The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-11-15

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$50 much the better" said my
"friend," whom | had met for the
first time ut Liverpool street station
that evening. He seemed a gentle
manly fellow, and mad an endless
stock OF good stories at his command,
so that / was not sorry to hear that
we were TO be companions for the rest
of the journey, and flung my luggage
down on one Of the lower berths with
alacrity.
Were lucky" he remarked, as we
ms3e out way up on deck; ''the boats
ARE usually crowded at this time of
the year, and it's difficult to secure a
cabin to ones self. Have n cigar !?
There's plenty to see up here. isn't
there? I've been across some dozens
of times"
! took the portIy cigar that he
offered me, and for a time we wan
dered up and down the decks, watch
ing the crowds of passengers, Dutch,
English, Hebrew and German, who
had Just come on board. 1t was not
until thc lights OF Hurwich were mere
pins heads in the distance that we de-
cided to turn in.
We undressed in a very few minutes
and, hurting our clothes on the empty
berths below us, scrambled up aloft.
My cabin companion switched Of the
electric light.
1--WE shall be half way up the Mas
when we wake up Tomorrow he re-
marked, wishing me good night.
"Good night" answered. turning
over on my side. recollcct thinking
for few minutes Of the jolly holiday
before me; OF Mvnhocr Van der DEM,
the wealthy diamond merchant, and
his pretty daughter, whom | hope d
soon to make my wife; o. skating and
sleighing galore in her company at
Amsterdam; OF the chance Of my host
being as ready 10 give his only child
to n comparatively poor Young Eng
lishman as he was to invite me to his
house; of ,.o@cn other things con
nected with my visit; and with past
DAYS, when the branch in Hatton
Garden was being started, ana the
Van der Denns lived in London. And
then, s"'dculy, the rolling Of the ves-
sc,, the th-obning Of the engines, and
the fumes OF the strong cigar j had
smoked on deck must have overpow-
cred me, for the next moment l
seemed to hear the grutf voice of the
berth steward:
"Now, sir, it's time to get up,
please ] called you some time ago,
and thought YOU were dressed. We're
just outside Rotterdam
l rubbed nv eyes drowsily AMI
dartcl IN, knocking my head sudden
| ly against the white ceiling OF the
cabin: and the berth steward, having
succeeded in rousing me, hurried out
| to attend to his numerous duties. How
on earth had ] managed to oversleep
myself SO shockiDgly? \ glance at
| the tumbled bed clothes opposite
! showed me that my acquaintance OF
| the night before was already up.
could feel that the engines were be
ginning to slow down while, through
the port hole, trees and houses on the
bank of the river were to be seen. Or
! the deck above | could hear the shulil
> ing os many feet, the shouts of the
sailors to those on the quay, tn,
plumplpg down OF bags and boxes
ready for landing.
was still drowsy, but managed tc
resist the temptation to lie down
again, and began to fish about for my
clothes on the berth below me. Then
suddenly it began to dawn upon mt
that something was wrong.
What on earth was | to do? The
clothes that [ had fshed up from be
low were not the ones that [ threw OF
tho berth over night-thcy had been
changed for others. BY mistake OF