Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-11-19
CHAPTER 1T


way. with much balancing and holdin
On OF stanchions, along the deck, fl
the ship rolled fearfully, althoug
there seemed to be little wind and II
sun was shining brightly, but the pc
son he sought was nowhere visible. r
thought he would go into the smok IN.
+ room, but changed his mind at the doc
/ and turned down the companionway I
the main saloon. The tables had bee
cleared OF the breakfast belongings
but on one of the small tables a whit
cloth had been laid, and at this 500
OF purity in the general effect of ret
plush sat Miss Brewster, who was com
placently ordering what she wanted
from a steward, who did not seem at al
pleased in serving one who had disre
garded the breakfast hour to the dis
arrangement of all saloon rules. Tn,
chief steward stood by door ant
looked disapprovingly at the late guest
1t was almost time to lay the tables fol-
lunch, and the young woman was a.
calmly ordering her breakfast as il
she had been the first person at the
table.
She looked up brightly at Wentworth
and smiled as he approached her.
Il suppose" she began. I'm dread.
fully late, and the steward looks as Il
he would like to scold me. How aw.
fully the ship is rolling. Is there a
storm?"
NO. She seems to be doing this sort
of thing for amusement. Wants to
make it interesting for the unfortunate
passengers who are not good sailors, ]
suppose. She is doing it, too. There's
scarcely anyone on deck"
Dear me. | thought we were having
q dreadful storm. Is it rnining?"
NO. It's beautiful sunshiny day;
without much wind. either, in spite OF
all this row."
Il suppose you have had your break
fast long ago?"
so long since that am beginning
to look forward with pleasant antici-
patton to lunch"
"Oh dear! had no idea was so late
as that. Perhaps you had better scold
me. Somebody ought to do it, and the
steward seems little afraid"
"You overestimate my courage. lam
a little afraid, too"
Then you do think deserve ftp"
II didn't say that, nor do I think 1t.
1 confess, however. that up to this mo-
ment l felt just trife lonely"
"Just trifel Well, that is fiattery.
How nicely you English do turn COM
pliment. Just a trifle!"
Il believe, as a race, we do not VEN
ture much into compliment-giving at
all. We leave that for the polite for
eigner. He would say what 1 tried to
say great deal better than / did, of
course; but he would not mean half so
much"
uo oh; that's very nice, Mr.. Wentworth.
deck?"
Anywhere, If you let me accompany
you"
81 shall be most delighted to have
you. l won't say merely a trife de-
lighted"
"Ah! Haven't you forgiven that re-
mark yet?"
There's nothing to forgive. and it
is quite too delicious to forget. shall
never forget it."
'I believe that you are very cruel at
heart, Miss Brewster"
The young woman gave him a curious
side look, but did not answer. She
gathered the wraps she had taken from
the cabin, and, handing them to him
before he had thought of offering to
take them, they went on deck. He
found there chairs side by side, and adj
mired the intelligence of the deck stew
ard, who seemed to understand what
chairs to place together. Miss Jennie
sank gracefully into her own, and al
lowed him to adjust the wraps around
her
'There," she said, that's very nicely
done; as well as the deck steward him
possible to pay you more graceful
than that. So few men
know how to arrange one comfortably
in steamer chair"
you speak as though you had vast
in steamer life; and yet you
told me this was your first voyage"
'It is. But it doesn't take q woman
more than a day to see that the average
man attends to such little niceties very
Now, Just tuck in the corner
out of sight. There! Thank you, ever
so much. And would you be kind
70 fho{fC hot And
this other wrap so. Ohl that is perfect.
What patient man you are, Mr.. Went
Eyes, Miss Brewster, you are for
eigner. / can see that now. Your pro-
fessed compliment was hollow. You
said l did it perfectly, and then i'm
directed me how to do it."
Nothing of the kind. You did itwell,
and think you ought not to grudge me
the pleasure of adding my own little
"Oh, If you put it that tway, I will not.
Now, before 1 sit down, tell me what
book / can get that. will interest you.
The library contains very good as
sortment."
81 don't think / care about reading.
Git down and talk. 1 suppose 1 am too
to-day. I thought, when 1
came on board, that / would do lot Of
reading, but j believe the sea air makes
0ne lazy. must confess feel entirely
Indifferent to mental improvement"
You evidently do not think my con-
gersation will be at all worth listen
ng to-"
"How quick you are to pervert my
Don't you see that think
your conversation better worth listen
ng to than the most interesting or i'm
proving book you can choose from the
library? Really, in trying to avoid
yiving you cause for making such re-
mark, have apparently stumbled into
. worse error. 1 was just going to say
would like your conversation much
better than book, when thought you
would take that as a reflection on your
If you take me up so sharply,
will sit here and say nothing. Now,
hen, talk"
"What shall l say?"
"Oh, if told you what to say should
,e doing the talking. Tell me about
Yourself. What do you do in London ?"
II work hard. l am an accountant"
"And what is an accountant2 What
l. l. &c Db