Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-05-28
Wells and Miss Porter had tiptoed

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" 1t 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
tain was heard booming from the
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 1t. although they were hid
den from his view, he again made
that young lady the object of his
homage. She was at the moment
leaning over the rail, with Sandy by
her side, gazing at the dark blue,
beautiful waters that, flashing and
foam-crested, went sweeping beneath
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 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 stan 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 what was
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 1 do?" but that
matron was apparently engrossed in
a volume of Stevenson, and would not
be drawn into the matter, and finally
Marion caught Miss Porter's eve.
There, at least, was CLEAN Of en-
couragement 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 roommate.
and of late had been taking sides for
Marion against the jealousies of her
fellows.
"Why don't you go?" she muir
INJURED, with nod of her head to-
wards the stairs, and with slightly
heightened color Miss Ray smiled ac-
ceptance at the captain, and, follow
ing Sandy's lead through the laby-
rinth of steamer chairs about them.
tripped briskly away over the open
deck, and there, at the very foot of
the steep, ladder-like ascent, became