The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-09-24

shall come during your watch or the
Captains p
Nothing more was said--in words.
Ralph was madly tempted, as he went
forward. to dance about and shout
aloud.
1t was a pitch-dark night, though
the air was clear of fog. The two
lovers sat beneath the bridge, and he
told her in whispers all about himself,
and how fatal it would be If it were
discovered that he had yielded to her
prayer and let her come to him on deck.
But what did anything matter while
her soft, smooth fingers twined and
knotted themselves in his, and her
glory OF gold hair was the only thing
betw cen her cheek and his shoulder.
Suddenly there was a great jar and
dull, crashing report. Nellie crouch
ed in the shadow as Nutford sprang
to his feet and learned from the men
on watch that the Paragon had been
run into. In moment all was con-
fusion, or apparent confusion. The
Captain, cool as if he had been taking
his seat at dinner, came on deck and
said, in loud cain voice to the terri
| fed passengers
"We have been run into and the
Paragon is sinking, There is no
danger to us personally. The seq is
calm and the boats are in perfect order
and in preparation for such an accident
In an hour we shall be on board the
| ship that has run us down, which is
waiting for us close by Then, under
his calm aud careful orders, passengers
and crew embarked in the Paragon's
boats, and in very short time the
little flotilla was pulling away from the
disappearing liner. But the ship that
had sunk them was nowhere to be
found Favored by the darkness, she
had got away, without stopping to
learn what had become of the Paragon
and her living freight.
Nellie and Ralph were together in
one of the boats. No inquiry had yet
been made into the disaster but the
two men on watch who were in the
| o'''tO oOho Win tueill, odlu 1ucy udu
suddenly seen the lights of steamer
close to them, and as they sprang for
ward to hail her and give the alarm,
she had struck them, and when they
recovered from their momentary con
sternation she had disappeared !!
"You hear !" said Nellie to the
terror-stricken fifth officer, whose side
she had never left-'they didn't see
her till she struck US. You must sup
port their statement or you are ruin
ed man. Your certificate will be can
celed, and, oh, Ralph! if the truth
should be known, think of my ever
lasting shame! For my sake, if you
love me, save my good name and
yours, and back up their story. You
see they are both agreed, and you
were further from where she struck us
than they were.'
The men repeated their story again
and again. Morning broke, and be-
fore any one had time to suffer very
much steamer bound on the same
journey, picked up the whole company.
The Captain interrogated the men
on watch and Mr.. Nutford as closely
as possible. There was no doubt
about the facts. The Paragon had
been run down by mysterious vessel,
the name Of which no one had observ-
ed, and had taken advantage of the
darkness to desert the ship she had
run into. The home voyage was salts
factorily accomplished and Ralph and
Nellie, the former no longer hampered
by duties of navigation, had ample
opportunities of carrying on their love
affair, which had been accompanied by
such an overwhelming catastrophe.
Nutford easily succumbed to Nellie's
soft casuistry, for to own his neglect of
duty would be ruin to his career and
hers and would render their marriage,
which was to him a foregone conclu-
sion, an absolute impossibility.
A minute inquiry naturally was held
at Seringapatam, at the conclusion of
which it was decided though in Off
cial language-that there was some
mystery somewhere, and good deal
more in the circumstances of the
collision that met the eye or ear but
that there was no direct evidence re-
tlecting upon the conduct of the fifth
officer, who came home from the in.
quiry a man about whom nothing de-
finite is said, but a good deal is i'm
piled, and in this unenviable state of
mind he found waiting for him Nellie,
his atlianced bride, and blue envelope.
The latter was from firm of solici-
tors, announcing that his old uncle had
died, leaving him his sole heir.
"Thank God !" he exclaimed. ''Poor
old gentleman, he has done me a good
turn at the moment l required it most
Nellie-sweetheart-l am rich man.
Tomorrow | throw up this profession
whic if cared little about before,
loathe now. This day three weeks
darling, we will be married, and then
we'll go abroad for six months. Does
this suit your views?"
The answer of the young person ad
dressed has not been recorded it is
sufficient for us to know that, two
months later, Nellie-Mrs. Ralph Nut
ford-was installed in an exquisite
little apartment looking out upon the
Champs Elysees, and her husband, who
had been down to the Riviera to lool
out for permanent habltation fol
himself and his bride, was Fastening
back to her in frst-class carriage OF
the Paris-Marseilles, railway.
| In the corner opposite to hun sat al
American, who, with the affability o
that free-born race, had entered int,
conversation with him, and the conver
sation had turned upon the shipping a
Marseilles.
"You seem to know thing or TIVE
about boats, stranger" observed tn,
American.
"Well, ought to, seeing that | wa
connected with an American line TO
some years"
"You were Then you must hav
come across some funny yarns in con
necton with those same steamers
Lord bless you There's a deal o
romance connected with those lines !
could tell you story-but there, i
| Innul1nft ,nt ,,n,,ln.,