The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-06-21
His Dictory
At Sea.
By ANNE FARMER
C0pWtoft, 1908. bu 4. G. Mcclure
BY ANNE WARNER
copwtoht, 1908, bg 7. G. Mcclure

were labeled in order MRS. GabeIle,"
Miss Gabelle,v Miss Susan Gabelle."
Beyond the three chairs came the chair
of the italian lady who had baby.
Durant looked across the vacant seats
and saw the baby and blessed the in
teryening 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 he
did not recall it until he was ready to
open his book and read.
In the middle of the afternoon pref
ty girl in red Tam O'Shanter came
up and stood by the rail. Durant found
himself looking at her over the top of
his book and 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 kind hearted somebody
had taken 1t to walk and left the moth
'er free to enjoy society. Durant had
been three chairs away, but Miss Ca
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 troooobls
weeez her. All zeee laydees loooff mil
baybeee-all zeeee laydeees tend mill
baybeee!'
Miss Gabelle looked so disgusted that
fhn Italian xxrae dic<r,1, <.e,.4e,d ~ eo;x.,7
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, "and do it right off.
will you, please?"
She went inside directly she saw him
bearing off the first chair, and Durant
lost not a 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 it 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 in Du-
rants direction.
When the first gong for dinner
sounded she woke up with a start and
few 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 he 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 proyim-
ity and distance.
She noticed it, though, and strove in
vain to adjust a bit Of embroidered
coat collar SO as to shut off a 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 gait demanded by
the exigencies of the situation.
Durant meanwhile extricated him
self from his rugs with sprightliness
TO be envied by the rheumatic and
paralyzed and was up and waiting
when the emissary of fate returned.
Here, take my chair, too," he said
TO the man, smiling on him in the stu
pid way that men reserve for other
men. The sailor grinned the omnis-
cient grin that deck hands acquire.
pocketed his fee, and the last two
chairs went away together in as friend
iy manner as the first two had done.
After lunch Miss Gabelle occupied
her chair and for the first time did Du-
rant the honor of noticing his existence
by becoming slightly pink when she
observed him there in his chair the
same as ever. Later Miss Susan Ga
belle who appeared to be the others
maiden great-aunt, hove on deck and
recIined beside her niece for nearly
seven whole minutes. AT the end of
that time a sudden roll Of the steamer
did her up with great abruptness. She
became WILDLY green, howled pitifully,
and the deck steward rushed to the
rescue and bore her hastily away. Du-
rant who was burning TO be of some
use to the family, to the end that he
might merit gratitude and an introduce
ton, sprang to the deck stewards as