The Portland daily press., 1897-12-16

|
s>e VINO 1t was that cal ed him.
An, Miss MarstOn ~ said he, letting
IAN Uhe rope ring he was about to thow,
ana advancing towards her with his hand
TO MS cap: I" And how is your patient?"
He woke up now for tho first time. y
Az last then! l will come below and
see hi im'
DO is asleep again.
On, II that is SO then perhaps we had
better not disturb him. said the doctor.
Then gazing earnestly at her, he said,
You are looking pale. You must he
weary with your long watching. IL is
extremely charitable and good OF Won TO
have undertaken the nursing of the poor
fellow But you must also have some
regard for your own health, and my ad-
vice is that you now go to your cabin to
lie down. and. If possible, to get little
sleep. [ will look in upon the patient
myself from time to time"
II do feel rather tired, she answered,
"and think that will do as you sug-
gest.
The girl went below again, and the doc
tor resumed his game Of deck quoits
What a very pretty young woman Miss
Marston is, said the passenger with
whom he was playing
She is as good as she is pretty" re-
piled DIR. Collins, triumphantly planting
his grummet in ''bull," and giving a
little skip of satisfaction. For three
days and nights she has been almost
ceaselessly nurs1ng-or rather watching
the poor miserable fellow we picked up.
We're he her sweetheart she could not have
shown more devotion. OF all the ladies
In the ship she alone volunteered to un-
dertake the task, and right nobly has she
carried it out
Well, her time has been better spent
than In idle flirtations,' said the passen-
ger; a bluff old Sydney merchant, reputed
TO be worth half million sterling
What is carrying the girl to Australia,
I wonderf"
Sydney" replied the doctor. Captain
Sturgess, who is an old friend of her
fanily's, and under whose care she is
making the voyage, has told me her story
Captain Marston, her father, was a
sailor; he lost his life in memorable
wreck-I cannot recall the name of the
ship-whioh took place upon the Good
wins many years ago. Some months since
her mother died. The girl was an only
child, without relations of any sort in
England. She realized upon the little
property that was left to her, and is now
on her way to settle down with her aunt,
who, believe is widow living in Darl-
inghurst. I"
Unless she gets married, or rather en-
gagged to be married, before we arrive at
Sydney" said the passenger.
That seems scarcely likely" answered
DR.. Collins; although I wonder that
some of the young fellows amongst us
haven't made up to her long before this,
Tor, to my mind, she is decidedly the
prettiest woman in the ship"
Il suppose the young men miss in her
those very qualities the absence of which
makes her the more pleasing to my way
n III coiI hn SrIr
/ mean to say that she is not in the least
given to coquetry, like those two Miss
Gordons, for Instance" he checked him.
self with hasty look round to see wheth-
er any OF the passengers on deck were
within earshot; then finding the poop in
his neigh borhood WAS clear, so that there
was no chance of his being overheard, he
continued: "There is no doubt about 1t
Miss Marston is a. most fascinating young
lady. Now what would you fancy is her
age?'
The doctor stared at him, and answered
with laugh. "Why, really, Mr.. Brymer
shall begin to more than suspect you of
little weakness in that quarter
The Sydney gentleman shrugged his
shoulders and carelessly cast his quoit.
''Not hut that it would be a very par
donable predilection,' went on DR..
Collins. "Well, happen to know her
| age, for Captain Sturgess has told me.
! Let it 90 no further, sir-it Is ungallan!
to discuss a woman 8 years-Miss Marston
is two-and twenty"
mot more?" cried Mr.. Brymer, with
some surprise, and degree of warmth
that WAS as good as betraying his real
sentiments.
= = did you take her to be older, then?''
said the doctor.
ST shall answer you with 'tu quo.
QUE, - replied the hearty Australian
laughing. "It Is ungallant to discuss q
woman's years. But in sober truth ]
should have put her down at about five
or six-and- twenty. The development OF
her figure, her air of maturity, and what
the French call 'savoir faire-''
"Game!' shouted DIR. Collins, as his
ring alighted upon a square, the number
| in which completed the winning score.
"And now l think I will just run below
| for a few minutes to take a peep in uron
the patient, and see how he is doing.''
He passed through the saloon, quietly
opened the door of the cabin in which tn
sick man was, and entered. Stepping
close to the hunk, he bent over the pale,
hollow face which lay upon the pillow,
and CROPPED for the wrist of the slumberer
that he might feel his pulse. This move
ment awakened him. He opened wide
his large, black. lustreless eyes. and
stared wildly up at the doctor.
An! Sftlu tilS IlculCdi IudU, lightly
brushing the hair from off the patients
brow. awake at last And how dc
you feel now?"
: He made--no reply..for a little time, and
then presently answered feebly. "Have
been Ill? Where am I?'
"Cannot you recollect anything?"
The poor fellow frowned up at the cell.
ing, then broke into meaningless smile
and shook his head.
sOh, it will all come baok..to you pres
entity said DR.. Collins, oheerfully
"You have gone through a bad time-s
terrible time. But that is past now, anc
you are getting better"
"This room seems to keep moving III
and down. said the patient, smoothinf
| the coverlet with his thin white hands.
'tWe1l, so it is. You are not in room
but in a cabin on board ship, and she i,
pitching q good deal. -
t'On beard ship-a ship?" The wort
seemed to awaken some responsive choro
of memory, for he repeated it severa
times looking anxiously and lnquiringl,
at the doctor. "Who brought me here?'
he enquired.
"Now, listen. and attend to what an
going to say" said DR.. Collins, takips
his hand and talking 0uistly and cootb