The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-08-26


ing down tho channel she at the compan
ion met and touched eyes, as 1t were, with
q man on tho same FURNISHED stair, She
drew in her toes and said half aloud, - felt
so sure il would be. !" We've met in-in-
another placer" he asked grayely. "Oh,
dear, mol I'm sure wo never have" sho
said decidedly and swept past him into tho
saloon But-so it happencd-thcy were
cast to tho captains table and allottod
consecutive seats. This was the beginning
of things.
Now, Irritation in towns is, on one or
other side, not above the constraining
touch of diplomacy. But on a ship (whcn
tho husband is fortnight ahead) cirCum-
stances are sadly plastic and manageable.
There flirror and fiirtee meet at all meals
and in between. After dinner in the
fore peak, strai1ing over the ships rail,
they watch the white moonlight strike the
ships bottom ard CLINT blunted from the
copper, or, leaning on the anchor, whisper
little things to the tinkle of the lady's
banjo. Yet later they may sit against the
wheel box, losing themselves in the utter
loneliness of it all, and, needless Of tho
brown little flying fish, dream of Puck
ana tho fairies. There is in these Circum-
stances, as they say in the law, difference
operative and material.
Let forget all about consequences and
husbands and all horrid things" she said
once as in white fluffy muslin thing she
sat by the aforesaid wheel box. " Ills the
divine right of queens" he answered
lightly. He was man who prided him
self on taking things as they came along
-morcies, great or small; leaves or crumbs
were all tho same to him.
Following II night across q card table
she in cross meaning arraigned him for
parsimony in parting with his hearts. SO
in the small hours he with an Industrious
pcnknife extracted all the hearts from the
pack. Heaping them into an envelope, he
sent them to the lady, quilting ON a visit
ing card the pretty paraphrasc, Take all
1.,y hearts, my love, oh, take them ALL
At Santa Cruz Holden came on board,
and his wife was gala gowned and delight
full. They art, drank and were glad until
they touched the trOpiC of Capricorn.
Then his wife got fever, common,
couch for u fortnight sort of thing, and,
full of signs and fury, was instantly quar-
antined to the ships hospital. Mathew,
the man, was nervous and sent messages,
but the husband sat by her side for many
hours, brought her contraband chocolates
and read her light verse i'll the language
OF France. On the third day she sat up
Httle and was merry.
1t was Sunday, and bedtime brought
Punishment for Holden, and he came on
deck. They were crossing the line, and
tho heat hung over them rs Il shroud. Aft
u trailing glory of phusphorCscent light
spread itself fanwise from the ships screw,
and over the ship from keel to truck whis-
mad the humming stiffness OF u troDic
night.
The ship was breathing heavily, as q
creature in pain. 1t lifted its great breast
to the atcrs and trumblcd like one who
would be free, but was held to bondage.
\ weeping, low set moon dropped its lips
to the night, tcnderly as mothers kiss.
In tho engine room the pumping sob Of
the piston rods beat out u music of misery,
and the tortured stokCrs lifted their hcav-
ing shoulders to the Girshatts and prayed
for death by freezing.
Holden crossed the main deck and took
the companion to the promenade. For
seven days in the tropics inGst of the men
sleep on the upper deck, the women in the
drawing rooms. HolyStoncd and ash white
in the moonlight, there was something so
eeric about this camp of silent forms that
shudderingly he picked his way to the taft
rail, bent his shoulders and wondered at
the waters.
There was Il cry from below, and he saw
the black shadow of man drop from tho
side like bag of sand, plunge and disap-
pear. On It 1loated in the wash-on to-
ward the screw. In the instant, with tight
hands, Holden leapCd the rail and fell
struggling into the water. NcWhiTtcr was
officer Oh the bridge He heard the dip of
the falling bodies, and the instinct of the
sailor told him tho cause. Springin& TO
the telegraph, he damned the handle 10
stop her." then dead across to Full
speed astern Along the ship sounded
TIE pipe of the boatswuin' S whistle and
the quick call of MAN overheard. On
poop and fore peak the watch caught tie
cry, and the frightened passengers, alert
from sleep, whispered and turned strained
eyes to the sea.
There WAS u hurrying to and fro. Low
er the gig" roarcd McWhirtcr. The boat
was lifted from the clocks, the men let 20
tho trigger, she swung out on her davits
and, with ropes long jawcd in the strain,
dropped like Il Swimming gull on the oily
water On the ship-so still it was-thcy
heard the croak of the whipping oars.
And the green starboard light glittCrcd as
an evil eye.
Holden, holding the man by the arm
pits, had spent his strength when the boat
reached them, and they We're dragged drip
ping across the gunwale. Plying oars
brought them to the ships side. After
ward on the deck the doctor demonstrated
the Sylvester method of resuscitation. The
rescued was promptly apprecfative and sat
up, calling for whisky, but for three hours
they worked on the obdurate rescucr I'M
til at the flood some show of life returned.
Although the adventure WAS entered in
tho logbook as ''rcgrettable accident, it
was in truth nothing of the sort. 1t was
the result Of that mad impulse, familiar
phenomenon to every sea captain, when
the sight of black water of 4 sudden stirs
the blood to the leap.
In the morning that followed Holden
sat up in his berth. From his portfolio he
watched the porpoises wallow and plunge
in the still sea. lnctfably weak with that
PROSTATE dropping weakness that comes Of
Il bad time in the water, he fell back at
last and slept. Later u deputation, COM
prising the second officer, the surgeon and
three picked passengers, waited Oh him.
" Mr.. i.oldcn," said the doctor, I've are
elected of the ship, which asks the honor
of your company at dinner tonight We
wish to drink your health, sir, and, If you
are well enough, have you drink your
own" Io looked down and thanked
them, said that, though he didn't quite
care about the business, ho'd DO amazingly
pleased to show up. mo oneW disturb
you again, said the doctor, SO pull your,
self together by s.
On the average of three in half an hour
he exchanged pcnciled notes with his wife.
Then the pencil broke down, and he
climbed from his berth to find another.
There are many bad places to find lead
pencils, but IA lady's chatelaine is one Of
the worst. His wife's was an arrangement
in steel and oxidized silver and from 1t
he unlocked Il dainty prong which after
much labor might make holes. Then, try
ing to rehang it, the whole affair dropped
from his fingers on to the boards. An en-
velopo Slipped from the needle pocket, scat
toring u shower of tiny red hearts, and up
permost in the center lay n gentleman j
visiting card. On the front was a line of
verse, on the back an original idea for
an appointment. 1t was engraved REG
inald Mathew and signed Reggie"
Ho poised tho card for "a time, wonder
ing; then n cold wind came into him, and
no understood.
Like tho first night at theater or tho