Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1888-03-07

to one of sadness and admiration
mingled.
You used to be kind to me once,
Mamie he murmured softly.
A bright flush covered Miss Floyd's
piquant face; her brows contracted a
little and her lips frightened.
Don't You think the less we dis
cuss the past the betterp' she said;
and with that she sat upright and be-
gan to unfurl her rug.
II guess I'll go down q while now,"
she observed in her easiest tones.
"Will you please give me hand here,
Mr.. Dudley?'
The hint conveyed in her first words
was not lost ON Jack Dudley, and as
he carefully unwrapped her and helped
her to progress along the slippery
deck. his manner was only that Of the
| conventional stranger who offers as
| slstance to q fair damsel in need of
help.
Miss Mamie G. Floyd found her
mother in the hands of the stew ardess,
uttering loud cries of alarm rs the
| ship gave an occasional lurch, but
otherwise in robust health.
Il guess l won't spring Jack on her
just yet; she feels badly enough as 1t
is; and, after all. I am quite able to
take care of myself, and know just
| how much that young man is worth.
If l don't, I ought to; had experience
enough for any grip
Miss Mamie removed her wet gar
ments, took farewell glance at her
chestn ut-tinged bang. and walked
away to luncheon with an appetite
that provoked II wonder in her moth
| er's breast, wonder accompanied
with shudder.
She cast her sharp eyes around the
saloon for that female figure who had
shown herself for 4 moment on the
deck with Mr.. Dudley, but, though
there were one or two of her own sex
possessed of sufficient temerity to
brave the luncheon table, Miss Mamie
soon decided she was not there.
lit will be kind of quaint watching
Jack flirt with some other girl and fool
her rs he fooled me-" she thought rs
she discussed the good things. ''Mv!
what an idiot l made of myself l
guess he'll have to be very sharp to
get the best of me again in hurry.
How we'll he wears. l wonder what
he uses for his mustache? 1t is simply
heavenly, that color.'
Are you going to venture on deck
again this afternoon, Miss Floyd? If
so, will you let me make you COM
Portable? have found the suggest
corner in the world, where neither
wind nor spray nor rain can reach"
said Mr.. Dudley, when lunch was over
THAT so? Then I'm there. I'll
only be one minute
Really, she spent a very pleasant
| afternoon. and was quite astonished
when the first gong went for dinner
Jack had made her cozy, and had
amused her with endless anecdotes of
his daily life and career since the
m morable day when Mr.. Hiram p
Floyd, jr., had suddenly shown him
the door of the mansion in Fifth ave-
nue., and his position as f1nce to Miss
! Mamie had come to premature end. To
some people this unexpected meetin 9
with an old lover might have baen
both painful and disayreeable; but
neither Mr.. Dudley nor Miss Mamie
appeared to experience any discom-
fort With one mind they banished the
past and gave themselves up to the
more agreeable present.
1t was not until Miss Floyd was safe
| ly tucked in her berth that night,
where neither her mothers very audi
| BILE groans nor the noise of the distant
screw combined could rob her of her
sleep, that she realized exactly what
she had been doing.
Il suppose Hiram would just about
smash me if he knew had been even
decently civil to Jack; but as he won't
know, needn't trouble my head
about it. Seems such a pity" she
unused, dolly, "that Jack is such an
awful black sheep. l wonder il
that old story is quite true?
! Hiram swore it was. of course, and
| Jack didn't defend himself; we'll, but
| then it was an awkward thing. I
guess, to have to prove you amt 8
thief and haven't swindled your best
| friend. He does not look like thief,
especially with that lovely mustache.
half wish that r.
But Miss Mamie's wish, whatever it
was, was lost in dreamland, and when
she awoke the next morning all traces
| of romance had left her mind.
He will just do to carry my things
and look after me. One must have
some body, and, of course. if ma will
insist on crossing at this time Of year,
one is glad to find any body decent,
whether one knows him to be a thief
or not
Fortunate it was for Mrs. Hiram P
Floyd's peace of mind that she re-
NAMED in total ignorance of who her
daughters companion was on deck, or
it is doubtful whether even the dread of
sudden and awful collapse would
L L