Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-08-21

~ - f'@th $50 1880
l have never felt so queer since. Oh,
YES, | have. though-once. was for
getting; but l have not come to that yet.
We had Il splendid passage home.
Most of the passengers were in good
spirits at the thought Of seeing England
again, and even the children were not 80
troublesome AS | have known them. |
soon made friends with some of the
incest people, for l generally make
friends easily. | do not now how l dc
it. but I always seem to know what peo-
pie really are at first sight. ! always
was rather Il judge OF character.
There was one man on board whom
took a great fancy to from the first. He
was a Young American, travelling about
as Americans do to see the world. flor
get where he had come from-though ]
believe he told me-or why he was going
to London; but a nicer young fellow !
never met. He was rather simple and
unsophisticated, and with less knowledge
of the world than any man ever knew
but he did not mind owning to it, and
was as grateful as possible for any little
hints which, rs an older mar who had
not gone through life with his eyes shut,
l was of course able to give him. He
was of a shy disposition / could see, and
wanted drawing ont; but he soon took
to me, and in Il surprisingly short time
we became friends.
He was in the next cabin to mine, and
evidently wished so much to have been
with me that | tried to get another man
to exchange: but he was grumpy about
it and l had TO give it up, much to young
Cars disappointment. Indeed h was
quite silent and morose for a whole day
about it, poor fellow. He was a tall
handsome young man, slightly built.
with the kind Of sallow complexion that
women admire, and I wondered at bis
preferring my company to that Of the
womankind ON board, who We're certain.
ly very civil to him.
One evening when l was rallying him
on the subject, as we were leaning over
the side for though 1t was December 1t
was hot enough in the Red Sea to lounge
on deck, he told me that he was en-,
gagged to be married to a beautiful young
American girl. I forgot her name, but
l remember he told 1t me-Dulcima
something-but it is Of no consequence.
I quite understood then. 1 always can
enter into the feelings Of others so e
tirely. l know when I was engaged my
self once, long ago, I did not seem to
care to talk to any one but her. She did
not feel the same about 1t, which per
haps accounted for her marrying some
else, which was quite a blow to me
at the time. But still l could fully enter
into young Cars feelings, especially
when he went on to expatiate on heI
projections. Nothing, he averred, was
too good for her. At last he dropped
his voice, and after looking about him
in the dusk to make sure he was not
overheard he said:
II have picked up a few stones for her
on my travels; a few sapphires Of consid-
cradle value. / don't care to have II
generally known that l have jewels
about me, but l don't mind telling you
My dear fellow replied. laying my
hand on his shoulder and sinking my
voice to a whisper, lot a soul on board
this vessel suspects it, but SO have l."
1t was too dark for me to see his face,
but / felt that he was much impressed
by what l had told him.
Then you will know where l had bet
ter keep mine" he said a moment later
with his impulsive, boyish confidence,
How fortunate I told you about them.
Some are of considerable value, and
and I don't know where to put them
that they will be absolutely safe.
1910 aI-.& S1x-1, --4kh 80. L.
fore, and / am nervous about losing
them, you understand" And he nodded
significantly ut me. Nov where would
you advise me to keep themf"
ION YOU" I said significantly.
but whereT'
believed.
My dear boy" l said. hardly able to
refrain from laughing, lido as I do-put
them in a bag with a string to it. Put
the string around your neck, and wear
hat bag under your clothes night and
day
"At night as well?' he asked anxiously.
'Of course. You are just as likely to
lose them, as you call it, in the night as
in the day"
Il am very much obliged to you," he
replied. Il will take your advice this
very night. l say" he added suddenly
you would not care TO see them, would
you! | would not have n one else
catch sight of them for a good deal, but
| would show them you in a moment
Everyone else is on deck just now, Il
you would like to come down into my
cabin
hardly know n stone from another
and never could tell a diamond from
paste; but he seemed so anxious to show
me what he had that l did not like te
refuse.
BY all means" l said. And we wen,
below.
1t was very dark In Cars cabin, and
after he had let me In he locked the doo1
carefully before he struck q light. HI
looked quite pale in the light of the lamp
after the red dusk Of the warm evening
on deck.
II don't want to have other fellows
coming In" he said, in a whisper, nod.
ding at the door.
He stood looking at me for a moment,
as if irresolute, and then he suddenly
seemed to arrive at some decision, for he
pulled a small parcel out of his pocket
and began to open it.
They really were not much to look at,
though l would not have told him 30 for
worlds. There were a few sapphires-
one Of a considerable size, but uncut
and some handsome turquoises, but not
Of perfect color. He turned them over
with evident admiration.
They viii look lovely, set in gold, as
a bracelet on her ARM" he said, softly.
He was very much in love, poor fellow!
And then he added humbly: But
dare say they are nothing to yours"
l chuckled to myself at the thought Of
his establishment when he should actually
behold them: but I only said:
Would you like to see them, and
judge for YOURSELF"
ooh, If it is not giving you too much
trouble" he exclaimed, gratefully, with
shining eyes. "It's very kind of you. |
did not like to ask. Have you got them
with your"
l nodded, and proceeded to unbutton
my coat.
At that moment a voice was heard
shouting down the companion ladder:
Carr! | say, Carr, you are wantedr'
and in another moment some one was
hammering on the door.
Carr sprang to his feet, looking posi-