The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-11-30

Y
us IL mY profession uou aUould knotU,
mddUniCi"
the waves of molten gold tho kind
friends who would cover her from tho
world? We didn't see anything like
that. | DO not even remember ANYBODY
who stood on tho deck for n last look at
Fire island and Il chance to exclaim
"~Farowell, my native landr' Most of
them seemed like US to DO going over
for the first time, and, also like us, try
ing by their easy manners, nautical
talk and elaborate array of steamer
chairs, steamer caps md steamer nov
els to be giving the impression that
crossing the Atlantic was an expert
ence as familiar as riding OH horse cars.
Mrs. Wallis and l had finished our
Quotations, such as they were, long ago.
We had no misery to escape. Mrs.
Wallis husband was dead, and mine
was to be got So as we had no roman
tic roles to play wo began our voyage
with tho utmost cOnventionality. We
wrote as impressive looking letters as
anybody and gave them to tho pilot
when he left us. Mrs. Wallis' was to
her housokeopor, and mine to Susie
Mess@rsmith, telling her she might ride
my horse while l was away, but nobody
knew that they were not the longed for
last words to some bcrcavcd devotee.
And after that ceremony we were
fairly Off.
The sea was as calm as it usually is
between the months OF May and Sep
tembcr, and thcro was no excuse for
seasickness on tho part of anybody, SO
we walked the decks and posed as old
sailors in tho possession Of stomachs
whose self possession had never been
called into question.
AS Mrs. Wallis and I strolled along
arm i'll arm trying to think of some
sensible and ladyliko remark that would
be open sesame to tho captains atten.
ton and favor we noticed a gentleman
who was walking in tho other direc-
ton, but upon our line, and who conse-
quently met us at every turn.
watch him take in your feet, Mrs.
Wallis said f~lattoringly. If there is one
thing that | do pride myself upon, it
is my feet. They were looking unusual
ly we'll that day, as l had realized the
con~spicuOuSness of shoes Oh o deck
promenade.
He was a tall, dark man with o
twisted mustache and almost stern
black eyes, just that masterful sort of
eyes that women past their early girl
hood and who have lived in the world
are fond of. Poor innocents, when they
are young they can find a master in al
most any sort Of a man. There was
nothing bold looking about the prone
nader, but he gave us side chances that
did not mean utter Indifference.
He must be somebody, Mrs. Wallis
said, because you see he is an Italian
or a Spaniard or something, and in
those countries the middle and lower
classes do not look like gentlemen. I'll
wager you something no is q count at
thev very least"
"PoufP' And I blew my lips out
with scorn, but still some of the air cas-
ties that had kept in reserve since my
early girlhood for those seasons when
my devoted admirers did not suit me or
L had mono and which had arisen like
magic when we began to talk of Europe,
went visionlike before me. Countess
sounded sweet in my ears. Count,
prince, whatever he might be-, he GER
.eA'i'tv 10 Ill u6. NOU UnuU
he presumed in the least, but when we
went on deck h second morning our
steamer chairs were stretched in the
p~leasantest place, with our rugs COM
fortably adjusted, and the stewaAd, an
he brought us a basket Of fruit, men.
toned that "the gentleman had order
ed it brought up as soon as we took pos.
session of the chairs. We ate the fruit
and let the steward continue to think
that he in some sort belonged to us, al
though we had not exchanged q single
word. That evening it began to blow,
and the swell tossed the ship about in O
most uncomfortable manner. We did
bot stay up to see how many real old
travellers there were among the pretend
CTS, u ANONYMOUSLY retreateu to the
feolusion which the cabin grants. The
light was just struggling in through the
round wiElow of our stateroom the
next morning when the stewardess
made her appearance, bearing q tray
with q bottle, two small glasses and O
: card. / was quite exhausted from nv
horrible night, but I found strength TO
read the card. On one side was neatly
engraved, Henri Valois, Paris" I
Mrs. Wallis was mistaken. He was a
Frenchman after all. On the other side
was written in q most gentlemanly
hand with q pencil:
III madame and mademoiselle will be
SO good, indeed, as to drink the contents
OF the bottle by the glassful at inter-
yais, they Will find no more NAL do
mer,
Maybe it's poison Mrs. Wallis
ecl1oessd. Int n ma ,narh1a al. S