The Russellville Democrat., 1889-09-19

money at the close of each game. Hei
 dewy-rod lips parted in n slight we'll
 bred sheer. "Ah, gambler, 1 see" sh,
 murmured, soornfully, aud closed he
 eyes.
 She folt that the wind was playin, prauks with hor hair but she was to,
 weak to mind. But suddenly there was | heavier lurcli than usual and the pillow | beneath her head shot on lthe chair ant rolled down out of her reach. She mad, 1 two weak, intellectual efforts to clutch 1t | and, thereupou, in the sheer weakness
 and Yctulance, eugendered by that un ique maiady of tho sea, she commenced Co cry like baby.
 She could not have uttered more thar
 four of those plaintive littlo sobs befor,
 she felt the pillow being replaced. 4 1 strong arm, clothed in a soft flanne | sleeve, had raised her head with an air oi
 cool proprietorship, and it's fellow
 smoothod and patted the pillow into place as skilleully as though 1t had never known any other duty. Then tho owner 1 of the two arms stepped back Ia pace or
 two to survey his work, and Miss Gray l looked up and beheld-her enemy of the l blonde mustache.
 | His eyes were dancing withl merriment l and mischief. Miss Gray noted with bit l terness how handsome and healthy and | daring he looked. Tall, slender, straight | as an arrow, every line of his figure ex- 1 pressing grace and the consciousness Of ] it. He looked primed for mischief. ] A sudden sense of her former experi- | cuoe rushed across Miss Gray's mind, l Tho combined bitterness of that and of l the sickness she was just recovering ] Ca, Con not Co hc trapped twice. She half rose
 on her elbow and cried, peevishly: "Go awayw
 Over tho young mans face swept a l look of amazement to be followed by 1 one of combined amusement and pique, 1 He bowed low, with great grace, and did as he was hidden.
 Of course the young lady regretted her action the uex: instant. She knew that she had been rude, inexcusably rude. She began to wonder if the young man would come back, and next to hope that ho would. Then, ns the minutes dragged by and he did not come. ohe began to re- feet on what an extraordinarily hand d- some young man he was. There was honesty and breeding in every liue of his face. He had done nothing but what ordinary courtesy would dictate. He did not look like Q young man in the habit of taking liberties. The upshot of her reverie was that she remarked, quietly; "Lucretia Gray, you are a fool" Then she cried little more, and felt better.
 She could not accuse the young man of presumption after that. Wheu she met him, in her frequent promenades on deck, his face assumed the expression of a stone wall. For all that he appeared to know to the contrary, she might have been at the bottom Of tho Atlantic in- stead of sailing across it in the same ship with him. He persisted in this course. He never looked her way, and it was not very long before people began to notice 1t. Acquaintances had sprung up be- tween the passengers, as they always do, and bye and bye these two young peo- pie were actually the only saloon pas sengers who did not speak to each other.
 Strange as it may appear, the longer it continued the better Miss Gray liked the young man. She fell to studying him, as hc paced the decks or lounged on the cabin sofas with an unread book in his hstloss fingers-the fingers that were al- ways so beautifully white, and tipped, to the brink of cffeminacy, with such wou- derfully polished nails. Once she was guilty of gazing long and earnestly at him through the windows of the music room as he sat strumning idly al tho piano. He could not play note, but, strangely enough. the discords that he struck seemed far from unharmonious 10 the young lady, hersek an accomplished musician. But, then, she was looking at his hair, and marveling inwardly at the tricks the sunshine played with it. After that her eyes were always upon him, except at such times she knew her glances would risk being intercepted. Once he caught her-caught her fairly and uuequivocally. He was leaning over the rafilng. and turned suddenly to find her gaze full upon him from distance of short six feet Was it a prank Of the i'm agination or did flash of pleasure gleam into his eyes. as she hastily turned aside with her cheeks, neck and brow all scar lot with mortihcations No, she was sure Of it, and iu nve minutes she told herself she hated him passionately, Ia ten she told herself that-it 1t would not seem so s0premely ridiculous--she believed she loved him: yes, actually loved this vel low haired AdoniS whom she had snuhbed for doing her kindness, and who had ignored her existence ever since as a con sequence.
 lhe days slipped by very monoto- nously. The voyage was nearly over, and the other passengers came and went, smoked and ate. and slept and talked in the same dreary round Of ocean life, Once or tw ice she was on the point of speaking to her tyrant, as she now mentally termed him, but always paused before she had quite completel the sac rifce to her pride. SAe grew Co abhov sf,. ~Ah .tF a8A tain, who seemed inclined to exert to the fullest extent his prerogative of guardian
 -a failing not uncommon with gentle men Of his persuasion.
 One bright afternoon. when they were within seven hundred miles Of New York, Mss Gray came to sudden conclusion that the state Of affairs was uncomfortable. She would have it cut with this young man let the consequences be what they might Perhaps-she found herself shuddering slightly at the though,-a few moments conversation with him might dispel her illusion and prove him un- worthy ot the time she was wasting in thinking ot him. She paced the deck slowly. all alone. The passengers were all down at luncheon, while she. who h1d 50 appetite, remained there firm in the resolution to go through with her self imposed task.
 On sudden impulse she neglected to turn at the limit ot the wheel house but continued her walk round Co the rear ot iL and arriving at the railing overlook iDe the stern, whom should she lad leaning down over the water ia his ha- biyuaI graceful attitude, hui the object of her QUcst-tae yoaus man ot tho superb figure and dropping, Eolden mustsche.
 New those who have made a voyage in q modern ocean steamship arc quite ta- miliar with the aavant ages of the marrow space between tAe Sternwheel railing and the rear ot he wheel-nouSe for par- poses es tetes-a-tete. Two persons eu- sconced there--there IS room tor two, and DO uuore--Nre so secure Ifrom oeser- vatioa as though they were buried iu coral cave af she bottom ot the ocean. IA sh.- ssa.,rt ha ve.atent~ st.