Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-01-27
CHAPTER III.
- ADvENruRE BEeINs.

Auble 10 resume MS interest IN human
affairs How the girl lowered about
him, She tucked the shawl more snug
II around his feet. she arranged and
rearranged the pillows back OF his
head, she fed him from a bowl Of
soup; she read from some favorite
book, she smoothed the furrowed
brow, she stilled the long. white, ner-
vous fingers with her own small firm.
brown ones: she was mother and
daughter In one. Wherever she moved.
the parent eye followed her. and there
lay in it's deeps a strange mixture of
love. All the while he drummed cease
lessly on the arms Of his chair.
And Mr. Robert. watching all these
things from afar. Mr.. Robert sighed
dOlorously. The residue air In bis
lungs was renewed more frequently
than nature originally intended Il
should DE. Love has it's benefcences
as well as its pangs. only they are
not wholly appreciate by the recipi-
emit For what Is better than a good
pair o. lungs constantly filled and re-
filled with pure air2 Mr. Robert even
felt a twinge OF remorse besides. He
was brother TO a girl almost as beau
tiful as yonder one 60 my mind far
more beautifully and ne recalled that
in two years he had not seen her nor
made strenuous efforts To- keep UP the
correspondence. Another good point
added 20 the score Of lovei And. alasl
ne might never see this charming girl
again. this daughter so full Of fliil
love and care. He had sought the cap
tain. but that hale and hearty old
sea-dog had politely rebuned him
"Mv dear young man" he said.
'T do all 7 possibly can for the enter
tainmen: and comfort Of my passen-
gers, but in this case must refuse
your request"
And pray. why. sir2" demanded Mr..
Robert with dignity
For the one and simple reason
that Col Annesley expressed the desire
20 bee the recipient OF no ship introduc-
tions."
what the deuce is he. a billion
aire?"
you have me there. sir. 7 confess
that know nothing whatever about
him. This is the first time he has
ever sailed on my deck"
All OF which perfectly accounts for
Mr.. Roberts sighs in what musicians
call the doloroso. II only he knew
the colonel, How simple Il would be!
Certainly. West Point graduate
would find some consideration. But
the colonel spoke 90 no one save his
daughter. and his daughter TO no one
save her parent. her maid. and the
stewardess Would they remain IN
New York. or would they seek their
far-on southern home2 Oh. the thous-
ands OF questions which surged through
his brain, From time 20 time he
glanced sympathetically at the col
onel. whose fingers drummed and
drummed and drummcd
Poor wretch, his stomach must be
in bad shape or maybe he has the
palsy" Warburton unused upon the
curious incertltude OF the human anat-
omy
But Col. Annesley did not have the
palsy What he had is at once the
greatest blessing and the greatest curse
OF God-remembrance. or conscience.
n you will
What a beautiful color her hair was
dappled with sunshine and shadow
Pshaw! Mr.. Robert threw aside his
shawl and book Git is of no real i'm
portance. bat may as v ell add that
he never completed the reading OF that
summers most popular novel; and
sought the smoking-room. where,
with the aid of fat perfecto and n
liberal stack of blues. he proceeded to
divert himself till the boat reached
quarantine shall not say that he
left any Of his patrimony at the ma.
hogany table with its green-baize
covering and its little brass disks for
cigar ashes. but I am certain that he
did not make one OF those stupendous
winnings we often read about and
never witness. This much, however:
he made the acquaintance OF a very
important parsonage. who was pres
emily TO add no Insignificant weight on
the scales OF Mt. Roberts destiny.
He was a Russian, young. handsome.
suave. of what the newspapers insist
on calling distinguished bearing. He
spoke English pleasantly but imper-
fectly. He possessed a capital fund OF
anecdote. and Warburton. being an
army man. loved a good droll story. IL
was a revelation TO see the way he
dipped the end of his cigar into his
coffee, a stimulant which he drank
with Balzacian frequency and relish.
Besides these accomplishments. he
played very smooth hand at the great
American game. While Mr. Roberts
admiration was not aroused. it was
surely awakened.
Mr.. hero had no trouble with the
customs officials. A brace of old
French dueling pistols and a Turkish
simitar were the only articles which
might possibly have been dutiable
The inspector looked hard, but he was
finally convinced that Mr.. Robert was
not a professional curio-collector.
Col. Annesley and his daughter were
old hands; they had gone through all
this before Scarce an article in their
trunks was disfurhad