The herald., 1896-02-13
pcpyr,sht 1896. by Bachellsr. johnson B.ol

Uopyright 1896. by Bachellsr johnson 4 Bachellerl
PART 1.
Morley went to London on a slow steam
or, partly because his father had been a
friend of its Captain and partly because he
wanted long voyage. His mission was
the sale Of an extremely valuable necklace
whose history we will not go into here. He
carried it, wrapped in chamois, in the inside
pocket of his vest.
All steamer crowds are sociable. but the
party on the "Venice'' was unusually good
tempered. Acquaintance were made on the
second instead of the fourth day out. One
lady there was, however, who held aloof
from the general companionship, and
evidently for the reason that she was trav-
elling alone and felt that, therefore, she
must be particularly careful. Morley was
the first to gain her acquaintance and the
episode was dramatic.
The voyage had up to the evening of the
third day been a very smooth and unevent-
full one. Morley, tired by tramping the deck
was sitting near to the fair strangers
steamer chair. For half an hour he had
been watching the procession of passengers
and he had marked one person with some
interest. This was first occasioned by the
mans clothes. They were so shabby that
even in the midst Of ocean deshabille Nor
ley was surprised to see them on the first
cabin promenade, and idly wondered If the
man might not have crossed the rail from
the second cabin deck or even have come up
from the steerage. From the clothes Nor
ley's eyes wandered to the face and when
he saw it he reflected that it did not seem
a proper one for even the second cabin or
steerage. 1t seemed tc Morley that Jail
would be its only appropriate surrounding.
Morley was not surprised to see that
man with SO villainous countenance
should be also of uncouth and disagreeable
manners. The evil-looking man gazed into
the face of the lovely girl each time he
passed. His stare and the evil smile which
went with it, were so offensive that, had
not Morley noticed that the young lady was
asleep he would have been rempted-inso-
much as he did not know her and hence had
no right to offer her his own protection
to call the attention of an officer to the af-
fair and have it stopped.
An officer had, however, already noticed
the lily dressed stranger and stopped him
just as he was opposite Morley. 1t was evil
dent that his attention as we'll as Morley's
had been attracted by the incongruity of
such soiled and badly fitting clothes on the
promenade deck.
81 beg your pardon, SIR said the officer
tapping the pedestrian On one of his ungain-
ly arms, ''are you a first cabin passenger"
The stranger wheeled about rapidly and
answered savagely:
What is that to you?'
"only this said the officer, convinced
by the mans manner that his suspicious
had been well founded, that if you are not
a saloon passenger we cannot permit you to
walk en- this deck
''Wsll, am a saloon passenger" growl-
ed the stranger.
what is the number OF your cabin"
asked the officer.
Meme of your business" was the surly
reply.
The officer was angry. "See here now, my
mar he declared, taking firm grip of the
fellows sleeve, Il don't believe you are a
saloon passenger at all. If you are second
cabin you'll keep to the second cabin deck
and if you are steerage you'll keep between
decks"
The stranger had in the meantime shuf-
fled away somewhat, so that he was close
to the sleeping girl, and now, before an
chair with his foot in way that might have
been design and might have been accident
Morley, who had watched the whole affair
closely, thought it to be design and rose to
his feet. The girl woke up, but did not
realize what had reused her until she saw
the officer give the ill-mannered man jerk
to pull him away. Then Morley thought
she started in mere serious agitation than
the situation warranted on the face of it.
He fancied that she turned pale when she
caught feeting glimpse of the mans face.
Almost instantly, though, Morley's atten-
tion was again attracted to the ill-favored
man. He was resisting the officer's attempt
to force him away. Morley heard the Off
Ger say, "And if the steerage is too coed
for you, as 1 fancy it is, we have place
deeper down yet where we can put you with
iron bracelets en-
Just then the ship, rolling, but not heav-
lily. careened slightly and again Morley be-
lieved he saw design in the strangers Of
fort to involve the young lady, apparently
by accident in the affair The stranger add
cd his own strength to the influence of the
ships motion and evidently tried to throw
himself and the officer to the deck 50 that
they would strike the girl in their fall Nor
ley frustrated this. however. by placing his
rigidly braced body so that it was that
which met the shock Of the strangers as
sault, an, two sailors running up Just then.
the man was dragged away.
Scarcely had they gone, followed by a
crowd of passengers, when Morley was de-
lighted to have the young lady half rise
from her chair and frankly hold out her
hand. Her manner was cordia! although
her face was very pale. Il thank you so
much, sir she said. AS she sank back
into her chair she shuddcringly drew her
rug closer round her. "Augh He tried
to touch me!' she said to herself but audi
bly,, as might one who had just escaped
contamination at the hands of leper.
After Morley had raised his hat and con-
ventionaliy replied to her thanks as he left
her, he devoted a coed bit of speculation to
this strange episode. Both the mans ef-
fort to annoy her first by his staring grim
ances and afterwards by his attempt to &C.
tually touch her. and the girls extraordin-
ary agitation over a matter which was ap-
parently only small affair seemed to indi-
cate that the pair knew each other. But
Morley could not believe that. He strolled
aft to find out what had become Of the fel.
low and learned that he was really second
cabin passenger. The ships officers, sup
posing that it was through ignorance thai
he had crossed the rail which divides the
second cabin deck from the first cabin deck
had visited on him no worse punishment
t.. L. lit 1a.1- - 4 l.