Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-01-18

Printers Talk.
MY ROOMMATE.
"This will be your berth, sir, No. 81, -"
said the berth steward, ushering me into
coy little cabin. Your friend can have
33, The lower berths will not be occu-
pied"
$50 much the better" said my friend, :"
whom had met for the first time at Liv-
erpool Street station that evening. He
seemed gentlemanly fellow and had an
endless stock of good stories at his COM
mand, so that was not sorry to hear that
we were to be companions for the rest Of
the journey, and flung my luggage down
OH one of the lower berths with alacrity.
"We're lucky" he remarked, as we
made our way up on deck "The boats
are usually crowded at this time of the
year and it's difficult to secure a cabin to
oneself. Have cigar? There's plenty to
see up here, isn't therep I've been across
some dozens of times"
l took the portly cigar that he offered
me, and for time we wandered up and
down the decks, watching the crowd of
passengers Dutch, English, Hebrew and
German, who had just come on board. 1t
was not until the lights Of Harwich were
mere pins heads in the distance that we
decided to turn in.
We undressed in very few minutes,
and, hurting our clothes on the empty
berths below us, scrambled up aloft. My
cabin companion switched off the electric
light.
"We shall be half way up the Mas when
we wake tomorrow" he remarked, wish
ing me good night.
"Good night" answered, turning over
on my side. I recollect thinking for few
minutes of the jolly holiday before me; Of
Mynheer Van der Dem, the wealthy dia-
mond merchant, and his pretty daughter,
whom hoped soon to make my wife; of
skating and sleighing galore in her COM
pany at Amsterdam; of the chance Of my
host being as ready to give his only child
to comparatively poor young Englishman
as he was to invite me to his house; of a
dozen other things connected with my Wis
1t and with past days, when the branch in
Hatton Garden was being started and the
Van der Denns lived in London. And
then, suddenly, the rolling of the vessel,
the throbbing of the engines and the fumes
of the strong cigar l had smoked on deck
must have overpowered me, for the next
moment I seemed to hear the gruff voice
Of the berth steward
CHOW, sir, it's time to get up, please. I
called you some time ago and thought you
were dressed. We're just outside Rotter-
DAM"
rubbed my eyes drowsily and darted
up, knocking my head suddenly against
the white ceiling Of the cabin, and the
berth steward, having at length succeeded
in rousing me, hurried out to attend to his
numerous duties. How on earth had
managed to oversleep myself SO shocking
lyp A glance at the tumbled bedclothes
opposite showed me that my acquaintance
OF the night before was already up. could
feel that the engines were beginning to
slow down, while, through the portfolio,
trees and houses on the bank Of the river
were to be seen. On the deck above
could hear the shutting Of many feet, the
excited jabbering of Dutch and English
Jews, the cultural tones of Germans, the
shouts Of the sailors to those on the quay,
the Pumping down of bags and boxes
ready for landing.
was still drowsy, but / managed to re-
sist the temptation to lie down again and
began to fish about for my clothes on the
berth below me. I was annoyed with my
self for losing the early morning trip up
the river, and the sight Of the snow Gov
cred windmills, the quaint wooden houses
the low marsh lands, and the curious little
craft that generally dot the Mas. was
equally annoyed with my roommate for
his kindly consideration in not rousing me
from my slumbers, and l struggled into
my garments rather yioiously. And then,
suddenly, it began to dawn upon mo that
was wrong.
What on earth was to do? The clothes
that had flshed up from below were not
the ones that threw on the berth over
had been changed for others
BY mistake or by design-yes, 1t must
have been by design, for no such mistake
could possibly have been made-the man
In the other berth had substituted his
clothes for mine.
flew to the electric bell and rang vigor-
1usly for the steward. But by this time he
was busy on deck, handing departing pas
sengers 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 up above among the
crowd, and as hastily as possible slipped
into the other man s clothes. had come
off much the worst over the bargain, for
here was not sou in the pockets Of the
substituted garments, while my watch and
,hain, money and jewelry were all missing.
When finally was in condition to
'ush up the gangway-I need hardly. say
without finishing my toilet, for I was in !
ny Tor the other man's) shirt sleeves-1 |
'ound that most Of the passengers had left |
he deck, though small group Of officers |
we're standing on the shore side of the ves-
vel, engaged in earnest consultation. The |
heads of couple of Dutch policemen, dis
;inguished from the others by their curl |
rus, low crowned helmets, lowered above
he group, and at once rushed toward |
hem, thanking the lucky chance that had
brought them on the spot.
Have you got himf" shouted excited
', no doubt cutting curious enough fig
Ire in the blue shirt and short trousers
hat my friend Of the night before had been
considerable enough to lend me-
1t looks rather as II we have, said one
Il the ships officers, glancing at me with
J singular expression, that could not at
III understand, in his eyes. "Blue shirt
md light tr0users--dark mustache--that's
III right, Isn't It, off1cerp" he said, in
Dutch, to one Of the policemen.
But where Is heP" asked In surprise,
OOklng from one to the other. 1.-THE fell