The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1901-10-11

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he longed to look at her, yet could
not. Sturgis had said he would re-
turn in few minutes, and he hadn't
come. Stuyvesant felt aggrieved. It
would be high noon before many
minutes. Already the ship officers
were on the bridge ready to take
the sum-" and mess-call for the men
was sounding on the lower decks. He
would give fortune, thought he, to
feel once more that cool, soft, slen-
der little hand on his forehead.
There were other hands, some that
were certainly winter than Miss
Rays, and probably quite as soft and
cool, hands that before the report of
his slur upon the Red Cross would
gladly have ministered to him, but
he shrank from thought of any touch
but one. He would have given an
other fortune, if he had it,, could
Marion Ray but come and sit by him
and talk in her cordial, pleasant
tones. There were better takers,
wittier, brighter women within hail
women who kept their hearers laugh
ing much of the time, which Miss Ray
did not-yet he shrank from the pos
sibility of one of their number ac-
costing him.
Twice he was conscious that DIR.
Wells and Miss Porter had tiptoed
close and were peering interestedly
at him, but he shut his eyes and
would not see or hear. He did not
''want to be bothered" it was only
too evident, and as the ships bell
chimed the hour of noon and the
watch changed, his .would-be visitors
slipped silently away and he was
alone.
When the doctor came cautiously
towards him a few minutes later,
Stuyvesant was to all appearances
sleeping, and the "medico'' rejoiced
in the success of his scheme. When,
not five minutes after the doctor
peeped at him, the voice of the cap
bridge just over the patients pill
lowed head, it developed that the pa
tient was wide awake. Perhaps what
the captain said would account for
this.
A dozen times on the voyage that
mariner had singled out Miss Ray for
some piece of attention. Now, de-
spite the fact that almost the entire
Red Cross party were seated or
strolling or reclining there under the
canvas awning and he must have
known it, although they were hid
den from his view, he again made
that young lady the object of his
homage. She was at the moment
Loo he n
her side, gazing at the dark blue.
beautiful waters that, flashing and
foam-crested, went sweeping beReath
her. The monarch of the ship. stand
ing at the outer end of the bridge,
had caught sight of her and gave
tongue at once. A good seaman was
the captain and a stalwart man. but
he knew nothing of tact or discre-
ton.
"Oh, Miss Ray" he bawled. "come
upon the bridge and I'll show you
the chart. Bring the lieutenant"
For an instant she hesitated, re-
luctant. Not even the staff of the
commanding officer had set foot on
that sacred perch since the voyage
began. Only when especially hidden
or at boat or fire drill did that mag
nate himself presume to ascend
| those stairs. AS for her sister nurses,
though they had explored the lower
regions and were well acquainted
with the interior arrangement of the
Sacramento, and were consumed with
curiosity and desire to see whatswas
aloft on the hurricane-deck, the stern
prohibition still staring at them in
bold. brazen letters: Passengers are
Forbidden upon the Bridge had
served to restrain the impulse to
! climb
And now here was Capt. Butt
singing out Miss Ray again and ig-
noring the rest of them. If she could
have found any reasonable excuse for
refusing Maidie Ray would have de-
clined. But Sandy's eyes said:
"Come." Butt renewed his invita-
ton. She turned and looked appeal
ingly at Mrs. Wells, as, though to
say: "What' shall Isdo?" but that
matron was apparently engrossed in
volu.ne of Stevenson, and would not
be drawn into the matter, and finally
Marion caught Miss Porter's eye.
There, at least, was a CLEAN. of en-
enlargement and sympathy. I'm
pulsive and capricious as that young
woman could be on. occasions, the
girl had learned to appreciate the
genuine qualities of her room-mate,
and of late had been taking sides for
Marion against the jealousjes Of her
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