Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-12-13
CHAPTER XVIII.
PORT SAID.

the young lady with the beautiful eyes.
and charming she looked as she walk
ed through the saloon In company with
an older woman, a widow. to judge by
her costume, and probably her mother.
ExquiSitely sweet and cool In her soft
creamy gown looked the younger wom-
an as she sat amid so many black
coats, and her advent was like a breath
OF fresh air In a tropical city. noticed
that a big military looking man who
sat next to her was prodigiously at
tentive, and insensibly I grew antago-
nistic toward him. Like a Jealous wo-
man, began to pick him to pieces. and
as he was by no means fiawless had
what he might have called field day.
l wondered what relation be bore to
her and almost shuddered as thought
OF husband. You see, was young and
had an idea that married folk should
more or less be physically matched.
Unconscious Of my thoughts, the gal
liant gentleman made himself eminent
~ agreeable all through dinner, and
though I was too far away to hear
what he said saw by the looks Of
those about him that he was evidently
person with a considerable fund Of
humor. Not that the girl laughed much.
though he seemed to address his re-
marks to her in particular. Occasion
ally smile fitted over her face, fu-
gitive thing that vanished so swiftly 1t
might have been afraid to be found
there. Watching her intently and judg-
Ing from the start she gave when sud-
denly appealed to, l knew her mind
was preoccupied with something other
than the chatter about her. Indeed
the melancholy which I had already
noticed, the startled, frightened look OF
the eyes, proclaimed the existence Of a
thought which could not be forgotten.
After dinner the sound of singing led
me TO the music room, and as L lounged
In the doorway l beheld the military
looking man singing to the girls &C
compartment The ballad was extreme
~ touching and described with much
protestation the fact that the young
gentleman would be "true till death"
.Ihe singer put a power Of pathos into
declaration and glsrced down at
the gffi with the ardor of a 3-year-old.
but his face was very red. his voice no
longer that of impassioned youth. She
never looked up, which was exceeding
ly unkind. The raising Of her thickly
fringed lids would have revealed be-
wildering world OF loveliness to her
admirer. 1t would have made him
protest until there was no more
breath In his body. Besides, il is so
easy for woman to look up from n
piano, flash dazzling glance at be-
wildered man and then leave him Ia
the outer gloom of darkness and doubt.
And don't the dear creatures know
how TO do 1t to protection?
Being a stranger on board and re-
garded no doubt as something In the
nature OF an intruder, the first day
was productive OF little information
concerning my fellow passengers, but
on the second day, thanks to the gar.
rulousness of an old gentleman who,
ike many old gentlemen, had made his
neighbors' affairs the business Of his
declining years, learned all wished
to know, which, after all, was not
much and chiefly concerned two people
the girl with the pale, pensive face
and the man with the warlike mus.
tache. She, 1 was relieved TO know.
was not his wife, but q young Aus.
fralian girl Miss Hurst by name wht
was returning home with her mother.
The mother was the old lady in black
who sat next to her at dinner-awfully
sad story. Came home for a pleasure
"trip and lost Mr.. Hurst shortly after
landing. The military looking gentle.
man with the red face was Major
Coghlan, retired-awfully brilliant
Shouldn't wonder IL there's wedding
when we get to Melbourne And sc
on and so on.
Somehow the major did not seem
such formidable creature after this,
though he discoursed wars with all the
hero's disdain of death and banded
the names of distinguished generals
with the easy familiarity of an equal
He knew everything and everybody.
and, with the natural garrulity Of an
Irishman, he did not hide his accom-.
plishments, though he might have left
one wondering how such a very ex.
traordinary person was permitted to
retire from service which he did sc
much to adOrn. Alas, a prophet hath
no honor in his own country
/ can afford to treat the major lightly
now, but then he was person of some
consequence in our little floating world
man who TUX the flure' and made
himself heard. over concert, theat
ricals or ball he was the presiding gen.
ius. He promoted sweepstakes on the
days run, got up cricket matches and
tennis parties and, like the gentleman
in the comic opera, was Lord High
Everything.
Such greatness / did not envy him
for there are still few positions which
one may not aspire to, but 1 strongly
objected to his taking possession OF
Miss Hurst every time she appeared
on deck and behaving as though he
were the only worshiper fit TO approac'
the shrine. l am not ashamed to ad
nit that the lady interested me greatly
and | was not content with a bow and
a smile and few words rrorniscnousIx