The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-01-29


mans and not an acquaintance on
board. That girl with the wind
blown hair over there was an Lmeri-
can; but how the dickens
The occupant of a steamer char
near him got up, and the movement
made him turn. AS his glance fell
upon the old lady who had risen, he
smiled quickly.
Miss Lockhart!'' he exclaimed. II
didn't know you were ION board. Pm
afraid you're finding this motion I'M
pleasant. Can I-get anything?''
Thank you, Captain Powell" she
gasped, stiffly, "but my niece will as
sist me-
The girl had put down her writing
and come hastily forward.
Help me to my stateroom, Madge,"
said the old lady with dignity. II
am ILL.,"
When the niece came back to her
scattered writing materials an hour
later Powell turned from his contem-
plation of the sea.
Lockhart," he said with polite solicit
tude. The girl raised her eyes and
looked at him curiously for a moment
THANK you," she said, formally,
and dropping them again; "just now
she is asleep, but I'm afraid she is
suffering a great deal"
ooh, she'll probably be all right by
morning." Powell observed, reassur-
ingly. "It's this nasty pitching that
has laid her up"
when Aunt Emily goes below it is
long before she reappears," she said.
Then she looked at him again. 'It
was at Saratoga, on the line of the
New York Central, that you met her,
wasn't it?' she asked
Yes, last summer. We were both
on the lookout for health. I don't think
she remembered me at first"
She had taken up her writing case
and opened it on her knee.
"Oh, she knew you perfectly" she
said, and resumed her writing so os-
tensibly that Powell, after a moment
shrugged his shoulders and walked
off.
;, But there really wasn't another soul
N board to Speak to. He could not
talk to the Germans. For a time he
wandered about, bored and aimless.
But finally he found himself again by
the side of his reserved young coun-
trywoman, doing his usually success
full best to make himself entertaining.
And afterward, when ever she YVES on
deck, he was generally to be found be-
side her,
= She was rather unappreciative at
first. She didn't laugh whenever she
might have been expected to, and she
let him do most of the talking But
now and then a subject would come up
so particularly interesting that she was
drawn into it in spite of herself, and
after. several relapses the stiffness
could not be regained.
When they were more than half way
across the Atlantic Miss Lockhart
put in a brief appearance on deck.
Powell had counted on a good deal of
friendliness from her. for she had
shown him quite marked attention at
Cannes, where, as an invalid from Gu
ba, his wound had made him some
thing of lion. But the sea seemed
sition, and she responded to all at
tempts at conversation with a resent
full snappishness that was disconcert-
ing. The regret caused by her second
forced retirement was not unalloyed.
1t was the chance remark of a pas
senger passing him in the moonlight
only two more days aboard"
brought Powell to a sudden realizatio
of what the fates had been weaving.
He sat up straight and looked across
the sea.
tive been forgetting everything"
he muttered. II ought to have told
them. of course; but, upon my word,
didn't think of it. Well, if there's
any harm done"-he drew his breath
only to myself"
There was brushing Of skirts past
him.
Il can't persuade her to move" said
a girls voice, plaintively as its owner
sank into a chair. 81 really believe
she is worse now than she was at first.
To think of her having come abroad
Cor the sea air and being obliged to
stay in that stuffy little cabin all the
way across! And it's been such lovely
weather, toor'
Perfect" Powell acquiesced. glanc-
ing up at the brilliant sky. "A con-
trast TO when / crossed in the other di-
rection a month ago-on my wedding
trip
His companion looked up.
your wedding tripr she repeated.