The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-05-08
He Wished She Had
! y BY GWENDoLEN oVERToN. y

A Tale of Disappointed Love.

| vicar on earth in the matchmaking
business, had not had time to observe
and distribute fittingly, SO they sat
! wherever they listed or wherever they
had to, which for Brooke was across
/ the table and not even opposite to her.
He bowed as he took his seat, and he
bowed when he whirled around and got
up, and for the rest they both convers-
ed with each other via the captain
That evening Brooke went into the
purser's cabin to look at some pearls
tied up in the corner of a grimy hand
kerchief. He did not understand that
pursers see everything and do not need
to be taught their business. Brooke
was one of those pleasant people to
have about who go on the supposition
that you are a fool until you prove
yourself otherwise, which is a rule of
conduct having the properties Of a
boomerang. So he brought the CONVEX
sation round in this wise: He asked If
they were likely to have pleasant
trip. The purser said that they usual
| ly did at that time of year. Brooke
hoped the passengers would be agree
able too. The purser thought the Far
rars looked promising. Brooke thought
so, too. and added, 81 say, you're 60
ing to put me beside Miss Farrar, are
you mott" He said that he was, and
Brooke Immediately lost all interest in
the little nicked nubbins of pearls and
went back on deck, where it was cool,
and the purser smiled as he locked his
treasures in the safe again.
Brooke came in to breakfast little
late the next morning. Miss Farrar
was already seated, looking particu-
larly nice, too, in what is known. to
men as "some soft, white material"
with a gaudy silk Panama shawl
around her shoulders. The intelligent
waiter showed Brooke to the next
chair Miss Farrar asked him to ex-
plain why it is that the sun rises on
the wrong side Of the world in Panama
bay, which gave him the requisite
feeling of superiority. at once. He did
not happen to know that it did, be-
cause he had not been up to see, but
he explained it, anyway. After break
fast he bought her aguacats from
the bumboats alongside and told her
he would show her at luncheon how to
eat them. She knew, but she pretend
ed she did not, and Brooke's opinion of
her attractions waxed.
After that the course of things in
general was as smooth as that of the
vessel as it cut its way statesward
through the pale summer sea. By day
they sat under the awnings and talked,
and by night they sat up in the bow,
way up in the very peak, where, If
ion of yourself-and girl Of excellent
taste to help you along-you could
fancy you rather suggested Tristan,
which-thrown In a good cigar, whose
red point of fire gives just enough
light in darkness to enable you to see
pair of admiring gray eyes turned up
to you-is as pleasant way of passing
an evening as a fellow could wish.
They sometimes watched the Southern
Cross shining all alone on Its field OF
blue black, sweeping across the heav-
ems, and they were silent. Silence and
the Southern Cross have accomplished
many things.
They went ashore together at Mama
Milo, also at Acapulco, and, they two
being alone in the boat, the elderly gen
tleman having gone ashore ahead and
the beautiful Mexican youth who rowed
not counting, he sang softly that 1.-THE
waves were the highways, so deep, SO
deep; the waters her byways, asleep,
asleep" and ended with the sentiment
that thus true lovers tasted life, Stall,
Stall" He had very nice voice. Miss
Farrar told him so and wondered how
much longer. at the average calcula-
ton, it would be before it would come
down from generalities to PERSONAL
ties; not that she was in any haste.
On the contrary, she liked it as it was.
What could be more charming than to
drift on over the smooth water, faint
est blue in the early morning, deep
blue, dark as lapis lazuli at noon; steely
gray at sunset. .atire with phosphores-
renee at night, and to have ever beside
you a youth, handsome, agreeable and
devoted with that devotion most fiat
tering to a woman's soul-the proprie-
tary, everybody else keep off sort!
youth always perfectly willing to let
you talk about him or to do it himself.
Miss Farrar knew all about Brooke,
not only what he had told her, but
what she had observed which latter
Brooke did not take into consideration,
though 1t was important. She knew
who he was and that he had been down
In Quito for the past two years and
that he was now going up to San Fran
cisco to be best man for his chum, who
was about to be married. ''It's an old
promise" he explained, dating from
our college days. We agreed then that
whichever should marry first the other
should come from the ends of the earth,
If necessary, to see him through. Tom
sent for me, and here 1 am" Miss Far
rar asked what Toms other name
might be. 1t was Bolton. Brooke for
got about himself just long enough Il
ask if she happened to know Bolton,
but he did not listen when she answer
ed. He interrupted to wonder If he
would have a good time in San Fran
cisco. What sort of town was it for
fellow who didn't know many peo-
pie? Miss Farrar explained amiably.
Now, every one knows that the pleas
ATTEST and most fitting occupation a
woman can have is to talk to a man
about himself, because that makes him
like her. which is, of course, her one
object in life. But even charming
girl who understands her place in the
scheme of creation, has an underlying
! human taste for just pinch of va
riety. Miss Farrar would have liked
to have him show some interest in her
self as disconnected from him for just
five short minutes. Brooke did not
think Of that. He went on to tell her
something that had happened between
Tom and himself at college, something
In which he figured rather more cred
itably than Tom did. And she listen
as she watched the delicate yellow
coast of Lower California, forsaken Of
/ God and man, of all but the sweeping
1 winds and the whipping waves of the
sea. She listened, for she never failed
| of seemly interest In what fellow
was saying. but she. was. thinking OF