Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-04
MRS. ROBINSON STEAMBOAT EPISODE,
BY MRS. CAMPBELL PRAED,
Author of she Bond of Wedlock" sNadine" sAinities
ssIooch" 'The Australian Heroine" ETC.
COPYRIGHT, I8o2.)
COPYRIGHT, I8o2.)

wood and Miss jamie Calderwood, OF
Queensland, Australia" SO they were put
down in the passenger list They had
Joined the steamer at Singapore, and had
come on board in a frightened, fugitive
manner and with very little luggage, SC
that somehow the report got about that
they were not brother and sister at all, but
runaway married couple.
1t was Mrs Haddon, the wife of q Hong
Kong official and the greatest scandal
monger on the Artemise, who started this
theory. 1t appeared that she founded her
opinion principally on the fact that upon
her sunburnt and otherwise unadorned
hands the young lady wore wedding ring.
Also that when addressed as Miss Calder
wood, the girl had a way of starting
blushing, and looking uncomfortable, and
that once she ingenuously observed that she
was not used to the name-Janie was a
very foolish young person and it was just
the sort of frank, stupid thing she would
say-also that there were certain other
slight, but insignificant signs which Mrs.
Haddon declared indicated that she was
married woman.
There were, however, two contradictions
to Mrs Haddon's theory-the young mans
purely fraternal manner to his companion
and the marked likeness between them.
Frank was tall and lanky, and jamie was
short and delicately framed, but they had
the same deep blue eyes and fair, curly
hair. There was an unmistakable similarity
of feature and expression, and they were
both so frank. so ignorant and so gullible,
and seemed to treat this expedition of theirs
as such an excellent joke that it was i'm
possible TO believe seriously in any mys-
terry in their relationship. Mrs Haddon's
theory soon fell to the ground, though the
wedding ring remained on Janie's finger.
If she was bride she was certainly bride
without a trousseau. Her wardrobe was of
the simplest and most meager description
homemade cotton gowns and rough straw
hat, a general shabbiness in the matter of
boots and gloves, and total absence of
the more dainty equipments of civilized
young lady. But then, jamie owned
innocently that she was only half ci vilized.
She had lived all her life in the bush, had
made her own clothes, and helped to make
those Of her sisters and brothers. Oh, yes,
there were a whole lot of them-some pretty
big and others not more than piccanninnies
Their mother was dead, and Dad-well Dad
wasn't likely to bother himself about her
being turned out properly. This in reply
10 some sweetly invidious remark upon her
TS.
given utterance. The way in which Mrs
Haddon was turned out" was quite reye-
lation to poor JANE. "GraciousI' jamie
went on helplessly. She had never thought
of its being cold before they got to England.
OF course she knew England was cold, but
she supposed that Aunts Harriet and Sophia
or the lawyers, or somebody would look af-
ter her when they got there. Mrs. Haddon
pricked up ner ears at the mention of the
lawyers There was property in question
then! jamie ratified on, taking no notice of
the remark. If Mrs. Haddon could only
have felt the day on which they had ridden
down from the station-you might have
fried an egg on the zinc roof of the humpey
well, she wouldn't have wondered that
jamie only thought of putting cotton frocks
into the pack-bags. Not that she had others
to speak of. She had once had two silk
gowns and a cashmere costume from Sydney,
though to be sure one of the silks was-here
jamie stopped and mumbled that it didn't
count; and anyhow that was years ago. s1d |
that they were all worn out and outgrown /
into the bargain, for she had only been 16k |
when she-again jamie stopped suddenly |
md got very red. Then her blue eyes filled |
with tears, and she put out her hand to the
as if 10 steady herself, turning |
away with feeble laugh, in which there
was a break.
Mrs Haddon's eyes were fixed on the
wedding ring.
''One would almost fancy, looking at |
that" she said, that you were talking of ]
your trousseau and had been married at
I61."
81 was-I-;" Janie's eyes too fell
yuiltily on the wedding ring, and she gave
a frightened, startled glance first at Frank
md then at Mrs Haddon.
No l, i
prosecutor, you have certainly got q mar
led look. 1 always fancy that it is not to
De mistaken. It's something you can't ex-
lctly describe. 1 made sure till 1 saw your
lame in the list as Miss Calderwood that
7ou were Mrs. Something-though you do
eem such child.
'T am not a child, said jamie, with
,athetic dignity. 81 am %, and 1 wish
'lease that you wouldn't talk about my
'eing married. IL don't like it."
She gave turtive look round, as if she
we're half afraid of seeing ghost Her
yes met those of tall, thin, Anglo-Indian
Gentleman, good-looking, rather delicate,
nd in the thirties, who had been watching
Ter intently. jamie colored again. Never
Vas there such skin for flushing. 1t was
ike a peach blossom in its delicacy. Mrs.
1addon said that jamie reminded her of |
Ierty in ''The Hillyars and the Burtons."
'he had the same fragile, wild-fower pretti-
less, and something of the same inconse-
uent way of chattering and interlarding |
er speech with Australian slang.
"Miss Calderwood," said the Anglo-In-
ian gentleman, ''come over here and look |
1 the porpoises"
jamie moved to the other side of the
eek, and they stood in silence for minute
r two. Then Mr.. Armstrong-that was his |
ame-said abruptly, 81 wish you'd tell me | ,
Ehy you wear that ring"
"Oh, can't" said jamie. sT-I don't
,now.'
''It is wedding ring, isn't it?''
"Yes," she replied, falteringly. "It is a
edding ring"
perhaps your mother's?"
"No-It's not my mothers" There was {
lence. 81 don't know why L wear it.
ont see the use of wearing ii. What is '
he use?'' s
Indeed 1 cannot tell-unless il is to s
AXE Mrs Haddon say impertinent things &
or to" 6
''She is like centipede under sheet of t
ark " put in jamie. ''She stings before
ou know what she is at. Well-what Q
se?'' 6
"And to set some people wondering-un- J
apply"
'Unhappily. Why?'
Cant you guess? One fancies that il I
ust mean something-that it NAV be a
edge OF some sort-an engagement ring. v
ne has heard OF plain gold ring being e
he hesitated. I:
jamie laughed a hard little, laugh. ~tsT n
ouldn't prefer plain gold ring" she
Id. Il should want sapphires, or dia-
onds, or rubies-the most beautiful ring | m
laginable. I love fine things. 1 envy
RS. Haddon her jewels. That is, because b.
nave always been SO nonrn