St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-01

0l Ills Juug menI, Sue saw no us
loyalty to him in Withholding
confidence that might be dis
loyal to another. cit won't do father any
good to know it, she said to herself, ''and if
it did it oughtn't to-, she added with trium-
plant feminine logic. But the impression
made upon her by the spectacle she had just
witnessed was stronger than any other con
sideration. The revelation of De Ferrieres'
| secret poverty seemed a chapter from ro-
nance of her own weaving: for moment it
lifted the miserable hero out of the depths
of his folly and selishness. She forgot the
weakness of the man in the strength of his
dramatic surroundings. 1t partly satisfied
craving she had felt; it was not exactly the
story of the ship as she had dreamed it, but
it was an episode in her experience OF it that
broke its monotony. That she should soon
learn, perhaps from De Ferrieres' own lips,
the true reason of his strange seclusion, and
that it involved more than appeared to her
now, she never for moment doubted.
At the end of an hour she again knocked
softly at the door, carrying some light nour-
ishment she had prepared for him. He was
asleep, but she was astounded to find that in
the interval he had managed to dress him
self completely in his antiquated fnery. 1t
was a momentary shock to the illusion she
had been fostering, but she forgot it in the
pitiable contrast betweenhis haggard face and
his pomatumed hair and beard, the iaunti
ness of his attire, and the collapse of his in
valid figure. When she had satisfied herself
that his sleep was natural, she busted herself
softly in arranging the miserable apartment
With few feminine touches she removed
the slovenliness of misery and placed the
loose material and ostentatious evidences of
his work on one side. Finding that he still
slept, and knowing the Importance of this
natural medication, she placed the refresh
ment she had brought by his side and noise
lessy quilted the apartment. Hurrying
through the gathering darkness between
decks, she once or twice thought that she
had heard footsteps, and paused, but, en-
countering no one, attributed the impression
| to her overcOnsciousness. Yet she thought
it prudent to 90 TO the galley first, where she
fingered a few moments Before returning to
the cabin. On entering she was little
startled at observing figure seated at her
fathers desk, but was relieved at finding it
was Mr.. Renshaw.
He rose and put aside the book he had idly
picked up II am afraid l am an Intentional
intruder this time, Miss Mott. But l found
no one here and / was tempted to look into
temptation got the better of me-"
His voice and smile were so frank and
pleasant, so free from his previous restraint,
yet still respectful, so youthful, yet manly,
that Rosey was affected by them even in her
preoccupation. Her eyes frightened and
then dropped before his admiring glance.
Had she known that the excite
ment of the last few hours had
brought wonderful charm into her
pretty face, had aroused the slumbering life
of her half-wakened beauty, she would have
been more confused. As it was, she was
only glad that the young man should turn
out to be "nice" Perhaps he might tell
her something about ships; perhaps if she had
only known him longer she might, with De.
Ferricres' permission, have shared her con-
fidence with him, and enlisted his patty
and assistance. She contented herself with
showing this anticipatory gratitude in her
face as she begged him, with the timidty OF
a maiden hostess, to resume his seat.
But Mr.. Renshaw seemed to talk only to
make her talk, aud ! am forced to admit that
Rosey found this almost as pleasant. 1t was
not long before he was in possession OF her
simp pie history from the day of her baby emf
grafton to California to the transfer of her
childish life to the old ship, and even of
much Of the romantic fancies she had woven
into her existence there. Whatever Interior
purpose he had in view, he listened as atten-
lively as If her artless chronicle was hlled
with practical information. Once, when she
had paused for breath, he said, gravely: II
must ask you to show me over this wonderful
ship some day that | may see it with your
eyes"
"But I think you know it already better
than do said Rosey, with smile.
Mr.. Renshaw's brow clouded slightly.
"Ah, " he said, with a touch of his former
restraint; "and why!'
"Well,' said Rosey, timidly, 81 thought
you went round and touched things in a
familiar way, as if you had handled them
before"
The young man raised his eyes to Rosey's
and kept them there long enough to bring
back his gentler expression. "Then, be-
cause | found YOU trying on very queer
bouuet the first day saw you" he said, mis-
chicvously, 81 ought to believe you were in
the hanit of wearing one.''
In the first flush of mutual admiration
young people are apt to find laugh quite as
significant as sigh for an expression of
sympathetic communion, and this master
stroke of wit convulsed them both. In the
But the compacency with which
he viewed the evident perfect under
standing of the pair was destined to
suffer some abatement. Rosey, suddenly
conscious that she was in some way partici-
patng in ridicule Of her father through his
unhappy gift, became embarrassed Mr.
Renshaw's restraint returned with the pre-
sence of the old man. In vain, at first,
Abner Mott strove with profound levity to
indicate his arch comprehension of the situa-
ton, and in vain, later, becoming alarmed,
he endeavored, with cheerful gravity, to in
dictate his utter obliyiousuess of any but
business significance in their tete-a-tete.
II oughtn Z to hev iutruded Rosev," he
said, "when you asd the gentleman were
talking of contracts, mebbee; but don't
mind me. I'm on the ily, anyhow, Rosev,-
dear, hevin' to see a man round the corner.n
But even the attitude of Withdrawing did
not prevent the exitsof Rcnshaw to his apart
ment, and Of Roscy To the galley. Left alone
in the cabin, Abner Mott felt in the knots
aud tanglcs of bis beard for reason. Ganc-
ing down at his prodigious boots, which, COW
cred with mud aud gravel, strongly empha-
sized his agricultural origin, and gave him
general appearance of standing on his own
broad acres he was struck with an idea
ITS them boots,'' he whispered to himself
softly, "they somehow don't seem 'xactly to
trump or follow suit in this yer cabin; they
don't hitch into anythin', but iist slosh
round loose, and, so to speak, play it alone.
And them young critters naturally feels it,
and gets out o the wav.1 Acting upon this
instinct with his usual precipitate caution,
he at once proceeded to the nearest
secondhand shop, and. purchasing
pair OF enormous carpet slippers, orig
iually the property Of a equity sea captain, re-
appeared with strong suggestion OF newly
upholsteriug the cabin. The improvement.