The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-02-21

room and out of sight of everyone; Of
everyone except the firm of Arthur & Co.,
Tor those young partners now hung about
the stern and watched and Whispered.
They afterward considered themselves
well rewarded for their pains.
In the afternoon Harold Baddington was
hurrylng along the deck to get a rug and a
book for the girl he had fascinated, when he
saw Miss buchanan standing by the ships
rail amIdshps. She glanced at him in
way that she had not done, think, even
once before during the voyage; in peculiar
way; way you could not even mention in
a court of law under the rules governing
evidence; and yet, it was way which
might easily produce the most important
episode in human life. The difference
between 1t and the ordinary glance of a
woman was as great as that-and vet it
was SO slight a difference as to be all but
understandable. Indeed, she might have been
barely conscious of her own act until She
saw Its effect upon him, for he stopped, in
spite of his hurry and lounged up to the rail
peside her. In five minutes he had told
her something of his great wealth. AMI She
was encouraging his mood with close atten.
tlon and certain familiar and free line of
comment and by-play of words, of which
she proved herself an easy mistress.
Two hours later, the little semi-motherless
maiden who had sent him for her book and
rug was posted thirty yards further along
the deck beside the same rail, looking now
into the sea and now at the merry couple.
with face so troubled that it could scarcely
be believed to be the same that She had
carried, radiant and glorious, only short
time before.
Were the ship cinematographed all the
way to Gibraltar, that same scene would be
repeated uninterruptedly to the end. There
would be variations, but only of minor
sort; Often Harold Baddngton and Miss
Buchanan sat in their chairs close together
and only the backs of their heads visible.
at the tar end Of the little frequented hurr-
ean zane, deck Then the languishing country
maid sat at the near end with her book
closed on her lap, stealing glanees in their
ulreetlon. Often, also, the picturesque pair
$1,000 IN the stern or at the rail, PLAYED at
quoltS together, or sat side by side where
the people were thickest on the main deck.
tie was forever talking in low tone; she
was as constantly laughing, a trihe loudly.
And always. like the Deaths head at Ro.
man feast, or grim cartoon by Dore at the
end OF chapter, the country miss urked
near misery personitied, daily growing
more naggard-a spectacle to waken pity in
barye bronze.
Miss Buchanan still pursued her share of
the sports competitions, took her part in the
concerts and dances, and in every way kept
up her position as one OF the charter mem
bers, SO to speak, of the lively, club-like
company. Something different, however,
might have been noticed in her manner
toward the invalid missionary. She invited
less good counseling, and spoke of her
self faint little bit more unworthiIv. Her
visits, too, were fewer and shorter.
You've only to follow your best i'm
pulses, " the invalid said one day, when she
was at her favorite pastme Of planning the
other young woman's future; "pursue YOUR
acquaintance on deck, take up music or
painting in London, for which YOU are in
tllned, and keep in touch with these new
friends. Then if anything goes amiss or
you need help, come 10 me, won't you, dear,
at the address | have given YOU, our mis-
sionary headquarters1 will see to it that
you get the money to come to me wherever
lmay be.
"Ah," said Miss Buchanan, with some
thlng too suggestive OF a softened Snarl,
you don't understand. Those women
on deck are like Freemasons. Some day
they will ask me for their password-my
pedigree, mean-or they'll get suspicious,
ana then y II all have been for nothing.
Tell you, u no use. After we leave this
ship it will be best that You don't think any
more about me.r
She even made an effort to change her
relation toward Mrs. Knight. One dav.
allef long t6if-d-tfit with Baddington, she