Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-08-28

tuo I1ACLcT. 1 uOA0 huO" duy IuluS dOOU1
shipping, while he knows everything"
He pointed as he spoke to the man whose
appearance l had liked so little when I saw
him descending the stairs Of the hotel by the
side of the millionaire. Even now, when in
recognit. on of Branksome's words he tried to
look pleasant, I thought his face = peculiarly
evil one.
"Oh, Flinter is well up in shipping, as we
have all occasion to know" said Mauleverer.
@Butc come, Daisy, you have not yet seen your
palace below, and luncheon will soon be
ready"
We all descended the broad winding stairs
of the cabin companionway, and once again
Deisy's irrepressible cries of delight broke
forth. 1t would have been difficult indeed
Tor any one to restrain his admiration for
that s%umptuous interior. There were state
rooms furnished in delicate shades of color,
decorated with works of art of priceless
value, and fitted with every comfort and
every luxury that the traveller could desire;
there was q dining saloon in which the
stamped leather decorations of tho smoking
room on deck were reproduced, but in n diff
ferent color. 1t was difficult to remember
that We We're on board q ship. This noble
apartment looked us though it had been
uAAShSA :" oouiAf " ooAAAO NOA4SSAItA p0A-
ace. There was a saloon, spacious, airy, ele-
giant, in which the embroidered silk panels
of the walls We'd with the covering of tho
couches, and sumptuous carpets, in the soft
pile of which the foot sank an inch deep; and
there was n boudoir in which the beauty and
magnificence of this fairy palace seemed to
have eliminated. When we reached it |
thought Daisy's face turned pale, as though
she were almost frightened by the splendor
of which she was now tho mistress. In my
own heart there was a heavy weight of pain.
The more clearly the riches Of Maulevcrer
were made apparent to NE, the greater
seemed to be the gulf by which | was cut Of
from him and all belonging to him.
We had not yet seen everything, however,
that was to be seen on board this wonderful
ship. Whom we left the boudoir, Il short
gangway, the walls of which were covered
with green plush n glittered with the re-
iacc, e! light of mirrors, led us to a door
which MIR. Mauleverer discovered was locked.
"What nave we here's" he said, turning to
DR.. Branksome.
ooh there you have the other side of tho
picture" was the reply. "You know, per-
haps, that the old duke had been in the navy
in his youth, and that up to the end Of his
days he was a terribly severe disciplinarian
1t seems that he always insisted upon having
a punishment cell made in his yachts, and I
was told that he had even been known to
conf1ne his own SONS when they happened to
offend him."
sand is this the cell9' asked Mauleverer,
pointing to the locked door.
ut lies beyond it," said the doctor. He
produced a small key and opened the door.
It showed us a continuation Of the gang way;
but now the walls of the narrow passage
were utterly without ornament. I placed
my hand upon them, and found that they
were lined with sheet-iron. At the end of
some opened. We saw dimly, for we were
not provided with any lantern, a small,
square apartment, furnished in the plainest
and luxury of everything else. The place
was cold and dark; / could feel Daisy, who
was standing near me, shiver as she looked
into the gloomy cell.
II think l must have that dismal hole i'm
proved out of existence" said the million
aire, in his placid tones. We were all glad
to turn our backs upon this specimen Of
ducal folly, and to make our way to the
dining saloon, where a luncheon in keeping
with the splendors of the apartment wa
spread upon the table.
1t must, I think, have been the feeling Of
oppression that was produced in my mind
by the display Of Mauleverer's ~overpower-
ing wealth that prevented my enjoying that
meal, even although it was the first I had
ever taken in the company of the girl ]
loved. There was an additional reason, ]
think, which contributed, to a certain e1.
tent, to my embarrassment. I was seated
opposite to Daisy at the round table which
occupied the middle of the floor of the cabin.
Again and again I tried to catch her eye
and to win some word from her lips. More
than once she looked up and I thought l had
succeeded. But if for a moment her eye
seemed to rest on my face, it wandered al
most instantaneously to that of my next
n%eighbor, the doctor, and then it rank once
more upon her plate.
:. Branksome himself kept me involved in
bright talk, in which not only the yacht and
its glories, but the gayeties of Scarborough
and the beauties Of the Yorkshire scenery
played a prominent part. By and by, how
ever, he became confidential.
"You are looking at our friend owe,
whom l had heard called Flinter by Mr.
Mauleverer. Tn truth is, I was looking a,
him because l had become conscious of thu
fact that he was staring at mo with the dis
agreeable intensity of purpose which I hat
noticed when l was speaking to the million
aire in the hotel in the morning. Rather .
rough diamond, is he nots But u diamond
nevertheless. He owes everything to oul
I good host, and would 60 through fire ant
a water to serve him."
Thought to myself that the man hardly
! looked equal to the character thus givel
e him by the doctor, but I had learned to dis
trust first impressions, and I said nothing.
t Have you never heard of Mr.. Fosdykt
before" whispered Branksome in my ear
81 am surprised. He is one of tho yer,
e cleverest attorneys in London. You woult
r soon hear all about him if you were to in
quire at Bow street or the Old Bailey"
\, Fosdyk, must have heard his name whe,
Branksome whispered it to me. At al
events I caught the glitter of his pince-ne;
: as his eyes were turned upon ME, and onc'
more I felt that I was being subjected to
scrutiny of unpleasant severity.
; How l longed, as the well-drilled stewards
passed round dish after dish and replenishet
our glasses with the champagne or clare
: which was provided i'll such profusion, TO
the peace of the days that were gone, whel
my darling was not set in this frame @
. almost regal splendor, but when l was al
9 lowed to sit beside her with no jealous eye t,
keep watch between us, and no voice to con
! tend with mine for the possession of her ear
Once or twice 1caught a look i'll her fac
: that seemed to tell me that some thought nc
unlike this was passing through her ow
mind; but if ever her spirit seemed to b
tagging, and the color begin to fade from
t her face, some sally from Branksome, tn
brilliancy of whose conversation was il
keeping with the agreeable suavity of hi
manner, reused her attention and made he
smile again.
1strove as We walked up from the shore il