The Portland daily press., 1897-12-18
CHAPTER ".
OMAN OVERBOARDr"

The memoryless stranger, who became
known on board the StrathnaiTn by the
name which Miss MarstoD had given
him, Mr.. Chalres Rawlings, made rapid
progress towards recovery when once he
began to Quit his cabin, and be frequent
ly upon deck to breathe the fresh air.
The ocean breeze is a noble 1nVlgorator,
and within q week from the time OF his
first appearance on the poop, as related
in the foregoing chapter, MIR. Rawlings
was promenading the pianks with as nrIn
a tread as the best of the passengers, and
daily showing signs OF returning
strength bySthe filing out of his face, the
Frightening of his eyes, and the many
other little indications which mark the
progress from conValegcence to the resto-
ration of health. His mind, however,
still renamed the same sheer blank; new
er once did the feeblest gllmmer OF reco!-
lection dawn upon the obscurity which
clouded his memory.
He was. as Las been already said, a
singularly handsomeeman; tall OF stature
and very dark, with an expression or
countenance that appealed to all the
young ladies in tho snip as cuI1ously In
terestiig IN +accountsof shade OF 1nelan-
tscholy which habitually SAT upon MS nne
features He seemed in general TO rather
shun the society of the passengers, and
usually withdrew to some quiet. unfre-
oueDted mart Of the deck, where he would
oyerharg the bulWarks, motionless as q
statue, staring down at the passing water
with fixity of gaze which was eloquent
OF the fierce involuntary conflict, that was
perpetually going on WITHIN ms aLial
But one person there was on board whose
company was ayneyer failing source Of
pleasure to him, and 3that WAS Miss Mars
ton. It may be that he was. attracted TO
her by gratitude for her watohfulness
over him whilst he .Hgas 1nsenslble' ana
her solicitude and kindness when he lay
in his berth helpless man, after con-
eciousness had returned. She, on her part
seemed to lose no opportunity of being
with him as frequently as possible. For
hours, during those bright, windy Gays,
when the noble ship, under swelling
breasts Of canvas, with the foam roaring
to her hawsepipes, was running GOWN
her easting,p would they pace the poop
together, or lean against the rail, side by
side, talking of such things as the blind
memory of the man enabled him to con-
verse about The people on board COM
mented upon it; the manlmas with SYM
pathetic approval. their daughters with
knowing and mysterious looks, and the
few inevitable disappointed spinsters, go,
ing out to the colony ina spirit of forlorn
hope, with expressions OF disccncerted
acfdity. It proved an ever-failing topic
of interest on board to speculate upon the
probable history of Mr.. Charles Raw
lings. Was he a married man? Was he a
man of property? Was he not possibly a
person of considerable distinction-a
young nobleman, maybe? Who could tell?
His lnien and air of breeding were GER
tainly sufficient to justify any theory of
dignity that might be advanced concern
ing his antecedents. So monotonous is
lite at sea that it was positive boon to
the passengers of the Strathnairn to have
such a fruitful subject of conversation as
was afforded by their convictions and
doubts. their ideas and suspicious con-
psrnipe the stranger who had suddenly
come amongst them out of the very heart
Of the deep.
1t was Sunday morning, little more
than three weeks after the Strathnairn
had rounded the soutbernmost headland
of the African continent. Sydney was
not yet to be thought of as within less
than months sail, for the ship had
though she encountered one spell of fresh
uartering winds, which had enabled
Ger to sweep through the blue brine IN
l.