Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-05-31
CHAPTER XIV.
On the Ocean queen.

The great steamship, the Ocean
Queen, was just swinging away. from
the docks. 1t was a gay, busy, vet
saddenihg scene.
Bright remnants fiuttered, from ev-
cry masthead; the uniforms of the
officers glittered in the. summer sun
light; the newly painted decks were
thronged with eager, excited groups,
laughing; chatting, signing, or weep.
ing. as their different circumstances
seemed to demand.
! Here merry party of tourists were
exchanging jests and badinage; there
mother chung to her sons neck, in
an agonized farewell. Here a gay
girl all smiles and dimples, was talk
ing her first rosetinted glance at the
great world of waters; there the shy
bride of a. few hours chung blushingly
to him with whom she had just COM
menced the unknown voyage IF life.
In a sheltered corner of the upper
deck a young girl-warmly wrapped in
shawls and protected by handsome
travelling rug, sat silent and alone, sur
veying the scene before her with sad
and thoughtful eyes.
Her glance wandered from group to
group, lingering on the sorrowinS
ones as if they alone awakened sym
pathy in her breast-passing by the
young and happy, as. if the sight Of
them held sting for her.
| Yet, as she looked around her. with
pity, sympathy, even tenderness. in
her gaze, an acute observer would
have noted her strange lack Of inter-
est in all she saw.
" Z he noble. bay. with its broad
cfN nf0t 0f {Hu a
lance; the sunlit slopes of emerald
shore around: the mighty city, en-
throned like an empress at the gate
way of nations. gathering in the trib-
ute swept by the girding river to her
and Of art spread, like a living piano.
rama. around her-might surely have
enkindled a look of. life and animation
in a face that lacked neither beauty
nor 'intelligence-in a face that few
would. have passed without pausing
fora second glance. "
Yet, young and lovely as was that
pallil countenance. there was a shad-
,ow. even as of death upon it's beauty
languer*~that was not WEAKNESS. q
stiffness that was not repose.
It was the look. of one who felt nei-
Their pain, nor care, nor sorrow, be-
cause the fire of tribulation had scared
her heart so deeply that it could feel
no more. -
"Ah ma chere. you are here still, and
safe.' said a brisk voice that startled
the ::pallid ,dreamer-if one can dream
when hope and love have fed. II
have had such a time settling our
trunks in that leetle cabin. Ma chere,
but lit is bijou Of place for so leetle
a; zone. All. but it's you Americans
who know how to make-eh, what you
call?-comfort-t make yourselves
comfortable. But monsieur was so
anxious about you that I must fly up
to your side. and see that his treasure
was safe and sound"
"Quite safe and quite comfortable,
dear madam" answered the young
girl with wan smile. Papa is too
anxious about me. This sunlight and
this sea breeze is delightful
''The wind is not too strong?" asked
the madam. who was buxom. bright
eyed little woman of about f1ve-and-
!. forty, whose attire bespoke her to be
son ething between companion and
a friend-such a travelling appendage,
in short. as motherless young girl
would require; on a continental tour.
/ ".Are. you quite sure the wind is not
too strong for you? All, mon Dieu!
if you have a, look so pale, so fragile
as Of lily that would break in too
rude blast!'
.."Ah, you mistake me altogether,
madam" was the half-sad answer.
ri am far stronger than you think me.
You know the lily often bends to the
very earth and does not break"
"Ah, yes!"-the madam shook her
head with dim comprehension Of the
simile-sbut you must neither bend
nor break. Will you not go in and
rest awhile? There is so much noise
and confusion out here. The turmoil
Of these emigres is vat you call head
splitting"
81 do not find it so" was the gentle
reply. Poor creatures, it is hard Tor
them to part"
"Ah. yes" answered the madam.
with shrug of her plump shoulders;
''it is. no doubt vera hard. l know
ven I first left my countrie how de
bitter tears flowed. wept-ah, mon
Dieu! how I wept! All, I was only
eighteen then and tears came freely.
We are wiser afterward-wiser and
harder. and colder. Mademoiselle is
l happy W nave uO ucuTl-UTedkS Ut
eighteen"
"Mcdemoiselle" sighed a very faint
sigh. like the zephyr of a desert where
there is neither leaf nor foweret TO
stir at it's breath.
do we grow so hard as we grow
4 old?' she asked, dreamily. "Does age
grow too callous to feel!''
"We CROMWELL. perhaps not so cold
as 80 WISE" answered the madam,
whose character for cheerful common
sense had been always her chief re-
commentator. 1--WE find 1t so foolish
1 to fret ut what we cannot help. And
we get ourselves so sore and weary
fretting that we learn to look for the
smoothest and easiest way. And we
lind II. perhaps" concluded the mad.
am. with her low. ripping little laugh.
and q glance at her own plump figure
1--we find 1t when we are fair. AND
/. fat and forty" s8s,'
"rhere are some who never find 1t. !
answered the girl, In low voice.
"sOme who sink striving to bear the
1 paln--some who"