The Cairo bulletin., 1904-06-30
CHAPTER l.
TWO YOUNG PEOPLE. A SHIP. AND A
FISH

does The seventeenth century was
not II years old, but the girl who
walked slowly down TO the river bank
was three years its senior She car
ried fishing-rod and line, and her
namo was Kate Bonnet She was a
bright-faced, quick-moving young per-
son. and apparently did not expect to
catch many fish, for she had 20 has
ket in which to carry her tinny prizes
Nor, apparently, did she have any
bait, except that which was upon her
hook and which had been affixed there
by one Of the servants at her home
not far away In fact, Mistress Kate
was too nicely dressed and her gloves
were too clean to have much to do
with fish or bait, but she seated her
self on a little rock in q shady spot
not far from the water and threw forth
her line Then she gaZod about her.
a little up the river and a good deal
down the river
There was n bunch Of white flowers
in the hat of the young girl, not
very large one, and not a very small
one, but of such a size as might be
easily seen from the bridge. had any
one happened to be crossing about that
time, And, in fact. as the wearer Of
the hat and the white flowers still con-
tinued TO gaze at the bridge she saw
some one come out upon it with
quick buoyan step, and then she cav
him stop and gaze steadily up the
river At this she turned her head,
and her eyes went out over the beaut-
fu landscape and wide terraces rising
above each other towards the sky
It is astonishing how soon after this
young man, dressed in brown suit.
and very pleasant to look upon, came
rapidly walking along the river bank
This was Master Martin Newcombe, a
young Englishman, not two years from
hts native land, and now prosperous
farmer on the other side of the river
As Master Newcombe stepped near
Ills spirits rose, as they had not al
ways risen, as he approached Mistress
Kate for ne prtrcivru that, although
She held the handle OF her rod in her
hand. the other end of 1t was lying on
the ground, not very far from the balt
and the hook which, 1t was very plain.
had not been In the water at all She
must have been thinking Ct something
else besides fishing he thought. But
Ia ~ pA an yIith that
sort of thinking in the way he would
have liked TO do it. He had not too
great belief in himself, though he
was very much in love with Kate Bon
net
rs this the best time Of day for
fishing. Master Newcomer she said,
without rising or offering him her
hand For my part, don't believe
II is.
He smiled as he threw his hat upon
the ground. Let me put your line a
little farther out And so saying, he
took the rod from her hand and
stepped between her and the bait,
which must have been now quite hot
from lying so long in bit of sunshine
He rearranged the bait and threw the
line far out into the ritter Then he
gave her the rod agair He seated
himself on the ground near by
"This is the second time | have
been over the bridge to-day" he said,
"and this morning, very carly, ! saw
for the first time your. fathers ship,
which was lying below the town 1t
is a fine vessel, so Tar as ! can Judge,
being a landsman."
Yes" said she. "ant | have been
on board Of her and have gone all
over her, and have sect many things
which are queer and Strange to me.
But the strangest thing ABOUT her, TO
my mind. being a lndswoman, is
that she should helonglto my father.
There are many things which he has
not. which II would Y easy TO be-
lieve he would like to have, but that
a ship. with sails and anchors and
hatchways. should be one of these
things it is hard TO imtgine."
Young Newcomjc thought it was
impossible to im"gine, but he eX-
pressed himself discreely.
ut must be that he is going TO en-
rage in trade" he said; has he not
told you of his irtentbns?"
Not much, said she He says he
Is going TO cruise about among the
islands. and when I asked him if he
would take me nc laughed and an
swered that he might do SO. but that |
must never say a word of 1t TO
Madam Bonnet, for If she heard Of It
she might change his plans"
The wicked young man found him
self almost wishing that the somewhat |
bad-tempered Madam Bonnet might |
hear of and change any plan which /
might take her husbands daughter |
rom this town. especially in a vessel |
FOR vessels we're always terribly tardy |
when anyone was waiting for their I
return And. besides. il often hap |
~ened that vessels never came back |
at all.
q shall take a little trip with him
even If we don't go far; it would be |
ridiculous for my father to own a ship |
and for me never to sail in her"
That would not be so bad" said !
Master Martin. feeling that a short alb /
sence might be endured. Moreover. it |
a little pleasure trip were to be made,
It was reasonable TO suppose that
other people, not belonging to the Bon
net family. might be asked to sail as