The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-06-27
ROMANCE OF A
DECK CHAIR

- fNAg -
standoflish sort of girl-and she came
on board with "A fixed intention not TO
speak TO anyone. noticed her while
We were yet in the dock at Tilbury
You don't notice individuals, as a rule,
for everybody looks 30 like everybody
else on Il first meeting, especially when
il is almost dark, and a crowd of pas
sengers hang about the ships side, tax
ing their last look at things ashore.
But | noticed this lady at the very first.
! was on deck, prepared to go with the
steamship Atlanta to New York city,
and | saw her alight from the train
some hundred yards distant. / lost
her until she stepped upon the gang
way, and then was confirmed in my
impression that she was a remarkably
handsome girl.
She came on board like a princes, and
for some minutes disappeared. Pres
emily | felt strange sensation. She
was positively standing beside me.
There was no reason why she should
have preferred any other locality, but
the fact that she came and stood by the
side of me certainly deepened the ex-
traordinary impression she had made.
Without prcsuming TO stare at her, /
got a glimpse of her fine profile and
dark, naughty eyes.
The usual scenes were going on about
us. ventured remark-foolish and
trifiing, no doubt, bat hardly deserving
the eontemptuous silence with which it
was received.
The last bell sounded the gangway
was withdrawn, and we began to haul
out of dock 4; but still she stood there
and made on sign. plucked up spirit,
and asked her if she was going To
America-an absurd question, seeing
that America was the sole destination
of the ship. She turned and looked at
me, said nothing, and walked away.
1t was Il lovely night, and as we drop
ped down the river the passengers
stood about in groups and enjoyed it.
Several spoke TO me and became quite
s92iable. She was on deck also until
II o'clock, but sitting alone, and, 50 far
as | could tell, making no comment
upon the mystery of shadows sparkling
with lights afloat and ashore which the
vessel glided past.
/ kept at a respectable distance but
| saw the captain speak 10 her, and
Pm sure he got snubbed for his audaci-
ty. SO put it down to pride. Think
she made an exception of the steward
ess; i'm fact, I'm sure she did
later on. There is winning charm
about the stewardess TO which most
ladies yield when a ship gets out to sea.
The next morning Miss Bradley for
that, as | discovered, afterwards, was
her name) and | met at breakfast. /
think all the passengers met at break
fast-at the first breakfast She was
here, anyway, and fortune seated her
at my elbow. / made some progress
with Miss Bradley i'm furnishing her
plate. Oh, she was all right at that
breakfast. The sea was like glass, and
the sweet morning air in the channel
was very appetizing.
But the neighborly chat with which
/ tried to garnish the eggs and bacon
met with little encouragement and she
committed herself no further than the
endorsement ofany hope that we should
have this sort of thing all the way.
By ''this sort of thing" 1 meant fri
gidity; but / don't think she took the
trouble 10 analyze my conceptions.
All the day she wandered about the
deck, with her dark cyes-they were
dark gray in the sunshine-surveying
the panorama of the ciiff-belted south
ern coast, or sat upon IA bench by
the saloon dome, reading a book under
the shadow of the awning which had
been rugged up on the promenade"
The splendid lines of her figure show
ed TO advantage i'm a neat gown of
homespun. No one spoke to her, and
she spoke 10 nobody. At dinner | got
a trifle forward by the aid of baked po-
tatoes, but nothing TO boast of.
There were several jolly women
among the passengers; and particularly
jolly they were on the score ofthe calm
sea. Our time in the channel was as.
good as picnic, and ii seemed as ifthe
prevailing merriment must tantalize
Miss Bradley out of her proud reserve.
But it didn't.
The next morning, when the steward
called me at $50 for my bath, breeze
had sprung up, and the ship was lift
ing and rolling i'm il considerably. The
breakfast table was but thinly attended.
Miss Bradley, however, came in and
took her place beside me. Come l
thought, she's good sailor. I'll amuse
her with some anecdotes about those
who are sick at sea.
IsuppIied her plate and launched into
a funny story. To my dismay, she
suddenly arose and left the table-like-
wise the saloon, ramming her handker-
chief into her mouth, a | assume to
prevent the laughter which must un-
bend her dignity, and break down the
icy barrier between Us.
For five days her pride-or some 9TH
er indisposition-buried her i'm the sa-
cred seclusion OF her staterOOm. Itwas
too had During those five days we
staggered through a lively crOss-sea,
which made walking ON deck very
business and | spent most Of
my time reclining in my comfortable
deck-chair.
1t now occurred to number Of pas
sengers that deck-ehair was the thing
of all others which they ought 10 have
brought on board. The scanty accom-
mediation OF benches was inadequate