The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-15
MY ROOMMATE.


cozy little cabin. "Your friend can have
83. Tho lower bcrths will not be occu-
pied"
$50 much tho better" said my "friond"
whom had met for tho first time ut Liy-
crpool Street station that evening. He
seemed u gcntlemnnly fellow and had an
endless stock of good stories at his com.
mand, so that WAS not sorry to hear that
we were to DO companions for tho rest OF
the journey, and flung my luggage down
on one of tho lower borths with alucrity.
"Wo'ro lucky" no remarked, ms we
mado our way up on deck. "Tho boats
are usually crowded ut this timo of tho
year and it's difficult to secure cabin to
oneself Have cigar? There's plenty to
sec up hero, isn't there? Two boon across
some dozens of times
took tho portly cigar that he offered
mo, and for u time We wandered UP and
down tho decks, watching tho crowd of
passengers, Dutch, English, Hebrew and
German, who had just como on board. 1t
was not until the lights of Harwich wcro
nero pins heads in the distance that wo
decided to turn i'll.
We undrcsscd in very few minutes,
and, hurting our clothes on the empty
bcrths below us, scrambled up aloft. My
cabin companion switched off tho electric
light.
"Wc shall DO half way up the Mas when
wo wake tomorrow" no remarked wish
ing me good night.
Good night answered. turning over
on my side. l rccollcct thinking for n few
minutes of tho jolly holiday before mo; OF
Mynhecr Van der DEM, the wealthy dia-
mond merchant, and his pretty daughter,
whom hoped soon to make my wife; of
skating and slcighing galore in hor com
pany at Amsterdam; of tho chance of my
host being as ready TO give his only child
to II comparatively poor young Englishman
as hc was to invite mo to his house; of q
dozen othor things connected with my Wis
it and with past days, when the branch in
Hatton Garden was being started and tho
Van der Dcnns lived in London. And
then, suddenly, the rolling of tho vessel,
tho throbbing of the engines and tho fumes
of tho strong cigar had smoked on deck
must have ovcrpowered me, for tho next
moment 1 seemed to hear the grun voice
of the berth steward:
Now, sir, it's time to get up, please. L
called you some time ago and thought you
were dressed. Wore just outside Rotter-
dam"
rubbed my eyes drowsily and dartcd
up, knocking my head suddenly against
the white ceiling of the cabin, and the
berth steward, having ut length succeeded
In rousing me- hurried out to attend to his
numerous duties. How on earth had ]
managed to ovorslccp myself so shocking.
ly? glance at the tumblod bedclothos
opposite showed mo that my acquaintance
OF tho night before WIS already up. could
feel that tho engines were beginning to
slow down, while, through the porthole
trees and houses on the bank OF the river
wero to be seen. On the deck above I
could hear the shuflling Of many fcct the
excited jabbering OF Dutch and English
Jews tho cultural tones of Germans, the
shouts OF tho sailors to those on tho quay
the Pumping down of bags and boxes
ready for landing.
was still tirowsy, bnt managed to re-
siSt tho temptation to lie down again and
began to fish about for my clothes on tho
berth below me. l was annoyed with my
self for losing the early morning trip I'D
tho river, and tho sight of the snow cov-
erod windmills, tho quaint wooden houses
the low marsh lnnds and the curious littlo
craft that generally dot the Mnas. 1 was
equally annoyed with my roommate for
his kindly consideration in not rousing mo
from my slumbcrs, and 1 struggled into
my garments rather viciously And then
suddenly it began to dawn upon me that
something was wrong.
What on earth was l to do? The clothes
that had 1ishcd up from below werc not
L
night-thcy had been changed for others!
BY mistake or by dcsign-ycs, it must
have been by design, for no snch mistake
could possibly have been madc-thc man
in the other berth had substituted his
clothes for mine.
flew to the electric bell and rang vigor.
ously for the steward. But by this time he
was busy on deck, handing departing pas
scngcrs their luggage and pocketing tips
In return, and no one heard or needed my
summons. twas impossible for me, half
clad as was, To rush MP above among the
crowd, and rs hastily rs possible I slipped
into tho other mans clothes. had come
off much the worst over the bargain, for
there was not Il sou in tho pockets of tho
substituted garments, while my watch and
chain, money and jcwclry were all missing
When | finally was in n condition to
rush up tho gangway-I need hardly say
without finishing my toilet, for ] was in
my Tor tho other man's) shirt slccvcs-I
found that most of the passengers had left
tho deck though small group of officers
were standing on tho shore side of the YES
sci, engaged in earnest consultation. The
heads of II couple of Dutch policemen, dis
tinguishcd from tho others by their curl.
GUS, low crowned helmets, lowered above
the group, and Mt onco rushed toward
them, thanking the lucky chance that had
brought them on tic spot.
Have you got him:" shouted excited
~, no doubt cutting u curious enough fig.
uro in tho blue shirt and short trousers
chat my friend of the night before had been
considcratc enough to lend me.
"It looks rather as if wo have, :" said ono
Of the ships officers, CHANGING ut mo with
u singular expression, that l could not at
all understand, in his eyes. "Bluc shirt
4 IL.