St. Landry democrat., 1893-01-21

answer.
And so Joe had clung to the Dennings
in miserable uncertainty, which he knew
to be all too certain, until the blow had
fallen; and then he had coughed and
sputtercd coffee, and stumbled to his
room to continue the laugh at himself.
His life was ended. No one cared for
him nor believed in him, except his
mother, and alas. it was the image OF
her own credulty that she worshipcd
Poor woman! she had meant to lie so
good to him. The least he could do was
to return to her, and since she found her
chiefest delight in petting, to let her pet
in defiance of all banter. Others who
were composed and gallant, to whom an
emergency was a triumph, not an after
math Of self-reproach, might aspire to the
nobility of word and deed what concern
could one have with such station whose
beard was scraggy and whose left foot
turned in when walking?
| Joe, therefore, decided that he would
return with the triumphant Dennings.
Even if Mary could never be his, it was
far more comfortable to be miserable in
her presence than away from her, and
whether he inopportunely groaned or
guffawed it was all one to them; he was
only Joe, and they discovered compIa-
cency in his endurance.
| Perhaps they never noticed it, for he
himself was unaware of it; but Joe's
| thoughtfulness rounded many of the
sharp edges of travel for them. lie was
an accomplished linguist he must need
have learned something in his idlcnc>s -
and then, of course, he wasn't sought
after as the Major was, by all the young
tourists whom they met, and SO he had
abundant time to manage we'll enough a
thousand and one details which the Ma or
could have managed exceedingly well
Once, indeed, Mr.. Denning did cnounce
| that IF Joe wasn't Joe there l~cally
might be something in the fellow; but
this was after Mr.. Denning had dined
unto repletion and his condescension was
expansive.
Only Mary, in the midst of her joy,
would sometimes feel a reasonable re-
morse as she glanced at Joe, and this
would engender brief gentleness toward
him, brief, since its reception would be
so grotesque.
The party found that the steamer on
which they were to sail would be unusu-
ally crowded; the steerage was swarming
with the detritus of the Continent: the
cabins were crowded with pleasure seek
ers who had exhausted their purpose.
This press could not have affected the
Dennings, for their room had been held
for them. but their friends, the Changers,
a yourg couple with a little daughter,
were not so fortunate, and yet affairs ut
home urged their departure. So Mary
willingly welcomed Grace Granger as
roommate, while Joe accommodated her
parents by bunking with the Major,
much to the latter's displeasurc, had not
his sweetheart's smiles been all assuag-
ing reward.
And SO the great ship sailed on its
way, mlcrocosm with penury and filth
next door to wealth and luxury, vet
ignored because they were unseen. But
such disagreeable neighbors sometimes
compel recognition Of their proximity,
and when this occurred, as it did in mid
ocean, then it was that Mary began to
doubt.
The ship was an old one and insult |
iicicntiy manned. There had been con |
slant conpiainings from the first, VS. |
passengers who as such, of cour> |
could not realize when they were well of
But one morning terror revealed, t. them |
the pcttincss Of their Woes
1t was the Ma ior who first heard the
news. He was enjoying III early stroll
and. cigar as was his wont, when an off
Ger with whom he had become friendly |
beckoned him mysteriously aside aud
said:
1--WE don't want it generally known,
and that's why tell YOU A man of your
presence and nerve can be most useful i'll
promoting checrfulncsS The cholera
has broken out il the steerage.''
The cholera! That greenish livid spectre
Of agony and sudden death The Major
took three or four vigorous pulls on his
ffi;8gasr- r apd thsn be threw it away. Some
for smoking. lie turned e s$1a AyH4ts right
informant
"What kind Of company is this
Of yours - ne shouted First YOU
treat your passengers like dogs and then
you Introduce the plague among them
Its outrageous, and if there's a law that
can reach your people they shall suffer
for it. The cholera in this dirty, crowd.
ed hulk"
"Sh : Sh ! Sir ~ intrupted the officer
Not so loud. We must
keep it secret. Fear is worse than CON
sgiou.'
Don't tell me-, snapped the Major.
Even the condemned are given few ,
moments preparation. The passengers
should protect themselves by concerted !
lctlon; and it won't be my fault if they !
lon't. The cholera2 Ny God, how
,adly feeln' =
Shaking off the restraining grasp the !
lajor rushed into the smoking It :
vas vacant, for breakfast had not vet
'een served. AS quickly as service could
etch them he gulped three long drinks {
t brandy, and then the compliment
mile which had straycd returned to his "
ace. He even lighted another cigar. AZ +,
'r all it might be false alarm. And in
ny event it surely would not trouble u 7
ian like him. Direct contact might be II
angerous indeed; but he would guard
galnst that. Doubtless lot of cattle
Ike the people in the Storage might -
reed a pestilence, but he who was SO
can, so wholesome, such a believer in W
he virtues of air and water, oh, o, And f,
ct, disease was no respecter of persons; f.
oppose that it should come to him? 1t f.
as SO fatal, so instantaneously fatal. 81
my, before man could think, he was W
lied, he was gone. A foul, loathsome -,
'ath! Cgh' 1t was like being smotl- a,
ed in filth. Then overheard, in sack, hi
float suspended in the cold, sullen NJ
'pths. Oh, no, man had no earthly f.
ow; if he had, like storlning rampant r.