Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-05-09
CHAPTER III.
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS.

1t was only when the ship was less
than days journey off Sandy Hook
that the colonel came on deck, once
more to resume his interest in human
affairs. How the girl lowered about
him! She tucked the shawl more snug
ly 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 its 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 his
lungs was renewed more frequently
than nature originally intended II
| should be. Love has its beneficences
as well as its pangs. only they are
not wholly appreciable by the recipi-
emit For what Is better than a good
pair of lungs constantly filled and re-
| filled with pure air? Mr. Robert even
felt twinge of remorse besides. He
was brother to a girl almost as beau
tiful as yonder one Ito my mind far
more beautifully and he recalled that
in two years he had not seen her nor
made strenuous efforts to keep up the
correspondence. Another good point
added to the score of love, And, alas!
he might never see this charming girl
| again, this daughter so full OF filial
love and care. He had sought the cap
tain, but that hale and hearty old
sea-dog had politely rebuffed him.
My dear young man." he said.
81 do all l possibly can for the enter
| tainment and comfort of my passen-
gers, but in this case | must refuse
your request"
and pray, why. sir?" demanded Mr..
Robert, with dignity.
For the one and simple reason
that Col. Annesley expressed the desire
to be the recipient of no ship introduce
tions."
What the deuce is he, a billion
aire?"
You have me there. sir I confess
that I 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 signs in what musicians
| call the doloroso. If only he knew
the colonel! How simple 1t would be,
Certainly, a West Point graduate
would find some consideration. But
the colonel spoke to 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-off southern home? Oh. the thous-
ands of questions which surged through
his brain! From time to time he
glanced sympathetically at the col
Onel. whose fingers drummed and
drummed and drummed
Poor wretch his stomach must be
in bad shape Or maybe he has the
palsy" Warburton unused upon the
! curious incertitude 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.
II you will.
What beautiful color her hair was.
dappled with sunshine and shadow!
Pshaw. Mr. Robert threw aside his
shawl and book CT is OF no real i'm
portance. but may as well add that
he never completed the reading Of that
summers most popular novel; and
sought the smokinS-room. where.
with the aid of fat perfecto and a
| liberal stack Of blues he proceeded TO
| divert himself till the boat reached
/ quarantine. | shall not say that he
\ left any of his patrimony NJ the ma
| hogany table with its green-baize
/ covering and its little brass disks for
cigar ashes, but I am certain tfat he
! did not make one of those stuDendous
| winnings we often read about and
/ never witness. This much. however.
| he made the acquaintance Of very
| important parsonage. who was pres
/ entity to add no insignificant weight on
/ the scales Of Mr. Roberts destiny.
RE was a Russian. young. handsome
suaye. Of what the newspapers insist
/ ON calling distinguished bearing. lie
/ spoke English pleasantly but imper-
+ fcctly. He possessed a capital fund of
anecdote. and Warburton. being an
army man. loved a good droll story. u
was a revelation 10 see the way no
dipped the end OF his cigar into his
/ coffee, stimulant which he drank
with Balzacian frequency and relish.
BESIDES these accomplishments. he
played n very smooth hand at the great
American gfmc. While Mr. Roberts
admiration was not aroused. it was
surely avail ened.
Mr.. hero had no trouble with tho
customs officials a brace Of old
French dueling pistols and Tufkisb
simitar were the only articles which
might possibly have been dutisbre
The inspector looked hard. but he vas
hnally convinced that Mr.. Robert q, vs.
not a professional curio-collecto-
Col. Annesley and his daughter We,