New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-28

1 had now to occupy my thoughts. And now I
was alone, and had a chance TO think. What
could it all mean2 Was l never TO be rid Of
repetition? The voice 1 had heard from Wester-
| feidt in the smoking room was the voice OF the
fat man with the thin face. Az least, so l
thought at the time. But may IT not have been
coincidence? To an Englishman, all uncdu.
Gated. unrefncd Americans talk alike, and the
imitation of the speech OF one oi,eh, t as
for that Of any other. 1t was utterly impossible
that Westerfeidt could be the fat man with the
thin face. 1t was too simply absurd 10 thinK
of such thing for a moment. In Inquire, Dmld,
complexion, and features-except one; ms eyes
he was as utterly and completely unlike the rat
man as one man could he to another. WIS lac. lace
was not thin 1t wasn't fat it's true, b1t there
is wide margin between fat and tim wien you
come to a mans face. The hollow cheeks. the
wrnSed eyes and mouth and the pointed noSS OIL
the fat man were all wanting. Then, his shoulders
were broad and his waist was as slender as
many womans. In everything but the one,
as / say, he was exact an opposite OF the
fat man as a man well could be. And yet now
that my mind was directed TO IT, his eyes had IN
them at times an expression that recalled the
fat man. 1t was that which made me think
/ had seen him before When first met him,
how or when / could not remember But how
often one sees just such resemblances every day,
and thinks nothing of them. ii is so easy to
exaggerate the most trivial things into evidence
when one is suspicious
Il must be careful not to overcstimate trifes,'
I said to myself. i" shall only go astray II do
were in my berth? That is no trifc, surely =,
But had he come down for that purpose? l
thought so, certainly, at the time But was II not
recognized me at all but have merely been put
out at my interrupting his story. Why should nc c
not have come down. as he said, to see somebody
and he had only looked in to see me on !, his way
to the saloon. How easily explained it all seemed
after ALL and felt rather ashamed Of my mysc H.
proof that il belonged to him. IT seemed as
though the more / thought and weighed the pros
and cons the more puzzled ana uncer th go.
that night, and to try and go to sleep trusting
to future events to unravel what was now nut
tangled sken in my mind 1t was Vas a atter when tS
lights in the ship were put out and he undresSed
and performed h.s additions in the dark. lie dld
not speak, for l pretended to be asleep.
III.
The next day was Thursday, our eighth day
ont from New-YorlI and it had been hoped, our
last on the broad Atlantic. The ships run az
425 miles from Queenstown where with ordinarily
fair weather we ought to have arrlyyed before
dark on the THURSDAY But the h nlp am on Is
wind she had encountered were not likely to IN
crease her speed. The weather still continued bad;
and I still fegned illness to Westerfeldt and
stayed in my berth.
Just before luncheon he came in to brush his
hair. One thing had noticed which have not
mentioned. IL was this He never washed his
hands before me / was either not IN the room,
or he made some excuse when / was On the
present occasion he said he had washed them IN
the lavatOry before he came down.
Pm afraid we're in for another extra twelve
hours on this COMPOUNDED old tub he said, with
an annoyed look, though his spirits seemed about
the same. The run is just up. Only 2S7 miles
in the last twenty-four hours! call IL simply
disgracefu of first class company-sending such
n superannuated canal boat as this to sea
in these days. with boats like the Oregon and
Alaska doing their 400 miles day without
turning a hair. Now. let's see: 2s7 from APP
leaves 80. and twice 1873 is 276. Yes. sir with
this weather and the way were travelling we re
lucky if we make Fastnet by o'clock, which
means Queenstown about ii or IL to-iigh1'
For all his words Of complaint, 1t struck me
there was satisfied look about him quite lncon-
I'm sorry you won't lcy me send you down
some SOUP he said. in reply TO my refusal TO have
anything to eat. MY steward had or.iers TO bring
me my luncheon as Westerfedt had gene
to hiss " II won't do for you TO starve like this
Champagne doesn't seem TO do you good any more.
But I've got another remedy 10 suggest | al
ways carry it with me. It's wonderful thing TO
hiring back your appetite. I've got it in my vallsc
here. and VIII get it out and give you some after
lunch'
later, quietly discussing some cold fowl and ham,
with bottle OF Bass at my elbow; when there
was knock at my door pushed the plates and
things far down to the foot of the berth as l
could. and drew the curtain.
It's only me-" said Appleton, coming in with
out waiting for a reply to his knock I've got
isn't much time, except while Westerfeldt is at
lunch You're not really sick, are you% /
hcsitated moment. oh, never mind about
saying, if you don't want TO- You don't look
sick to me, and you know I'm doctor" Still
I didn't answer thinking it might be some trap.
Well, it doesn't really make any difference with
quarters of an hour ago happened to be in tho
First Officers room. His room opens into the
same passage as the ships doctors does; in fact,
both doors face each other. directly opposite
While was sitting there waiting for the First
Officer TO come down from taking observations
so as TO get pointer from him for a bet on the
days run. who should come along the passage
and 90 into the doctors room but Westerfedt.
You know he talks pretty loud. and both doors
being open, l couldn't help hearing what he said
My roommate, Major Warde, is very ill., he
said to the doctor, and hasn't been able TO sleep
for three nights. You needn't trouble TO come
down and see him; but if you can give me good
strong sleeping draught for him, ] shall be obliged
to you. not only for his sake, but for my own,
for he keeps me awake tumbng about and grunt-
ing He says he is peculiar in one respectively
few narcotics affect him, unless they are made UNI
thing TO give you. Come in after luncheon, and
I'll have it ready answered the doctor. and Yves
terfeldt took his departure. After he had got
we'll away | slipped across into the doctors room
The doctor-a smooth-faced boy from some
try dispensary, on his first voyage-was filling
a two-ounce vial out of a large bottle. L want
bit of sticking plaster please said, and sat
down. He corlSed the vial labelled it, did it
up in paper, wrote Mr. Westerfedt upon it. and
put it down on his desk What's that stuff p
said !, carelcssy, while he looked in his drawer
for the plaster. That? oh, that's hydratc of
Choral he I'D. Here you are. Where do you
want it| oh, it's not for myself; thank, You
| said putting the plaster in my pocket, and com
ing away. / hung about the saloon till ! saw
Westerfeldt come in and sit down to his lunch
Then | came down here. And now, let me tell
you, my friend that that stuff which Westerfeldt
has got for you is about the strongest soporifc
known to the medical profession. | know what
am talking about Did You ask HIM to get it ?"
There has never been question OF my not sleep
ing ! then told him what Westerfeldt had ssid
about giving me remedy for sea-sickness after
luncheon.
= All, there" said he. THAT ITALICS with
what I've told you. It's very clear that Westcr-
fcldt wants you to sleep without waking for
some time. lie has some object in this, and it
l. Il. -. IL. Z. l. Il