Rock Island Argus., 1896-12-19

StotutS WI = In0lti tul s4~t. 4LEF Issk-
ed that eomeliress CT wear which
George Eliot oommeEas. Bat who
would notice such a thing in man CO.
ing home from Australia,
4 third gentleman leans against the
port rail. His little blue eyes. weak
with the damp cf drink. ere fixed upon
Miss Margaret Mansel. who is talking
20 Mrs. Holroyd and her daughter on
the other side Of the deck He is q big.
gish man Of the fat and rolling sort.
yellow haired. with faint buttercup
fluH of mus;ache, winch enc hand or the
other is forever haunting. These three
men were last night stsm,ing upon q
slip of land in Sydney Ia oor and ad.
miring the bark by tire light of the
moon and the scene Of she hay under
the stars. Who could have guessed by
their conversation then that they had
booked Is passengers by the Qneens
The tall man with the d, avy black
mustsche was Captain Henry Trollope.
the second Mr. Panl Hankey and the
fellow at the rail Alexander Burn.
Another passenger. at whom the Ia
dies occasionally glanced asLGnce. was
Mr.. Sampson Masters. At little dis
tance his was as perfect face as you
could figure. When ne drew close, his
features proved blistered and pccked by
drink and dissipation He stood near
the wheel. looking from under the brim
Of white felt hat with d black hat
band. right up at the canvas, yet with
glarces any sailor would have seen were
critical.
There were other men--several. One
was q little chap. Mr.. William Storr,
IN suctioneer going home after doing
business in the antipodes. His round,
lightly whisSered face was enthusiastic
with the sense Of departure and the
beauty Of the scene. Ciose beside him
YVES large man who had booked his
passage by the name Of Mark Davenire.
He were a heavy silver chain upon his
bright green w.istcoat, ard his cabbage
tree hat was tilted upon his nose, while
his eyes somewhat stealtIily Travelled
round about.
The shyneSs peculiar 20 Englishmen
was noticeable among the passengers at
the start. The ladies, il is true, fiutter.
cd before long into conversation with
one another. but the men held of.
which was strange in three Of them at
all events, fer they had seemed on very
good terms OIL the previous night.
"Gcod gracious mel" suddenly ex-
claimed Mrs. James Dent. whose black
hair was piastered down her checks and
over the back Of her ears in the carly
Victorian style "Isn't that an Omen
boat out theTe:"
She pointed with a hand that spar.
kied. The ship was now close in will,
the entrance to Sydney bay, and the
object the lady lointed at sank and
rolled and wailowed about three. quar-.
tiers Of "A mile distant right ahead. Ev-
erybody drew 60 the side to look. Cap
tain J!oi.orc G1ed q glass in his eve.
Captain Benson, the white haired skin
per, took the ships telescope from its
brarkeis and gazad with attention.
Eope ycu vii! pass her close"
said Mrs. Dent.
''She shall slide alongside Of Us.
madam. answered the captain.
what's hue in an open boat. :"
aid MIS-. Stcrr, taking her husband $
arm ard towering by help of an oddly
shaped hat 10 nearly half a head Above
her husband. Ito make the ocean SC, m
more deso!cte than when there's moth.
ing in sight:''
Hall exclaimed Mr.. Burn, wad-
ding up ID the little group that had
gathered elout the captain and expend
ing ms Ia" III fat, beery sigh.
There's a depth Of meaning in that
question, and it shows the ocean in n
new light
Mir. Storr looked at him suspiciously.
The lady smiled and said: when we
came out in the Light Of the AQc. we
tell IN with an abandoned ship. She
made the ocean louk a horrible desert.
The same effect is produced BY that
small boat there"
You will find the reason to he this. "
said Mr.. Burn, with q eenilemanIy
though an oozy aocent-''great fields cf
solitude need accentuation to the eye.
A single object achieves this. A lonely
wreck furnishes the imagination with q
starting point for measuring the pro-
digious distances Of the ocean"
He spoke as though he had been an
actor in his day.
Captain Trollope glanced ut Mr.. Burn
through his glass, and then turned his
head with o smile which his mustache
offectually hid. Others, such as Mr..
Davenire. Mr.. Caldwell-a dark faced.
black bearded, Jewish looking man-
and one or two others also listened
with an air OF faint amusement.
But there's such . plenty Of land
about. continued Mrs. S;orr, who was
evidently gratified by the attention she
appeared to be receiving from most of
the gentlemen, ''and still that open
boat makes the sea look more lonely
than moor by moonlight, with th.
arm of gibbet dangling q dead man
over the snow
This vigorous image seemed greatly
to impress Mr.. Burn, whose hands piled
his little mustache with q sudden yebe.
mence.
There's an open boat right under
the bow, SIR" shouted the mate from
the forecastle.
As the boat glided By a strange muir.
nlur from tho shi-. ..<<<.~.-a t.