Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-09-07

that the kangaroo, the Little Kangaroo
as she was ironically named among sailoI
men, was the very latest development OF
the science Of modern ship building. Ev
erything about her, from the electric light
and boiler tubes up, was on a new ano
patent system.
-Four hundred feet and more she meas.
ured from stem TO stern, and in that space
were crowded and packed all the ~luxuries
Of q palace and all the conveniences Of an
American hotel She was a beautiful and
a wonderful thing to look on as, with her
holds full Of costly merchandise and her
decks crowded with her living freight OF
about a thousand human beings, she
steamed slowly put TO sea, as though 10th
to leave the land where she was born. But
presently she seemed TO gather mp her EN-
ergies n TO grow conscious OF the thous-
ands and thousands of miles Of wide toss
ing water which stretched between her
and the far-off harbor where her mighty
heart should cease from beating and be
for q while at rest. Quicker and quicker
she sped along and spurned the churning
water from her swift sides. She was run
ming under q full head Of steam now, and
the coast line Of England grew faint and
low In the faint, low light, till at last it
almost vanished from the gaze Of a tall,
slim girl, who stood forward, clinging TO
the starboard bulwark netting and look
ing with deep gray eyes across the waste
of waters. Presently Augusta, for it was
she, could see the. shore no more, and
turned to watch the other passengers and
think. She was sad at heart, poor girl,
and felt what she was-a very waif upon
the sea Of life. Not that she had much to
regret upon the vanished coast line. A
little grave with q white cross over it
that was all. She had left no friends TO
weep for her, none. But even as she
thought il a recollection rose up in her
mind Of Eustace Nelson's pleasant, hand
some face, and Of his kind words, and
with it came a pang as she reflected that,
In all probability, she would never see the
one nor hear the other again. Why, she
wondered, had he not come to see her
AGAIN. She would nave liked TO bid him
good bye" and had half q mind to send
him a note and tell him Of her going.
This, on second thought, however, she had
decided not TO do; for one thing, she did
not know his address, and-well, there was
an end Of IL.
Could she by the means Of c~lairvoyance
have seen Eustace's face and heard his
words, she would have regretted her de-
cision. Fol even as that great vessel
plunged on her fierce way right into the
heart Of the gathering darkness he was
standing at the door of the lodging-house
In the little street in Birmingham.
Gomez he was saying. Miss Smith
ers gone to New Zealandl What is her ad-
dress,"
"She didn't leave no address, sir" re-
piled the dirty maid-of-all-work, with a
grin. 'She went from here two days ago,
and was going IN to the ship in London
What was the name Of the shipf" he
asks, in despair.
"Kan-Kon-Conger-eel." replies the
girl in triumph, and shuts the door in his
face.
Poor Eustace, he had gone to London tc
try and get some employment, and having
after some difficulty succeeded in obtain
ing a billet as reader in Latin, French, anG
English, to apublishing hous Of good re
pute at the salary Of ESQ a year, he hac
hurried back TO Birmingham for the sol
purpose of seeing Miss Augusta Smithers
with whom, if the whole truth must b,
told, he had, to his credit be il said, faller
deeply, truly, and violently in love. In
deed, so far was he in this way gone tina
he had determined to make all the pro
gress that he could, and, If he thoaghi
that there was any prospect of success, Il
declare his passion. This was, perhaps, q
little premature; but then in these mat
tiers people are apt to be more premature
than is generally supposed. Human ma
ture is very swift in coming TO conclusions
in matters in which that strange mixture
we call the affections is involved, perhap.
because, although the conclusion is not
altogether a pleasing one, the affections
at any rate in the beginning, are largely
dependent or the senses.
Pity n poor young a To come from
London to Birmingham to woo ones gray
eyed mistress, in a third-class carriage, too
and find her gone to New Zealand, whittier
circumstances prevented him from follow
ing her, without leaving a word or a line
or even an address behind her. 1t was
too bad. Well, there was no remedy il
the matter; so he walked TO the railway
station, and groaned and swore all the way
back TO London.
Augusta, on board the Kangaroo, was
however, in utter ignorance of this act OF
devotion on the part Of her admirer; indeed
she did not even know that he was her nd
mirer. Feeling q curious sinking sensa
ton within her, she was about TO 60 below
TO her cabin which she shared with a lady,
maid, not knowing whether to attribute
IL TO sentimental qualms incidental to hel
lonely departure from the land OF her birth
or TO other qualms connected with q frs
experience of life upon the ocean wave
About hat moment, however, a burly
quartermaster addressed her in gruff tone,
and informed her that IL she wanted to
see the last OF hold Halbion," she hal
better 60 aft q bit, and look over the pcr;
side and she would see the something Oh
other light Accordingly, more TO prove
TO herself that she was not seasick thar
for any other reason, she did so; and
standing as far aft as the second-clas,
passengers were allowed TO 90, stared a,
the quick flashes of the lighthouse as, sec
ond by second. they sent their messag,
across the great waste of sea.
As she stood there, holding on to
stanchion to steady herself, for the vessel
large rs she was, had begun to get a bit OF
. roll on, she was suddenly aware of Z
bulky figure of q man, which came run
ming. or rather reeling, against the bul
warks alongside Of her, where it-or rattle,
he--was instantly and violently sick, An.
gusta was. not unnatural!y, almost horri
fed into following the figures example