Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-03-23
W. What Happened
A To GIOriana.


Tos Most of the passengers had
sought the refuge and Sc
clusion Of the cabin, and seemed ia
be engaged despairingly in praying
for death. But two still remained or
deck.
They were Orlando G. Spoonamore
capitalist and Young man of leisure
party of the first part, and a handsome
young woman with fluffy brown hair,
party of the second part, and they
happened to be sitting side by side.
She was absorbed in a copy of the
Philadelphia Saturday Evening Stake,
and he was reading the automobile
news in a daily paper-when he wasn't
glancing at his fair companion out of
the corner of his starboard eve.
The wind sreshened and he proceeded
to button is light overcoat. But the
top button was unaccountably missing.
To the best of his recollection it was
there when he boarded the boat. The
breeze, or something, must have torn it
off.
Mechanically he detached the stick
pin from his neektie and pinned the
two flaps securely together. Then he
resumed his reading.
And his gIancing.
Presently, having finished the story,
the young woman raised her head.
looked around her with sudden sur
prise, and started to rise.
Mr.. Spoonamore felt a slight tug at
his chest He looked down.
To his horror he found that he had
pinned the loose fap Of her light gray
wrap to his overcoat, and turned red
with anger and modification.
what does this mean, sir?" she de-
manded, in freezing. indignant tones.
IL beg your pardon" he STAN
mered. ut was an accident. I had
lost button from my coat, and 1 sup
posed / was shutting up the garment
with a pin. had no intention"
But you haven't lost button. sirP'
she interrupted. For she could see it
plainly.
He looked down again.
81 see you are right" he said, his self
possession gradually returning, "but l
thought I had"
"Will you release me. sir, at oneer'
Her eyes flashed dangerously, but he
did not finch.
81 fear you will have to sit down
again." he proceeded to explain. "These
two flaps are fastened together with
my stickpin, and 1t has a patent fasten-
ing On the shank, for safety from the
light-fngered gentry. screwed it up
tightly, aud it will be a work of time
to unfasten It."
She sat down again, but stifIly, and
without a word.
81 never expected he remarked, as
he fumbled at the pin, "to form sud
den attachment like this"
"Sirr'
I'll have to suspend operations for
a moment Here come two or three
persons hurrying to the rail. to look
at the weter, presume. May I ask
you to unbend little and appear to be
engaged in an animated conversation
with me, purely for the purpose of
ayerting suspicionY
81 will mott Such a position as this
is ble-unthinkabler
1T is. II is impossible. But it ex-
lists, my lords and gentlemen, like the
human race"
Besides" she again interrupted. re-
laxlng trife as the humor of the sit
uation forced itself upon her. sit isn't
proper for me t. be engaged in conyer-
sation with total stranger"
20, yes 1t is. If it were not. they
wouldn't do it in those delightful
stories you've read so often in that
paper. It's quite the thing these days.
To remove the curse, however, allow
me to Introduce
"But I don't wish"
pardon me, but let me ask you not
to be so cold and distant-especiall
not so distant You'll excuse the ma
ture of the tie that binds us. One of
those persons is looking at US curl
ously"
Hurriedly she leaned a little nearer
to him.
That's better. As was about to
say, my name is Orlando G. spoona-
more. move in respectable society,
and personally am entirely harmless.
| don't look like eannibal, do ~
'N-no, but"
"And your name, as I have just dis
covered by looking at the printed tag
ON that paper, is"
She hastily turned the paper the
other side up.
"Too late. You are Miss Gloriana
Goovius. ! am delighted to meet you
in this informal, unpremedltated way,
and become so close an acquaintance
In so short a time. Asking your par
don for dropping into slang, viii add
that am decidedly stuck on
81 don't believe you are trying to-
to separate us"
'palsied be the h9nd that would do
tuch a thing Still, he continued, tug