The Lewiston teller. (Lewiston, Idaho) 1900-1905, 1902-05-22
A. Singular Episode.

VT when | first saw her. 1t was
u lovely June day, aud we were
SHINING along through silky blue wa
cav below sky frescoed here and
,,,are with little fantastic pearly
.,ouds like flocks of vagrant swans.
rhere were not many passengers. and
none of them knew.
pu, all seemed as gay as the wealth
er-all save her. She sat on deck. nav
,,o chosen one of its rear wooden
benches.
Her dress was very simple: some
thing white cleaned at her throat. and
browns and blacks vested her slender
frame
She might have been FIVE and twen-
~ but YOU had to scan well the wan
dclicacy of her face before you quite
decided that suffering alone must have
made her seem older.
Both dark. gloved hands rested in her
lap. She appeared perfectly needless
of everything about her.
She had the most beautiful eyes |
have ever seen-large and gray and
fathomless; they glorified her face. and
they were infinitely pensive.
1t shot through my mind: How
many tears they must have wept!"
They looked straight ahead. too. plain
" seeing nothing of the jocund and
scintillant sea that frOnted them.
wondered If other people would no
tice their hopeless and helpless gaze.
Unconsciously and with a simplicity
that pierced my soul. she appealed to
me In terms of absolute despair.
Every line Of her figure, too. accord
ed. by some mysterious sympathy. with
this rapid impression of her wretched-
ness.
Till nightfall she sat there. immov-
able. The faultless weather continued
There was no moon, but the starlight
shone almost vivid enough to mimic
one, and kept getting glimpses Of her
fixed, cOlorless face, which now haunt
ed me more and more.
Often since that night have been al
sea, and never do l hear the peculiar
harmonious kissing and rushing sound
which vessel gives when 1t sails
through placid stretches of ocean. with
out memories Of those desolated fea
lures, that plaintless vet woe-begone
air
Meanwhile had got to know a GER
Of how this lady's evident misery had
touched me. He was Frenchman
who gave me his name as Guijean, q
dapper little person, with forid cheeks
big curvilinear mustaches and teeth
sparkling white.
He spoke English with great fluency
and could readily believe him wher
he informed me that he had mastered
several other tongues.
''She is evidently most unhappy
woman" he had told me. after having
glanced, during the afternoon, at this
forlorn object of my sudden and acute
sympathy.
Something in his tone made me star
and clasp his arm. felt certain, jus
from those few words. that she wa'
now the object of his sympathy. no lesi
than mine.
In d rich, intuitive fash. l felt mor'
that he, whoever he was, had a IN
ture amply receptive to compassion.
II have crossed before on this line.
he said, after the tragic stranger. wh'
now equally concerned us both. had de
parted from her shadowy lodge below
the huge smOkestacks and their con
comitant masses Of iron equipment
and while the bland marine June star
seemed to drop lower like mellowini
fruit from invisible boughs. Frankly
have grown to dislike our captain
very much; he Is man Of hard, harsl
dispositions; he IL capable Of cruel acts
II know that on this same ship h
has committed several which hav
made him unpopular both among hi
fellow officials and the common sailor
beside. But the second officer, MI
Gladwyn. Is of a widely different type
OF him will make certain inquiries
and join you later"
And later. that same evening. MOI
sieur Guijean did Join me, In the smoh
Ing room.
'Gladwyn tells me-" he said. ''tha
she has registered simply as Mr.
Verschoyl. She has cabin all to he1
self. and neither he nor any one els
knows the faintest item concerning he
As we have observed. she has not "
appeared in the dining room. and sine
her retirement into lower quarters sl
has given no order whatever to any {
the servants"
This information reached me at abo,
o o'clock.
Before 10, while sat with novel