ter were brilliant and expressive, and
surmounted a delicate aquiline nose,
which, though pretty, was perhaps just
tritle too haWk-lIke. 1t was
the oldest coincidence in the world; the
story VOgelstein had taken up treated of
a flightv, forward little American girl,
who plants herself in front of young man
in the garden of a hotel. Was not the
conduct of this young lady testimony TO
the truthfulness of the tale. and was not
VOgelstein himself in the position of the
young man in the garden? That young
man ended by speaking to his invader Gas
she might be called }, and after very short
hesitation VOgelstein followed his exam
pie. ''If she wants to know who | am, she
Is welcome" he SAID to himself; and he
got out Of the chair, seized it by the back,
and, turning it round, exhibited the SUI
prescription to the girl. She cOlOred
slightly. but she smiled and read his name,
while YOgelstein raised his hat.
Il am much obliged to you. That's
ALL" she remarked, as if the discovery
had made her very happy.
1t seemed to him indeed all right that
he should be Count Otto Vogelstein; this
appeared even a rather flippant mode of
disDOsing of the fact. By way of reioin-
der he asked her if she desired his seat.
Il am much obliged to you; of course
not. l thought you had one of our chairs,
and l didn't like to ask you. 1t looks eX-
actly like one Of ours; not so much now
as when you sit in it. Please sit down
again. l don't want to trouble you. We
have lost one Of ours, and l have been
looking for it everywhere. They look so
much alike; you can't tell till you see the
back. OF course ] see there will be NJ
mistake about yours" the young lady
went on, with a frank smile. ''But We
have got such q small name-yOu can
scarcely see it, she added, with the same
friendly intention. '0ur name is Day.
If you see that on anything, l should be
so obliged if you would tell me. 1t isn't
for myself, it's for my mother; she is so
dependent on her chair, and that one / am
looking for pulls out so beautifully. Now
that you sit down again and hide the
lower part, it does look just like ours.
Well, it must be somewhere. You must
excuse me; l am much obliged to you"
This was long and even confidential
speech for young woman, presumably
unmarried, to make to a perfect stranger;
but Miss Day acquitted herself of il with
perfect simplicity and selfpOssession. She
held up her head and stepped away, and
YOgelstein could see that the foot she
pressed upon the clean, smooth deck was
slender and shapely. He watched her dis
appear through the trap by which she had