Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-07-09
THE DECK CHAIR.


 standOffish sort of girl-and she came on buard with fixed intention not to speak to anybody. l noticed her while we were vet in the dock at Tilbury- You don't no ticr individuals as a rule, for everybody lOukS so like everybody else on n first meet ing. especially when il is almost dark, and n crowd of paSSCngers hang about the ships side taking their last look at things ashore But noticed this lady at the very first. l was on deck. prepared to go with the steamship Atalanta to New York city, and 1 saw her alight from the train some hun drcd yards distant. l lost her until she stepped upon the Gangway, and then was confirmed in my impression that she was T rcmarkably handsome girl.
 She caIlc on board like a princess and for some minutes disappearcd- Presently l felt a strange sensation She was posi- lively standing beside me. Therc was no rcasOn why she should have preferred any other locality, but the fact that she camc and stood by the side of me certainly deep cncd the extraordinary impression she had made. Without prcsuming to starc at her, got u glimpse of her fine profile and dark, naughty eyes
 The usual scenes were going on about Us. 1 vcnturCd rCrnark-fOOlish and trifling no doubt, but hardly deserving the COntcmptuOus silence with which it was rCcciVcd.
 The last bell sounded. Tho gangway was withdrawn, and we began to haul out of dock, but still she stood there and made no sign. I pluckcd up spirit and asked her if she was going to AmeriCa-an ab- surd question, sccing that America was the sole destination of the ship. She turned and looked at me, said nothing and walked away.
 IL was n lovely night, and as we dropped down the river the passengers stood about in groups and enjoyed il. Several spoke to me and became quite sOciable. She was on deck also until II o'clock, but sit ting alone, and, so far as I could tell, making no comment upon the mystery oi shadows sparkling with lights atlOat and ashurc which the vessel glidcd past I kept at a respectable distance, but saw the captain speak to her, and I'm | surc he got snubbCd for his audacity. S I put it down to pride. I think she made | an exception of the stcwardcss-in fact I'm surc she did, later on. There is ( | winning charm about the stcwardcss tC which most ladies yield when q ship get: l out to sea.
 The next morning Miss Bradley (fol | that, as I discovered aftcrward, was hcl namcl and I met at brcakfast. I think all the passengers met at brcakfast-at l that first breakfast. She was thcrc any | way, and fortune seated her at my elbow | made some progrcSS with Miss Bradley | in furnishing her plate. Oh, she was al l right at that first brCakfast. The sea wa. like glass. and the sweet morning air il the channel was very appctizinE.
 But the nriehborly chat with which tried to gnrnish the eggs and bacon met with little encouragement, and she com | mittvd herself mu further than to the Cn dor>VInvnt of my hope that we should hav, | this sort of thing all the way. By ''thi sort of thing 1 meant the gloriou weather, not her monumental frigidity but don't think she took the trouble l. analyZc my conceptions.
 All that day she wandered about tn deck, with her dark eyes-thcy wcre darl gray in the sunshine-survcying the pan orana of the cliff bcltcd southern coast or sat upon n bench by the saloon dome rcading a book under the shadow of tn awing which had been riggcd up on tn ''prumcnade. The splendid lines of he figurc showed to advantage in neat gow1 of hOmcSpun. No one spoke to her, an she spoke to nobody. At dinner got triflc forward by the aid of baked potatoes but nothing to boast about.
 There Were several jolly women anon the passengers. And particularly jull tECy Were on tho score of the calm scg I picnic. and 1t seemed as if the prcyailin mcrrimcnt must tantaliZe Miss Bradlc out of her proud reserve. But it didn |. The next morning, when the stcVvar called me at 6:3O for my bath, a brCczc ha sprung up. and thc ship was lifting an rolling in i; considerably. The hrcakfa: table was but thinly attended. Miss BraG ley. however, came in and took her plaC beside me. Come, thought, she's goC
 l.. IL. about thOsr who arC sick at sea.
 l supplied her plate and launched int q funny story. To my dismay, she su' denly arose and left the table, likcwii ' the saloon, ramming her handkerchief ini her mouth, as I assumed. tO prevent Il laughter which must unbcnd her dignit and brcak down the icy barrier between Il
 For five days her pridc-Or some oth
 ndispOSitiOn-buried her in the saCrCd $
 clusiun of her statcrOOIn. IL was too ha
 During those five days we staggert , through lively cross sea, which ma'
 walking on d,ck n very awkward bus
 ness. and l spcnt most of my time rccli
 ing in my comfortable deck chair.
 IL now occurred to q number of passe
 gers that deck chair was the thing of 6
 others which they ought to have brOug 7, on board. The scanty accommodation = benches was inadequate for those WI 5 wanted to lie down Ut full length aI
 ''slccp it of" And the deck was not on n nonsybaritic, but offered indifferent a :" chorage. Those who made their bed on u
 floor experienced Il constant tendency - slip and slide and roll as the Atalan , wrestlcd with the waves. It would not d EnVious glances were cast at my snI
 chair, which l had mOorcd in n shelter,
 corner. Piratical attacks were made upt
 that chair whenever l venturcd to quit
 for q moment. If I took turn to stret.
 my limbs CT went below for q book or
 extra rug never failed to find on my turn some intcrIoping loafcr cnsconccd ' my nest and pretending to be fast aslee
 stood a good deal of this and in a nol
 transport of self sacrifice wandered abC
 like lost dog. But I wouldn't stand
 any longer And didn't.
 began to evict the intruders at fl
 with great delicacy: ''Pray, excuse me!
 fancy you have mistaken your chail n Then with less compunctiOn: II reg --' that must disturb you; I'm not feeli - very we'll" And later without ceremC Q or remorsc: ''Now, sir; my chair, If } v plcascP'
 It c9ne to this, that I got qu
 rusty" and acquired the habit of fold U up my chair whenever I left 1t, a1iix |" thereon a notice, This chair was brOuI
 on board for the owners use. All Oth
 keep away" This manifesto brought III
 me a great deal of chaff. A petition , ce' got up, requesting me to take the cha . at a meeting to be held for tho purpos' n denouncing mOnOpolies. A band of yol O' fools serenaded me with chorus
 "Chair, boysI chair! He'll sleep until
 morrowF' and there were other attem
 at fun almost as feeble. They kept
 up so consistently that, being out of &
 through the rough weather, and also .e. account of the prolonged absence of = girl with the dark gray eyes, becaIn
 surly as a bear.