Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-07
AN OCEAN INTERFERENCE
From Harper's Weekly by permission Copyright
1894, by Harper Brothers.

From Harper's Weekly, by permission. Upright,
1894, by Harper Brothers.
The afterne on was overcast, and the
thoughts of Archibald Stuart were like
wise wrapped in gloom, as he hurried UP
the street from the Hoboken ferry to share
in that outwardly hilarious and inwardly
agonizing practice Of seeing a steamer off.
He feared he was late, unavoidably SO,
for he had been already once before into
Jersey that morning in quite an opposite
direction-to go over the site of some
houses for which he was to draw up the
plans-too big an order for him to trife
with in the present condition of his affairs
and although he had allowed plenty of
time under ordinary circumstances, cars,
boats. trains, everything had seemed dia-
bolically possessed to delay him.
He glanced at his watch once again as he
tore along. and found he would be in time
for at least glimpse of the face that it
would not be his to see for months to
come; a chance to bid godspeed to the
woman who just now complexioned the
world for him. He put the thought shud-
deringly aside that these months might
mean forever.
When he reached the long deck it looked
aboard. and all Of their friends with them,
to judge by the tightly wedged mass crowd
ing the deck. 1t was easy to distinguish
the travellers, hard to find just the one
he was in search Of. He looked up and
down the deck, but could not see her,
plunged a moment into the sitting per-
fumed dining room. where. although he
did not notice 1T, small table had been
entirely devoted to extravagant expressions
of friendship for Miss Edith Eccleston,
and then sought the deck again. to make
complete circuit of it, He was begin
ming to be anxious, and yet ne had time
to notice aft a poor old couple sitting hand
in hand, the tears streaming down their
withered cheeks; of these he could not tell
which was to go, but he envied them the
consolation of their frank grief.
At last he found her, with the rest of her
party, an aunt and two boy cousins, sur
rounded by a mass of other relations, girl
friends and adorers.
She was radiant young creature. tall.
stately, Sowned with exquisite neatness,
Sirl perhaps a little On The young side of
twenty-five, with such beauty OF coloring
in her brown eyes, hair and clear brunette
skin that one forgot if her features were
good III outline, and when one remembered
TO look for that, a peculiar sweetness OF ex-
preston again diverted the attention. Just
now her arms were full of roses and lilies
and vioiets, and a large bunch of the last
she had pinned to her coat.
AS she caught sight of Stuart she put
out her hand eagerly. II was SO afraid
you would not get here, after all she
said.
While greeting the Others he gently push
ed his way to her side. Il could not get
here before. 1t is too bad you have not a
better day for sailing; but you will be in
warm weather very soon. How do you do,
E.cciSStOn2' n
two or three OF the relatives to shake hands
with the departing aunt. well, George,
you lucky boy!' this to one of the cousins.
Then Strengthening up, his eyes tell on the
flowers she wore.
Il SO much obliged for them," Miss
Eccleston murmured, and then added
quickly. but how did you know these were
yours"
Il did not know; only hoped they were"
They are perfectly exqupisite," the girl
said. and buried her nose and chin a mo-
turned a little away from the group about
her. which had been there some time, and
for moment. as she raised her eyes to his
from the flowers they seemed quite alone
with each other.
rs that all you can say to me?'' he whis-
pered
She smiled up at him. with the tears rush.
Ing into her eyes NO. no; / have a thou
sand things to say and kindnesses to thank
you for, but not now. l am afraid / shall
break down. / am so homesick already
And taking another dip into the violet
depths, she brushed the tears rapidly away
and turned back TO the others, while Stuart
ste cd gloomily beside her.
lou VIII not be homesick when you get
TO Algiers, he said. coldly. "You know the
story about Eve outside of the gates of
Paradise. Well, 1 remember just how fair
are its Eden bowers and you will forget
there Is such thing as inconsistencies any
where IN the world when you are there
Don't be unkind." she murmured, and
then laughed q Teddy Edwa ri nstanto
uously wringing out his handkerchief pre-
paratory to saying goodbye.
he lett her Il moment to speak to some
other friends he found going, but the last
few minutes he spent again beside her in
wretched silence, while one after another
said goodbye.
She had SO many friends it irritated him
to witness it. He would like to be taking
her away from them all; he could sympa-
thize with the wicked lords who locked fair
maidens up in high towers and it made him
miss him from her life.
Goodbye" he said at length, mentally
bracing himself for the final wrench.
Good-bye. shall not wait to see the stea-
his hand and held him back for a moment
as IL she would say something; and finding
she could not, murmured a God bless you,
and let him go.
Then he walked slowly down the gang
plank. looked back once at the ship. but
could not see her for the crowd stepped TO
the dock, and felt that the last link had
strapped that held him to her. At the foot
OF the gang plank stood a man in shabby
clothes muttering to himself; he too had
pi1oen farewell to some one, and yet could
not tear himself away. Every now and
then he would take off his hat bend his
knee with a slight reverence, replace the
nat, and so on muttering: he was praying,
stuart could see, and quite obliyious TO a
curious world
Then the crowd began to come Off the
poats the sailing moment had come. and
stuart lied before the onslaught of his fell
bowman to be alone with his despair
After settling her state room. which adj
joined her aunts on the main deck and
crushing out sentimental impulse to send
a written farewell to Stuart back by the
pilot, Miss Eccleston went on deck to begin
the enjoyment of her southern trip. She
mad spoken the truth when she said she
was homesick, and she tried very hard to
argue herself into a less depressed state
OF mind. But every well-kr own landmark
the steamer left behind narrowed anew her
wrought-up feelings. The splendid beauti-
full bay looked gray and sad; the short
waves tumbled angrily. "Good-by. good
blythe flags on every side seemed to
futter it mockingly. "Good-by," she whis-
pered to the hills, and Liberty regarded
her gravely. What changes would come In
the interminabe months that she would be
gone? She wondered why she had con-
sented to go. For pleasure? She was per-
fectly wretched. Did the man who had
stood so gloomily beside her still love her?
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