The record-union., 1891-12-19

ardeSS. Nellie, was bathing her head, and
Mrs. Merlin was saying, 'tAh, poor dear.
the heat and motion OF the boat was too
much Tor her, meanwhile passing her
jeweled hands over Roy's brow, and
fiouf1shing them, it seemed, unnecessar-
lily in the ali, It'll even the stewardess, no
ticing the flashing gems, said: Lord,
Miss Aierlint how yer rings shine; every
last one of them like spark ess."
Mrs. Merlin Left Roy for little while
and sought the Captain, first telling him
Roy was sleeping OFF bad sick head
ache.1 It was late when she left his room,
but she had adroitly found out most OF
his history; her bright eyes and sweet,
sympathetic smiles and judicious en-
couragment had won his confidence.
The next day Roy kept her room her
brain seemed torpid; she could not
mind, but no definite subject. Before
night she had an idea that at the next
stopping place, a seaport town, she must
leave the ship. Mrs. Merlin never left
her. When she was tossing restlessly on
her bed, those small, jeweled fingers were
ever ready to smooth her hair or touch
lightly her forehead.
The fog had come in and Captain Som
ers had to be on duty. He longed to be
with Roy, but, save for a few brief mo-
ments, he could not spare the time.
The first officer of the steamer, Mr..
Bell, had been introduced TO Roy and had
fallen desperately in love with her sweet
face and pleasant manners. Bell was
fine fellow, and Captain Somers thought
everything of him. He was fine speci-
men of manhood-a six -footer, with light
brown hair and mustache, and a clear
blue eye that was not ashamed to look
his friends in the face. With keen appre
citation of fun, honest and manly, he
was altogether an agreeable fellow, and
when on duty every inch sailor. The
words of the old song applied to him:
For his heart was brave and free; ever
open, like the sea-" On that first day
out he had taken every opportunity to be
near Roy. She had thought him very
nice-in fact, it was the old story of mu-
tual attraction. Looking over the sea he
would think dreamily of the girl so near
him, and how bright life would seem if
he could always be with her. He would
start from his revery with sigh at the
impossibility of such a thing, and the
steamers engines would echo a poutf-
poutf as if very cynical over such sud-
den attachment to an acquaintance on the
first officers part.
The stewardess, Nellie, ever on the
alert for seasick passengers and tips,
seemed to scent love affair, and, being
very much in love with the first officer,
was exceedingly jealous of the few atten-
tions Bell had paid to Roy.
Nellie was an original character-a
feature of the boat. Her robes were
features, too, in their cut and make; a
tilt in the front breadths and dip in the
back ones gave her the appearance of the
pert little bird called a Wagtail, as she
hiJted to and fro, taking sea biscuits and
hot coffee to the rooms.
One morning as they were making the
first port the air was misty and cool. The
first officer, off duty, was sitting on the
steamer rail patiently awaiting Roy's APP
pearance, not knowing she was sick.
Nellie came flirting by; and as she passed,
with malice intent, she sent a whole cup
of coffee over him, pretending the while
that the motion of the boat had caused
the accident. Bell was too much of
gentleman to swear at a woman: but, if
glances like arrows could have pierced,
Nellie would have looked like feminine
st. Sebastian. She grumbled an apology,
but Bell was too mad to heed it as he tore
away. Nellie could be heard muttering
audibly, Sitting for all the world like a
frog on a log waiting to be showed off;
gawking at her door as if his eyes We're
gimlets and could make a hole big
enough to see that pale-faced ruin. And
she's as shaller as a pie-plate and would
float in mighty little water, and the yal-
ler-heded widder woman is after the
Capting. 1t must be in the mink" And
below to row with the cabin boys to vent
her feelings.
Roy felt too weak to arise, and all that
morning the widow was on the quarter
deck, and the Captain was ready to de-
clare ''that she was the kindest little
woman he had ever metz She would
rush down the stairs every half-hour to
see how the dear child was feeling, and
never once failed to tell the Captain when
she went.
''She was charming, sometimes witty, free
and easy, but not bold,
Like an apple. ripe and mellow, not too young
and not too old.''
And Captain Somers was losing his head,
grey as it was, and his heart, too, almost.
under the charming sweetness of the
Widow Merlin. Her smiles were all for
him; even her sparkling eyes would
soften dangerously when she met his
glance and her long lashes, quickly
shading them as she smiled, would have
won stouter hearts than his, for be it
known sailors have usually tender hearts.
That night the boat swung in to the
pier at noted watering place. Many
passengers not awaiting the train left
the boat to take carriages to adjacent
towns.
At the 5 o'clock breakfast Captain
Somers went around for Roy. She was
not there. Her satehel, her shawl strap.
could find no trace of her. He was nearly
crazy with grief.
Mrs. Merlin came on deck buttoning
her wrap. and begged to know if she could
not do something. "The poor child; how
sad; could she have been kidnapped, !"
murmuring all this breathlessly, sympa-
thetieally. 80
Mr.. Bell was told, and he. too. helped
in the search, but she had disappeared as
mysteriously as if the ocean had swal-
lowed her. The Captain could not wait.
He put the case in a friends hands; one
who promised to do all he could to find a
trace of Roy. as
But only her brother Lee had one let
ter from her, telling of ''the newly
found father, and then at the last hint
of disgrace for them both, and of their
having no right to their name, and a
wild appeal for hia not to speak to the
Captain, and a threat if he did that she.
Roy, his sister, would never see him
again." No address and no postmark.
So there was no clew to follow. The
steamer arrived. Captain Somers sought
Lee, and told him his life history, and
Lee was satisfied, but very much worried
over Roy's strange leaving her father so
suddenly, but he added: Troy is plucky
little soul. She viii turn mp some time"
And Captain Somers could only wiring
his boys hand, and hope and pray so;
pray that nothing had befallen his newly
found idol.
In an old mining town up North the
school term had commenced, and new
teacher, a young lady, had been engaged.
Though thin and rather wan looking, it
was not hard to recognize Roy Somers
Life here was very different to her. She
missed her brothers conlpanionship, and
the thought of her meeting with her father
always brought glow of indignation to
her cheeks. When her thoughts went that
way she thought quickly of Mr.. Bell.
He seemed in her present state of mind a
counter irritant. Then she would sigh