The Cecil Whig., 1885-11-28

after, however, they experienced an
other such blessing, when the screw
broke, and the calm weather al
lowed no headway to be made.
There was the usual fretting among
the passengers, and the constant
watching for passing steamer; but
otherwise life on board went on
pretty much as before-meals were
served with regularity, ring toss
went forward with the same persis-
tency, cards were in requisition, peo-
pie t1irted and danced and sang, and
read their novels and tried to APP
pear as if nothing had happened or
was likely to happen. And one
morning they signaled an inward
bound steamer, which took them in
tow, and few days later their con-
voy took a pilot on board and home
was close at hand.
"We have had SO many exper-
fences together,' said Ariadne, S
lord, that feel as if had always
known YOU"
eff we could only have had a
shipwreck," sighed Ariadne, "a per-
fectly safe shipwreck, you know, but
lots of romance"
"To be sure, if we could have
been cast away on a desert island
how anxiously would have risked
my neck to find edible birds nests
for you."
"Pm almost sorry it didn't hap
pen"
There was a dance in the saloon,
that last evening, and Ariadne and
her lord had the star-lighted deck
pretty much to themselves. They
strolled lazily back and forth, or
watched the rival dance in the steer
age, or they hung over the taffrial
and sang snatches of sea songs, and
spoke softly of the reflections of the
stars in the water.
Diamonds are not so beautiful y
she said
''Do you like diamonds?' he
asked.
"Like them! l dote on them.
They include the hues and splendor
of all other gems.
LET me show you some, then, u
and from one of those countless
pockets with which the masculine
being seems always to be provided,
he brought forth handful Of jewels,
which lay in his palm as if whole
galaxy of stars had fallen there.
"Oh,.' cried Ariadne, "what splen-
DOR"
yThey are heirlooms, he ex-
planned; "they have been in the fam
lily for generations.
"But why are they still unset?'
"They have been taken from their
old-fashioned settings yeare ago. l
have fancy for having them reset
in America
81 never saw anything SO supreb.
It's as if the skies had fallen. wish
Margaret and Elinor could see them.
They rave so over diamonds
"Would you like to show them to
your friendsi
"Wouldn't p, with emphasis.
"Do me favor he said, shutting
them into tiny box. "Keep them
for me till one day l will call on you
| in Boston and claim them-and per-
haps something more precious yet,
BESIDES
"How dare you trust me with
such treasures?
81 have trusted more precious
things to you than jewels he muir
mered-and then Lena joined them.
The next day was full of the bus
tie of arrival, packing and getting
ready to leave. Dowdy looking wo-
men suddenly sailed upon deck in
the latest Paris styles, looking like
strangers and foreigners; fussy wo-
men were watching the trunks that
were being hoisted from the hold,
for fear that their baggage had been
left behind in Liverpool; the custom
house officers interviewed the pas
sengers in the saloon, and everybody
was excited with the long delayed
prospect of dry land and home.
Ariadne only caught glimpse of
her lord that morning in the distance,
between the exactions of the toilets
and packing, and then the tender
came alongside, and took them off,
and steamed up to the custom house.
Ariadne was a little chagrined then
that her lord did not come and
speak to her and take the vacant
seat in her neighborhood on the
tender; but he was smoking-no
doubt that accounted for it-but
why need he smoke just now? The
hobbledeboy was talking briskly to
Lena and joking her about the GUS
toms and her dutiable fal-lals. Then,
while she was wondering about it,
they were already overhauling bag
gage, and friends we're crowdlne
around and telling the news, and
still she had not word with her
lord. Just then cheerful voice be
hind her said: Lord Kingsbury.
You here in America. Glad to see
YOU "Yes,' replied Kingsbury, in
such familiar tones as froze in the
marrow in Ariadne.s bones, SO to
speak. w came over for a few
weeks shooting out West and look
ing over her shoulder she saw an