The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-06-24
His Vtct01y
1T Nea.......
BY ANNE FARMER
COPYRIGHT. 1913. IN Z. c. Mcclure
BY AkNE FARMER



Durant lay in his chair The three
chairs next to him were vacant They
were labeled in order Mrs. Gabelle,
Miss Gabelle," Miss Susan Gabelle."
Beyond the three chairs came the chair
of the Italian lady who had d baby.
Durant looked across the vacant seats
and saw the baby and blessed the in
tervening space. The Italian lady
thought that he wanted to admire the
baby and held it UP high on purpose
for him to see. But his gaze fed out
upon the wide ocean beyond. and lie
did not recall it until he was ready 10
open his book and read.
In the middle of the afternoon a pref
" girl in Il red Tam O'Shanter came
up ana stood by the rail. Durant found
himself looking at her over the top of
his book anG wishing that she might
be Miss Gabelle After awhile he had
his wish, for she came across and sat
down under her name. The Italian lady
was delighted. Her baby had cried so
hard that Il kind hearted somebody
had taken it to walk and left the moth
er free to enjoy society. DuTant had
been three chairs away, but Miss Ga
belle was only half that distance re-
moved. Nine Italia leaned over and
addressed her at once.
''She Gees $50 gOOoOd. mill baybee.
Iii neffaarrre half aanny trOOOoble
weeeZ her. All zeee laydees loOOff mil
baybeee-all Zeeee laydeees tend mil
baybeeer'
Miss Gabelle looked so Disguised that
the Italian was disconnected and seized
the trivial pretext of seeking her in
FAINT to rise from her seat and view
life from the lee side.
The instant that she was out of
sight the young girl sprang from her
chair, and, hailing a passing steward.
Take these three chairs and carry
them down to the other end Of the
deck" she said, pressing his hand to
some purpose. land do it right of.
will you, pleaseY'
She went inside directly she saw him
bearing off the first chair, and Durant
lost not q minute in detaching him
self from his rugs, to the end that
when the steward returned he might
say, with an imitation Of the initiative
proceeding:
Take mine too"
The steward grinned and took his
chair too.
When Miss Gabelle reappeared she
looked prettier than ever, and as she
at once opened a book and became
wholly absorbed in II Durant decided
that the best thing for him to do was
to go to sleep with his face turned in
her direction and so be able to look
at her all that he wanted to. After
awhile he decided that she was quite
the prettiest girl that he ever had
seen and that he must know her some.
how. Presently she closed her eyes,
and soon after her fingers relaxed their
hold of the book, and that slipped on
to the deck. He vaulted over Mrs.
Gabelle's chair and, picking the book
up. smoothed the leaves carefully and
laid it back on her lap. But she did
not thank him or pay the slightest
attention to his polite action. There
are maps on deck and maps on deck,
and Miss Gabelle had not gone to
sleep with her face turned IA Du.
rants direction.
When the first gong for dinner
sounded she woke up with a start and
flew below so quickly that he only had
time TO realize that she was going
when she was gone.
The next morning he found her
chaired and booked when be got up
there himself. The wind had changed
and was coming around the corner by
the smoking room in a very trying
manner, but he hardly noticed that in
his tangled emotions over her proxim.
ity and distance.
She noticed it, though, and strove In
vain to adjust a bit of embroidered
coat collar so as to shut off growing
gale. Her efforts proving futile, she
summoned sailor who was busy lash
ing something to something else and
opened her purse.
please carry these three chairs out
Of the wind" she said, smiling on him,
and then she went inside
The sailor grabbed two chairs and
dumped away at a gait demanded by
the exigencies Of the situation.
Durant meanwhile extricated him