The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-06-27


offered Indifferent anchorage; those
who made their bed on the floor expe.
rienced constant tendency To slip and
slide and roll as the Atlanta wrestled
with the waves. 1t would not do.
Enyious glances were east at my
snug chair, which | had moored in a
sheltered corner. Piratieal attacks
Were made upon that chair whenever
| ventured to quit il for Il moment. If
| took a turn to stretch my limbs, or
went below for book or an extra rug,
| never failed TO find on my return some
interloping loafer enseonced in my seat
and pretending to he fast asleep. /
stood great deal of this, and in no
BILE transport of self-sacrifice wandered
about like lost dog. But / wouldn't
stand ii any longer. And / didn't.
| began to evict the intruders; at first,
with great delieacy; "Please, excuse
mel fancy you have mistaken your
chair" Then with less compunction,
regret that must disturb you; I'm not
feeling very we'll" And later without
ceremony or remorse, Now, sir, my
chair, if you please ~
1t came to this, that | got quite ''rus-
ty," and acquired the habit of folding
up my chair whenever left it, affixing
thereon u notice: ''rhis chair was
brought on board for the owners use
All Others keep away" This manifes-
TO brought upon me great deal of
chaff. A petition was got up request
ing me to take the chair at meet
ing to be held for the purpose of de
nOuncing monopolies- \ band of young
fools serenaded me with Il chorus Of
'Chair, boys, chair? He'll sleep until
tomorrow ~ and there were other at
tempts at fun almost as feeble They
kept this up 80 persistenlty that, being
out of sorts through the rough weather,
and also on account of the prolonged
absence of the girl with the dark grey
eyes, / became as surly rs bear
On the sixth day the sea had gone
down good deal, and the saloon ban
quets were better patronized. re-
turned TO the deck after capital lunch
con, with one of Clark Russells stories
under my arm and filled my big
pipe rs | meandered i'm the direction OF
my chair, intending TO enjoy myself
thoroughly. Imagine my rage when |
found the chair absolutely gone |
rushed up and down the deck until
observed that everybody was bursting
with laughter. Suddenly, under the
lee Of the captains cabin, / came upon
Millicent Bradley. Her proud gray
eyes We're dim and lusterless, the full,
firm contour of the face was gone, and
her rich complexion had changed to
patty-color. The self-rcliant mouth
sank at the corners, and was partly
open, rs if she lacked the vital energy
to press her pallid lips together.
As | stopped before her and stared
with establishment and distress, she
opened her eyelids just another six
teenth of an inch, and murmured in
the most die away tone: "0h, Mr..
franklin, Pm afraid I've got your
chair Do take il. Please take il ~
OF course | was instantly at her side,
imploring her to keep the blessed chair
forever, TO wear it for my sake-not
that she showed the slightest disposi-
ton TO give it up.
For three days | waited upon her
hand and foot, helped her up and down
the companion stairs, tempted her with
delicacies, told her funny stories-aot
about sea-siekness-recited poetry TO
her-my own, unpublished and-yes,
| flirted with her
And she? On, it did her good
frightened her up amazingly. She
talked better than phOnOgraph, and
We were all in all to each other. The
doctor was bit of nuisance, p.es1m-
ing upon his medical privileges, you
understand, and the captain pestered
us; but l got my grip, as we used to
say when | rowed in the college eight,
and l pulled right through, giving
them my ''wash" all the time.
And 50 We drew nearer 10 Sandy
Hook; and although had TO sit upon
II camp stool while watched over her
in my lawful capacity of landlord of
the deck-chair. / never enjoyed cross
ing so much in my life, and I've been
over the Atlantic about - timas on
business.
But within a days sail of New York
a disaster fell upon the ship, 81 terrify-
ing, 50 lurid, 50 indescribably horrible
that You will think me inconsistent in
declaring that il increased my happi-
ness hundredfold and gave me in one
hideous moment all the concentrated
joy of lifetime.
Ii had come Oh to blow again. \
great bank of bubbling purple clouds
had arisen in the northwest as the night
closed in; and while Twas helping
Miss Bradley down the companionway
driven from the deck by the ugly,
threatening aspect of the sky, blast of
wind struck the vessel, keeling her over
with suddenness that forced me to
cling with all my might to the blnis-
ter, and Miss Bradley with all hers TO
my neck. For nearly a minute my
chin reposed against the top of her
head, bat that ecstasy was vouchsafed
to me no longer. As the ship righted
Millicent parted from me, sprang down
the few remaining stairs, grabbed at a
hand-rail and whisked away to her
cabin sans adieux.
l struggled back to the deck for the
rugs and cushions, and found the YES
sci enveloped in a fdrio1s storm. AL
ready ii was dark, and the Atlanta was
plunging like FESTIVE horse, the sea
coming in floods over the bllwarks,
and the wind tearing and shrieking
among the cOrdage and clustering
against the big roaring funnel. The
rain came down in slanting sheets of
water, and the sailors We're shouting to
each other and warning the passengers
who had delayed getting below. lost
one Of my rugs, and how saved my
life can hardly tell. Ny deck chair
left strapped to it, mOorings, and took
Il. IL