Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-07-17
A HERO IN DISGUISE.

A HERO IN DISGUISE.
was coming home from Cuba in the
winter of 1875. We had delightful
weather the first three days out, and
every passenger was on deck, so | had a
good chance to observe my fellow-pas-
sengers and study all their eccentrici-
ties, a recreation in which frequently
indulge when travelling. There was
bluff old fellow OF sixty-fve aboard who
was like Jeptha, in that he had one fair
daughter. lie had formerly been ship
master, and was as dictOral and domi-
neering as if he were still on the deck
of his own ship instead Of passenger
on a Havana steamer. AS he was re-
puted to be wealthy, many Of the rude
things he said and did were passed over
in sileEce by the majority OF the pas
sengers, who cultivated his acquaint-
ance assiduously. His beautiful girl,
about twenty years old, | should judge,
seemed utterly devoted to her father.
OF the other passengers the one who
most attracted my attention WAS young
man about twenty-five or twenty-six,
who, had the term been invented then,
would have been set down as q confirm
ed "dude." He was little too pictur-
esque in his dress, however, for gen.
uine "dude," and the first day out Of
Havana was languidly beautiful in
white flannel suit and blue neck-tie,
in the latter of which blaZed scarf-pin
that might have been rubies and might
have been imitation. After that he
dressed more quietly, but always ele-
gantly He had light hair and mild blue
eyes, rather English face and slender
figure.
That young man seemed to be always
tired. 1t seemed to be almost too much
of an effort for him to walk to the
smoking-room, after meals, for his ci-
gar. He always ordered the best wine
the ship afforded at his dinner Though
l will do him the justice to say that he
drank very little), and threw his money
around as freely in 'tips" to the wait
ers and in other ways as if he had mill
that he had not penny. To make a
long story short, he was a newspaper
reporter, who had been sent Down to
Cuba as correspondent of the paper with
which he was connected, and was now
on his way home to New York. While
in Cuba, he had met the old man with
his beautiful daughter, and fallen vio-
lently in love with her. She had recip-
rocated, but alas, the father had con-
ceived a most violent dislike for the
young man, and was taking his daugh-
ter home, partly to get her out of the
way of her suitor.
The name of the young man | learned
was Roderick Leighton; the old man
bore the not uncommon name Of Smith,
and his daughters name was Mary.
Here, said | to myself, are the mate
rials for Il romance. l will watch de-
velopments.
Mr.. Smith made no concealment Of
his disgust at finding himself and his
daughter fellow passengers with the
very man he wished to keep his daugh-
ter away from.
The young lady, as have said, was
devoted to Roderick Leighton, and l
was the witness Of several stolen meet
ings which the lovers had together on
the moon-lit decks Of the steamer, while
Mr.. Smith was comfortably smoking his
cigar and talking politics in the smok-
ing-room.
We left behind the summer weather
of the Southern seas, and it grew stormy
and cold. Finally, we approached that
region where tho storms always hover
of Hatteras. The day before we passed
Hatteras was terrible ono. The wind
blew a gale from the northeast, and
the great waves came laundering at the
ship as if they were determined to drive
her under. Sometimes solid masses of
water came OH board and flooded the
decks, and at other times clouds of spray
were sent flying over the vessel. She
was pitched aud tossed about terribly,
and most of the passengers were con-
fined TO their state-rooms, suffering from
sea-sickness.
When the storm began | promised
myself considerable amusement. Young
Leighton, thought /, will be very sea-
sick, and probably very much frighten-
ed, and lover and dandy, under such
circumstances, cannot fail to be su-
premely ridiculous. Imagine my aston
ishment when, instead of doing as had
planned he would, the young man ap-
peared on deck with q yachting cap
pulled firmly down on his head, thick
reefiug jacket buttoned to his chin, and
his feet encased in pair of thick "sea-
boots" All his languor had vanished
Color came in:o his cheeks, and fire
into his eyes, and he moved about the
decks with the air of man who hac
spent his life on the ocean. lii short
he was completely transformed.
As Mr.. Smith and were making oul
way towards the smoking-room aftel
dinner, we passed Leighton. and saw
the old man look after his would-be
son-in-law with an expression Of sur
prise.
"why, confound it," said he, ".ha
young dandy is masquerading as sail
or, is he? He'll do more than look tn
character before he can make me believ