, 1885-10-18
MISS

the ample dining-room.
II each side OF this main saloon arc
four small tables intended to uccom
MEDIATE six or seven person. At Ont
Of these tables sat n Peasant party OF
four ladies and three gentlemen. Three
ladies were from letroit. one from
Kent, in ngland. At The head Of the
tables sat Mr.. blair. the frosts OF many
American winters in his hair and
beard. while liic lines OF care la his
rugged, cheerful cottish face told of u
life OF business crowned with generous
success.
Mr.. Waters, a younger merchant, had
all the alert yivacity of the pushing
American. He had the distingu shed
honor of sitting opposite me at the small
table.
Blair and Waters occupied the same
room, 20. Is and IL. The one had
crossed the Atlantic more than fifty
times, the other nearly thirty. Those
figures show the relative proportion Of
their business experience.
The presence Of Mr.. Blair gave to our
table a sort of patriarchal dignity that
we all appreciated. If louder burst of
laughter than usual came from our table
and the other passengers looked in uir-
ingly our way the sedato and self-pos,
sessed face of Mr.. Elair kept us in coun-
tenance, and we, who had given way TO
undue levity, felt ourselves enshrouded
by an atmosphere Of genial seriousness.
That prevented our table from getting
the reputation Of being funny.
Some remark that Blair made brought
forth the following extraordinary state
ment from Waters, who told it with the
air OF a man exposing %pretentions OF n
whited sepulchre.
"Now, before this voyage goes any
further, y he began. II have a serious
duty TO perform which | can shirk no
longer, unpleasant though it be. Mr..
Blair and myself occupy the same state
room. Into that state-room has
been sent a most lovely basket
Of flowers. II is not an extra
ordinary basket Of flowers, | assure
you, ladies. There is a beautiful floral
arch over n bed OF color, and / believe
there is same tender sentiment con
nected with the display-'Bon Voyage.
Auf Wiedersehen, or some such
motto marked out in red buds. Now
these flowars are not for me. | think,
therefore, that Mr.. Blair owes it to this
company, which has so unanimously
placed him at the head Of the table, 10
explain how it comes that an elderly
gentleman gets such n handsome floral
tribute sent him from some unknown
person in New York.
We all looked at Mr.. Blair, who gazed
with imperturbabiiity at Mr. Waters.
III you had all crossed with Waters
as often AS / have you would know that
ha - auIf.af to aftnala. ILL. H. IL
means we'll, but occasionally he gives
way in the deplorablc manner you have
Just witnessed. Now all there is of it
consists in this a basket of flowers has
been sent no doubt by mistake, to our
stateroom. There is nothing but q card
on it which says Room is.' Steward. 90
he cried, would you go to room Is and
bring that basket of flowers and set il
on this table. We may as well all have
the benefit of them. s. nli4t
The steward soon returned with a
large and lovely basket Of flowers,
which he set on the table, showing the
the caster AMI other things aside to
make room for il.
We all admired 1t very much and the
handsome young lady on my left asked
Mr.. Blairs permission to take one Of the
roses for her own.
Now. mind you, said Blair, 81 can
not grant a flower from the basket, for
you see it is as much the property of
Waters as of myself. for all of his virtu-
Gus indignation. 1t was sent to the
room and lie is one of the occupants.
The flowers have evidently been mis-
directed.
The lady referred to took it upon
herself TO purloin the flower she
wanted. As she did so a card came in
view with the words written in a mas
culine hand:
To Nj ; Mcmillan, with the loving regarls
Of Edwin j.
Miss Mcmillan cried the lady; II
wonder if she is on board I'd give
anything to know"
"WeH give a glance at the passenger
list, - said Waters.
own among the Ms on the long list
of cabin passengers appeared the name
Miss Mcmillan.
Now, - said !, ut seems to me that
the duty deyolves upon both Blair and
Waters to spare no pains in delicately
returning those towers to their proper
owner. | think that both have been
very remiss in not doing so long ago.
They should apologize publicly to the
young lady for having deprived her of
the offering for a day and a half. and
then | think they owe an apology to
this table for the mere pretense that
any sane person in Now York or else
whore would 60 to the trouble of send
ing either of them n single flower
There will be no apology from me, "
said Waters. IF | do not receive the
thanks Of Miss Mcmillan it will be be
cause good deeds are rarely recognized
III this world. think it must be evident,
even to the limited intelligence Of my
journalistic friend across the table,
that Mr.. Blair intended to keep those
flowers in his stateroom, and-of course
/ make no direct charges-the conceal
ment OF that card certainly looks tad.
IL may have been concealed by the
sender of the flowers, but to me it looks
bad.
'Of course, said Blair dryly, ito you
II looks bad. To the pure, etc.
Now, said the sentimental lady on
my left, while you gentlemen are vast
ing the time in useless talk the lady is
without her roses. There is one thing
that you all seem to miss. 1t is not the
mere value Of the bouquet. There is a
subtle perfume about an offering like
this more delicate than that which
nature gave the flowers"
Hear, hear, broke in Waters.
Il told YOU said Blair aside, the
kind Of fellow Waters is. lie thinks
nothing of interrupting a lady"
Order, both of YOU | cried. rap
ping on the table, the lady from Eng
land has the floor.
What was going TO say
when Waters interrupted you.
when Nj Waters interrupted me |
was going to say that there seems 10 me
n romantic tinge TO this incident that
a Luxury ana Necessity
Enr rich and nnnr who wish 10 nninY rnnd