Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-23

| WenI on ne. 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.
 'sI don't care to discuss the thing. You can believe what your passengers seem to believe, or you can let it alone. It is nothing to me-"
 Captain North shrugged his shouldera and walked of. Carew laughed. His laugh was short, though, and bitter.
 If this suspected young man had been anybody in particular 1t 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 a look of having seen better days and were y no means of the 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 n pale, serious face and a smooth, birdlike head of dark brown hair. She had also, as he absently noted, exquisitely shaped hands. He had never entered into conversation with the little woman; indeed he had hardly been aware of her existence be- yond hearing the captain address her once or twice as Miss Neville.
 As he took his seat beside her tonight, however, she said in low, clear voice, Good evening. MT. Carew."
 It was so many days since any of the lady passengers had addressed him at ali that he actually started.
 II beg your pardon?" he sad. T Al. .s-N in gray made answer, looking up at him with a 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: "The captain says that before many days we shall be in the bay of Biscay. have not crossed it since I was q little child. I suppose it will be frightfully rough:''
 II think it is more than likely" he answered, gazing steadily at his plate.
 Whereupon they drifted into a sub dued, friendly conversation which last ed till the end of the meal Carew was not d particularly soft hearted fellow, but it touched him strangely-this un- looked for partisanship. It gave him queer, unwonted lump in his throat | anu hllu Attl 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 the facc of friend. As he passed her with a slight bow she turned. held out her hand and bade him a cheery good morning, supplementing it by some tritiing remark regarding the weather. He stopped, answered her and stood beside her for minute or two. Then he flung away his cigar I 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 she was tender hearted little 1 woman.
 They talked on indifferent subjects until luncheon and repeated the process between that meal and dinner and also in the evening. And so it came to 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 she learned little or nothing about him.
 The Cobra touched at Corunna, where one or two Englishmen came on board. Then came tho redoubtablc bay of Bis cay.
 On the night they left Corunna there was glorious moon, under the rays of which Miss Neville and Carew were walking up and down on deck. The steamer was rolling a great deal, and he had offered her his arm, which she had accepted. She treated him in a frank. unembarrassed fashion, almost as sister might have done-and he We'll, men are susceptible, you know, and am bound to say his feelings to her were not altogether those of a brother.
 When they had taken n few turns in silence, she said suddenly, MT. Carew, we seem to have become such good friends by this time that 1 should like to say something to you which other wiso I should not presume to say
 She looked up at him as she spoke, and hc looked Gown at her.
 You know you may say anything you please to me, ' he said, with a curi- ous lingering tenderness in hisvoicc.
 "You won't think It liberty, will you?" she went on.
 Il shall assuredly not think it lib erty," was the brief answer. Ger tainly her eyes were vcry lovely. They thrilled him through and through.
 ''I want to ask you, then" she said somewhat rervously, "why you allow thoso people to believe what they be- lievo about you;"
 She felt him winco slightly.
 Thero was a silence. Tho monotonous throbbing of tho engines amidships mingled with floating scraps of half heard talk and laughter.
 Then Carew said in a hard, bitter voice: Unfortunately I am not respon- sible for their beliefs, Miss Neville. Besides, what they believe of me may be-true. l am-pardon mean utter stranger to you; you have no reason to believe in my innocence"
 II do believe in your innocence, though" she murmured, an excited thrill running through her voice.
 May I ask why?" He spoke clear ly, but she felt his arm tremble under her hand.
 For one swift moment she looked up at him, and her eyes were full of tears. But he did not see them, for he was gazing straight before him.
 "Why?" she repeated, with a curi- ous sobbing little laugh. Because I -know!"
 A minute later she was gone, and he was watching the last fiutter of her gown disappearing in the direction of