The times., 1901-03-17

parture. Mrs. Cairns tossed the letter
/ aayly to her husband and watched him
/ as he read 1t.
Isabel nodded. Cairns said no more, but
gave her back Wiuifreds s letter and
plunged IN to the perusal of legal look
ing document which had been delivered
at the same time. II was. in fact. a sub
pOena TO appear as witness fOF the de-
tendaut Captain Dunstone, In a cose IN
which the plaintiff. an \. B-, reduced 70
the ordinary rating for sheer. incompe-
! tency sued to recover full wages for the
voyage completed by the Venture. 81
they can't do without me- he said.
frowning. and pulling his fair beard,
( "and ali through that longshore swab
who palmed himself off on the skipper for
/ a seaman. I've got TO leave you, Isabel,
and go up to London
oh" she cried, with a dismaYed In
tonation. How long shall you be away
About four days answered. Cairns.
drawing her hand about his neck.
And / shall be all alone," said his
wife.
Cant lee helped" he commented. Then
lis knitted brow cleared After all. my
Eirl ii isn't though the sailing OF the
Venture meant our parting. Aou.u have
had enough OF may company by the time
we raech Jamaica. Perhaps. before We
sight the western peak of those Blue
Mountains I've told you about you'll be
crying: Why did / marry me?-like the
girl in the country song
But the joke was lost on Isabel
"Oh, Jem,' she uttered with gasp,
and a look of fear rose into her eyes:
If anything should part MS ! should
never know a happy hour again
1t seemed To Cairns. as he kissed her
gOod-by ot the garden gate ON the morn
ing of the day on which he went up to
I.ordon that never any man had had So
beautiful or So fond wife before lie
was religious in a simple way. as he
looked up at the bright june SKY over
head he pulled off his hat ana thanked
God for the gift Of Isabel.
Judge how the languid air and bewI-
define confusion of the court of law
agreed with this man. lie lost flesh and
color in the three days that were occu-
pied by the lawsuit. When the train that
was to carry him home rolled out of the
station Ms spirits revived and rose with
every dozen miles. For one thing. he
was several hours to the good he was
going to surprise Isabel by coming sick
on the Thursday evening instead of the
Friday afternoon. lie purpo9ely had alb
stained from telling her. in order to en-
joy her rapture of delight at seeing him
unexpectedly. The man was, as you Will
perceive smpleton. In all the years
that he had gone to and fro upon the sea
he had seen much but learned nothing
of the world.
The salt smell of the sea came 10 his
nostrils, and the grey marshes and mud
dy Aats, with the CLEAN OF StlVery grey
beyond. gave place to Grimport railway
station, with a forest OF masts sticking
up beyond the tidal river bridge and the
docks His new mate was getting the
cargo. one of beer and aerated waters
into the Venture. The painters and
giIderS had done their work upon the
cabin and stateroom; the uphOlsterers
were putting on the finishing touches: In
six days more the Venture would be
worked out of dock into the tideway;
then another night at anchor. heaVlng III
the pale yeasty surges. and with the
green break of day the Venture would
SAIL and hey for life upon the salt ocean