The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-01-25

with us before, sir? L seem to recollect
your fac, :"
81 have never been to America"
"Ahl l see 80 many faces, OF course,
that | sometimes fancy 1 know a man
when / don't. Well, ! hope you will
have a pleasant voyage, SIR"
"Thank you"
No. Is was not a popular passenger.
People seemed iDstinciively to shrink
from him, although it must be admitted
that he made no advances. All went
well until the Gibrontus was half way
over. One forenoon the chief officer
entered the captains rooms with a pale
face, and, shutting the door after him,
said:
q am very sorry to have 10 report,
sir, that one of the passengers has
fallen into the hold"
Good heavens" cried the captain.
" Is he hurt?"
He is killed, sir"
The captain stared agbast at his sub
ordinate.
"How did it happen2 l gave the
strictt ST orders that those places were
on no account to be Jet unguarded."
Although the company had held to
Mrs. Keeling that the captain was not
to blame, their talk with that gentleman
was of an entirely different tone.
"That is the strange part of it, sir.
The hatch has not been opened this
voyage, sir, and was securely bolted
down"
"Nonseusel Nobody will believe
such a storyl Some one has been care
less! Ask the purser to come here,
please"
When the purser saw the body he
recollected and came az e. fainiing
as a purser can. They dropped Keel
ing overheard in the night and the
whole affair was managed so quietly
that nobody suspected anything aud
The New York papers did not have a
word about it. What the Liverpool
office said about the matter nobody
knows, but it must have stirred up
something like a breeze in that strictly
business locality. 1t is likely they
pooh.poobed the whole affair, for,
strange to say, when the purser tried
to co roborate the story with the dead
mans ticket the document was no.
where TO be found.
The Gibrontus started out on her
next voyage from Liverpool with all
her colo,s flying, but some of her off.
GERS had a vague feeling of unrest
within them which reminded them of
the time they first sailed on the hesv-
ing seas. The purser was seated in his
room, busy, as pursers always are at
the beginning of a voyage, when there
was a rap at the door.
"Come inI' shouted the important
official, and there entered unto him a
stranger, who said:
Are you the purser?"
"Yes, SIR What can / do for youpr
~ have room No. 49,"
What!" cried the purser, with a
gasp, almost jumping from his chair.
Then he looked at the robust man be-
fore him and sank hack with a sigh of
relief. 1t was not Keeling.
Il have room 49," continued the
passenger, "and the arrangement l
made with your people in Liverpool
was that l was 10 have the o to my
self. l do a great deal Of shipping over
your y
"Yes, my dear sir" said the purser,
after having looked rapidly I've his
list, "you have No. Is to yourself"
$50 l told the man who is u~npscking
his luggage there; but he showed me
his ticket, and it was issued before
mine. l can't quite understand why
your people should y
What kind of a looking man is hep"
"a thin, unhealthy, c%adaverous man,
who doesn't look as If he would last till
the voyage ends. l don't want him for
a room mate if l have to have one. |
think you ought -
81 will, sir, l will make it all right.
| suppose, if it should happen that a
mistake has been made and he has the
prior claim TO the room, you would moi
mind taking No. 24-it is a larger and
better ROOM"
"That will suit me exactly"
So the purser locked his door and
went down to No. Is.
"Well?' he said to his occupant.
WELL" answered Mr.. Keeling
looking up at him with his cold anc
fishy eyes.
YOU'RE here again, are your"
"I'm here again and l will be here
again. And again aud again and agair
and again"
snow, what the''- Then the pur
ser hesltated q mOment and though
perhaps he had better not swear with
that icy clammy gaze fixed upon him
"What object have you in all this?"
"Object? the very simple one O.
making your company live up to it,
contract. From Liverpool to New York
my ticket reads. l paid for being landed
in the United States, no for being
dumped overheard in m%id-ocean. d.
you think you can take me over? Yo,
have had two tries at it and have no
succeeded. Yours is a big and power
full company, too"
"If you know We can't do it, then VIII,
do your The purser hesitated.
"Pester you with my presence?'
suggested Mr.. Keeling. "Because
want you to do justice. Two thousant
pounds is the price and / will raise i
one hundred pounds every trip.
This time the New York papers go
hold of the incident, but not of it
peculiar features. They spoke of tn,
extraordinary carelessness of the Off
GERS in allowing practically the sam