The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1893-12-25

next moment blushed scarlet at his in
discretion.
II am OF the other lot" said Attweter
Trinity Hall Cambridge. ] called my
| schooner after the old shop. Well this is
a queer place and company to the others
/ But do YOU bear me out? i beg this gentle
mans pardon. 1 really did not catch his
name"
MY name is 'Uish, sir" returned the
| clerk and blushed In turn,
"Ahw said Attwater, And then turning
again to HcrriclS do you bear out Mr..
| Whish's description Of your vintage2 or
was It only the unaffected poetry OF his
own nature bubbing upY'
Herrick was embarrassed; the slken
/ brutality Of their visitor made him blush.
| that he should be accepted as an equal and
the others thus pontedly ignored pleased
him in spite Of himself, and then ran
| through his veins IN "A recoi Of anger,
/ ~ don't know" he said It's only Cali
/ formal it's good enough. ] believe"
Attwater seemed to mako up his mind.
"Well. then, IN tell you what you three
gentlemen come ashore this evening ana
/ bring a basket of wine with you; III try
| and ind the food" he said. And, by the
/ by here IS a question 1 should have asked
| YOU when / came on board: Have you had
small poX?'
| the schooner had 1t"
"Deaths?' from Attwater
Two" said Herrick.
| We'll It IS a dreadful sickness" said
Attwater.
"'Ad you any deaths" asked Hush,
- ere on the island?'
"Twentv-nine" said Attwater. "Twenty-
nine deaths and thirty-one cases out Of
| thirty-three souls upon the island. That's
a strange way TO calculate, Mr.. Hay, is II
not? Soulsi l never say 1t but 1t startles
me-"
"That is why Mr. Whlsh." said Att
wnter; that is why the house is empty
and the graveyard fun"
''Twenty-nine out OF thirty-threeW ex-
claimed Herrick. why, when 1t came TO
burvinE-or did you bother burying?"
scarcely" said Attwatcr; 'or there was
nne dav. at least, when we gave up, There
were Ave Of the dead, and no one able 10
90 about except the sexton and myself.
We held a council of war, TOOK the-em-
pty bottles-into the lagoon, and-butiea
ihcn" He looked over his shoulder buck
al the bright water. We'll, so you'l come
TO dinner, then? Shall we say half past w
SO good Of your
MS voice In utterlng these conventional
phrases fell at once into the false measure
Of society, and Herrice internationally fol-
lowed the example.
said. "At half past 6? Thank you so very
much"
FOR my voice has been tuned TO the
note OF the gun that startles the deep
when the combars begun. quoted Att
water with smile which instantly gave
way 10 an air Of funeral solemnlty -
shall particularly expect Mr.. Whish," he
continued Mfr Whlsh / trust you under
stand the Invitations"
Il believe YOU my boyf' replied the
"That Is right. then, and quite under
stood. n Il not7' said Attwater. MIR,
Whish aud Captain Brown az $3.50 without
fan ana you Hay, ut 4 sharp"
And lie called his boat
During an this talk o load Of thought
or anxiety had weighed upon the captain.
There was no part for which nature had
e. liberally endowed him as that Of the
genial ship captain. But today he was 81
ient ana distracted Those who knew
III, sould see that ne hearkennd close 70
every syllable. ana seemed 20 ponder and
nv Il In balances IL would have been
hard 10 say what look there was cold, ut
tentive. sinister, as Of man maturing
mans. which stil brooded over the un-
ronscious guest, Il was here. Il wes there,
Il was nowhere, il Was now 50 little that
Herrick child himself for an Idle fancy;
ana again It vas so gross and palpable