Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-02-14
A Clear Case.

1t was nearing sunset on the fourth
day, and the steamer was blowing along
through Erie-that most deceitful, most
dangerous lake of the chain-clearly in
tending to reach Buffalo by the next day
noon.
The passengers had been having their
little fun, for they had all become pretty
well acquainted in those seventy sweet
blue hours, velvet beneath, satin above
sunrise to sunset, with never cloud or
drop of rain or seasick soul, save one
dear woman, early retired to a stateroom
and partOOk, q discretion, of nux vomica,
third potency.
Some one had bottled a written ac-
count OF the trip some one else had
mounted the Capstan, made a bright if
rhapsOdical speech, and hurled the bot
tie into the waters, the ceremony being
attended with much laughter and hand
clapping. This concluded a most excel
lent humOr perVaded the company
even the six stately representatives of
two most exclusive-families- pill
lars of a Western etrOpolis-conceded
the claims of the occasion.
Of this party of six, two were elderly
ladies, sisters. Mrs. Wolfe and Mrs.
Close; the remaining four, the two
. daughters of each, young ladies, whose
limits of II to %
Papa Close had put them all aboard the
steamer in their own dear, dirty Western
river at eight o'clock the Taesday even
ing previous. 1t was now Friday, and
Papa Wolfe would meet them at the dock
In Buffalo on the morrow-Deo volente.
So they could not be considered exactly
as unprotected females. Besides, was not
the jolly skipper their "most obedient,"
with all his Hibernian absurdities?
They had started out with an excessive
frigidity toward each and every one else
aboard, but this had thawed, and they
were now disposed to patronize-after a
kindly fashion. The young ladies were
standing, arms lovingly entwined, in
groups Oftwos; three Oft them were dressed
alike and closely resembled each other:
the fourth was an odd lamb, her counte-
nance being more piquantly expressive
than that of sisters or cousins, light, spark
ling, mischievOus, where theirs were toll
Grant and heavy, with the weight of pro-
priety and "good form" Her eyes were
heavily dashed; her nose tipped saucily;
her mouth was a carnatiOn leaf and the
sugar-spOon hat she,wore, like the others,
had hardly secured her from sunburn
and freckles.
She carried yellow, foot-square satch-
ell of alligator skin, with her name silver
lettered on the outSide-One of her names
at least, and that by which she was best
known
HELIoTROPE."
She wore blue fannei yachting suit
b T hair was the sweetest brown with
veins of red gold shining Throughout
She lacked the self-conscious expression
of Isabel Close or Agnes Wolfe, the ladies
at her left, just back of Delicia Close, {
thin edition, whose embrace bored her
little.
Nearly all the passengers were on deck
in groups of threes and tours. The ex
cellent mammas, Close and Wolfe, sa
not far away, middle-aged, well dressed
with an occasional fine diamond as Letter
of credit. Up and down the narrow pas
sage between the cabin and the rail o
the propeller sauntered the steward O
the vessel, a remarkably gOodloOking, yet
at times melancholy, young man, with {
cigar in his mouth that might have beer
an immortelle for it's apparent everlaSt
ingness.
At times he seemed to gaze meditative-
ly upon either Delicia Close or Hello
trope Wolfe, an unprecedented observer
on oath might hesitate in asserting
which. Perhaps Mrs. Wolfe could have
said, though, for Heliew was only too often
In mischief of the kind
Besides-but this takes me back to the
night they started. That night the moon
was just rising yellow as gold and as
smooth as platter, when the good-bys
were spoken, the last kisses exchanged
and Papa Close, with others equally for.
lorn, went ashore, rejecting that during