The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-02

looking mCodily 10 leeWard, when he
suddenly became aware that Miss Len
nox had como on deck and was leaning
aQainst ono Of tho doors of tho covered
stairway. Their eyes met. She blush
cd deeply, made half hesitating move
ncnt OF hCr head-which might have
meant r,orning salutation or might
not-and turned away. But Carew
took steps toward her.
lone moment, Miss Lennox," he
said in an odd voice. will you tell
me why you have avoided me so persis-
tently during the last few daysr'
Avoided you ?" she stammered awk-
wardly enough. "Oh-I, really--not at
sll. But-but" 49,
Carew smiled slowly, but his lips
were pale. Il beg your pardon" he
said quietly. Then he lifted his cap
and walked away.
AS he did so he saw one of the male
passengers grinning from behind an
abnormally large cigar. He did not
pitch the youth overheard, but he could
have done so with pleasure.
After this little episode, Carew was,
if possible, more ostracised than ever.
Only the captain treated him with com
parative cordiality. But as the days
went on he. too, became less kind, es-
pecially after one forenoon when he
opened to Carew the matter in hand.
The young man cut him short at once.
Il don't care to discuss the thing.
You can believe what your passengers
seem to believe, or You can let 1T alone.
1t is nothing to me.
Captain North shrugged his shoulders
and walked off. Carew laughed. His
laugh was short, though, and bitter.
If this suspected young man had been
anybody in particular it is possible
they might not have been so hard upon
him. But as he was simply George
Carew. with nothing beyond an average
good looking face and we'll set up figure
to recommend him, and as, moreover,
his clothes had look of having seen
better days and were by no means of
tho latest cut, he was clearly not an ac-
quaintance to be regretted.
At dinner that night Carew found
himself next small, gray clad young
woman, with a pale, serious face and
smooth, birdlike head of dark brown
hair. She had also, as he absently
noted, cxquisitely shaped hands. He
had never entered into conversation
with the little woman; indeed he had
hardly been aware of her existence be-
yond hearing tho captain address her
once or twice as Miss Neville.
AS he took his seat beside her tonight,
however, she said in a low, clear voice,
GOOD evening, Mr.. Carew."
1t was so many days since any of the
lady passengers had addressed him at
all that he actually started.
81 beg your pardon?" he said.
81 only said good evening, the girl
in gray made answer, looking up at
him with little smile.
Then he noticed that her teeth were
very pretty and her eyes very satisfac-
tory indeed. Before he had time to
speak, she went on: Tho captain says
that before many days we shall bo in
tho bay of Biscay. have not crossed
it since was little child. i suppose
il will be frightfully roughi"
81 think ii is moro than likely" he
answered, gazing steadily at his plate.
Whereupon they drifted into n SUBJ
ducd, friendly conversation which last
ed till the end Of the meal. Carew was
not a particularly soft hearted fellow,
but it touched him strangely-this un-
looked for partisanship. 1t gave him
queer, unwonted lump in his throat
and made him feel womanish, which
annoyed him.
Next morning he saw the girl in gray
on deck. She was standing quite still,
watching the screaming sea birds that
flew and dipped astern. Her pale, seri-
ous little face already seemed to him
like tho face of friend. AS he passed
her with slight bow she turned. held
out her han1kand bade him a CHEEKY
good morning, supplementing it by
some tritling remark regarding the
weather. He stopped, answered her
and stood beside her for minute or
two. Then he flung away his cigar
and leaned his arm on the railing.
His companion scanned his face
swiftly and covertly. She thought he
looked dispirited, and she felt for him,
for che was a tender hearted little
woman.
They talked on indifferent subjects
until luncheon and repeated the process
between that meal and dinner and also
in the evening And so ii came 10 pass
that Carew began TO look upon this
small, gray clad creature as his one
friend in all his present world. He
learned great deal about her from her
half unconscious condolences among
other things that her Christian name
was Joyce, and that she was an orphan,
and that she had known trouble. But
sho learned little or nothing about him.
The Cobra touched at Corunna, where
one or two Englishmen came on board.
Then came the redoubtablc bay of Bis
cay.
On the night they left Corunna there
was a glorious moon, under the rays of
which Miss Neville and Carew were
walking up and down on deck.
a