Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-08

II was concert night" on the steamship
st. John homeward bound from Southamp-
ton. and the grand saloon was filled with
passengers listening to the struggles of an
impromptu quartet.
In the shadow of the aftercabin, whence
the music came family to their ears, min
gled with the splashing of waves, Mr.. Ger
aid Stanley sat talking with a girl. She
was a very pretty girl, as the faint star
shine showed and what was more, she was
The Girl as far as Stanley was concerned.
He had been conscious of that fact from
the moment he saw her come aboard four
days before.
AS for her, she had just heard him tell
her so. and as she remained in her place 1t
is to be presumed she took it not unkindly.
Now they were discussing the great wonder
of it all and diving darkly into the future.
''Ah but mamma will never consent
never" Miss Ethel Higgins was saying, at
least not until the count is out of the way.
Count l don't believe he is any count
He's probably bogus.
oh he's a count all right Mamma look
ed him up in the Almanach de Gotha. De
Brissic is one of the oldest names In
France
ANY one can take a name. Names are
cheap enough. l know the fellows mere
fortune hunter.
But now Gail you pIONt AZ
won't hear word against him, even from
me-and YOU know she wouldn't believe you.
I'm afraid mamma doesn't like you very
well. She doesn't know you as do.
mo, she doesn't show any extreme pleas
ure in my presence; and she'd like me less.
] suspect if she knew what l intend to
take from her one OF these days. l sup
pose l ought to tell her.
NO, it would only mean an awful row,
and l should be forbidden ever to see you
again. She's set her heart on my marry
ing the count. and l half thought l would
once-but now-I hate him. No, we've got
to wait until your invention makes you
rich and famous. as 1 know it will. It's a
wonderful invention and 1 am awfully
proud of YOU"
Stanley laughed. Much you know about
1t. l don't believe you understood word
! told you of it,
Il did It's an electric something for
for. Anyway l think the model is beau
tiful' and | know it's wonderful, because
And while I am making this electric
something to win me success and fortune
i can't see anything of you. year or
two without you! l don't like to think of
1t. How do l know when at last come for
you that you may not have married the
count after all-or, at any rate, forgotten
me?'
LAS if I could forget you, Geraldr'
There a pause in the talk here for
some reason best known to the parties
most interested. and 1t was some time be-
fore the conversation became anything
more than disjointed phrases.
"Ah, wish this night could last forever
said Stanley at last. The sea and the
music and the stars and you'll And to
think that in two days We will have to
say goodbye"
And yet two days may be an awfully
long time. It's only four since met you.
and yet l feel if l had known you al
ways What fun we had those first two
Il wish the storm had lasted until we
reached New York 1t would have kept
the count in his berth anyway"
Mamma wouldn't thank you for that
wish. You forget how horribly sick she
was"
Il didn't mean that. of course-Only ever
since your mother got out on deck again
I've had mighty little chance of seeing you
alone until tonight / ought not to have
told you how 1 felt tonight, 1 suppose