Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1899-06-15
CHAPTER |.

| ed me 10y one Of the native boys en-
| rloyed 10y the club.
Ii Was such q thorough surprise that
| for several moments | did not realize
| the position in which II placed me.
had been the eastern representative OF
Lantine a Company for over twoyears,
and, although my savings had disap-
| peared through IA series of ill-ndvised
investments, INV position seemed such
a secure one that money matters sell
dom trpu5lcd me. Now. however.
after drawfrS from the Manila bank
ing and shippisy fouse the amount
mentioned in tae ,"S2atch. my entire
capital consisted of scmet. ing less
| than three hundred dollSrs, and | had
no idea which Nay 10 look FOR employ
ment.
Two of the leading Manila merchants
happened Ia he in the club al the time,
and, after canrelirg the purchases
had made from them on behalf of my
house, , cahied to Hong Kong and
Shanghai in the hope OF heading of
shipments ordered there during the
previous month. Then, driving TO my
hotel in Rinondo-the Oriente-I set
tied matters as far as lay in my power,
and was ready Tor dinner before eight
O'Clock.
| The Oriente. beirg new and pro-
gressiye, sets one OF the best tables in
the ensi. and. as experience with orien-
tai life brings the conviction that
neither hurry nor worry is con-
iucive to good heath, took my time
over the meal. Then. lighting a che
root, | walked down the Escolta as
far as the ruen'e d'Espana which con-
meets Binondo with the old walled cit
ldel OF Manila. and, leaning against
the haud-rail under n solitary electric
light, watched the canoes and bancos
On the Pasig while tried TO do n little
| figuring as TO my immediate prospects.
Three hundred dollars would land me
in New York by careful management,
hut there uas no certainty of employ
ment when ! reached there; and the
other foreign houses were so well rep
resented between Yokohama and
Singapore that an immediate opening
in the east seemed unlikely.
AT first could think of nothing but
my uncomfortable predicament. But
| after awhile tn. influence OF good
i. Sinner and llA-->oniLins- qualities. Of
the climate began to make themselves
felt. found myself watching the
motley crowd of all nationaiities
which passed aud repassed across the
bridge. the crowds Of laughing Mrstiya
and Nisaya girls strolling along
through the Paseo to hear the military
band At Luneta. groups OF Cinnamon
Numbering about after the days bust
aess, and Spanish officers driving in
rarromatas with the ladies of their
families. Down the river were rows OF
| small coasiing steamers and briggs,
each spar aud funnrl outlined distinct
~ by electric lights on the quays: be-
yond them. rel spark from the light
house upon the northern mole, and
scattered lights from larger vessels
which lay at anchor two or three miles
out in the bay.
While watching these. noticed n
government launch coming up the
river. The lan!ing .ieps of tho quay
were bui a few 4 Icts below the bridge
aud ! could easily see the faces of two
men IS ,hry stepped ashore from her
They we're bo'h strange to me. but
| there WAS something about the walk
Of one which s"em'd familiar. pre-
sumo M, own face must have been dis
tinct, a. leaned over the rail, for the
man glanced s-archIngiy at me ms he
climbed TO the street level. At first he
turned aud walked away several steps,
evidently under the impre ssion that he
had made a mistake, then came back,
as il to cross the bridge in front of me-
We looked each other in the eye for
second: then he stopped. and said:
IF you're not Harry Stevens. Of New
York. I've made the biggest mistake Of
ny life.
grasped the ouistretched ha nd nd
began 10 see something familiar be-
hind TIE brown ard
ayes. I'm Harry Stevens. but--hold
on n min Itc Weren't You with the
| Oceanic Steamship company. several
years ago? by Jove! II can't be Dick
Halstead? What? Well. I'm blessed!
Where on earth did you drop from?
you have changed. and no mistake"
Possibly. Hut you haven't. old
chap; Id know you anywhere. Say,
look here, we've got a heap TO talk
about; come up to the club No. never
mind the carromata; it's cooler on the
river. Well go up in The launch"
"But-how the deuce? ! thought
abe belonged TO 'he government"
That's right. So do !. for the pres
emit" We had taken our seats in the
stern, and were gliding up the motion
less stream. 1--we been In command of
that tramp, the Countess of Devon, for
over a year-you see her lights out
there. two miles from the mole-and
the biggest stakeholder in the COM
! pany that owns her Is old Leon
Ramirez. Of Liverpool and this place
So when the Isla de Ponape, that used
to carry mail TO the Carolines and
Ladrones, ran ashore on Espiritu
Sanfo, Ramirez chartered the Countess
to the government here until the com
panis could spare another Of their own
boats with big enough coal capacity TO
make the "trip. That was last Septem-
Der. and they manage things so slowly
that I'm still running supplies out to
those islanders, once in three months.
with a Scotch engineer and Spanish
crew. connecting with the Messageries
boats at Saigon the rest of the time
Now tell me under what the canopy
brings you out here"
Business, of course; YOU didn't
think I was travelling on my money,
did you? I've been buying China
goods, assorted devils. and Manila mat
ling for Lantine & Co. bout two years.
;'p TO three O'Clock this afternoon
'-pected TO keep on buying them until
my liver refused TO stand the china te,
but about that time this ca bic changed
my plans for me." Halst-ad looked
thoughtful a. be read the message