Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-03
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
IN dear Helen, really may
$$NH well tell you at once, tina
/ don't like your walkin
alone in the dark. down o
that lower deck that look


indiffeTenty.
She had come into their rooms with
brighter look upon her face, born OF the de-
licious swoop of salt air upon 1t, ara the
sound of that churning music OF the waves
with which the sea rewards the good snip
when she takes her ocean crests easily anu
settles down to her grand Atlantic stride.
81 lost you, after dinner, when l was SIT
ting on the boat deck with Mrs. Vereker'
hearing all about her daughters divorce
and her sons appendicitis. No wonder the
poor woman goes abroad for q chahse'
And really, I'm glad after all, we are
not with them al table, since she can taik
of nothing else, and. much as one may feel
for a friends troubles, it is nicer to near
a little about other peoples, too! was
telling Mrs. Vereker-though, dear me-
she hardly let's one speak-how dreadfully
they had served us about the people they
put us with, and, my dear, what do you
think? 1t never does TO 1udge oy nrst APP
pearances at sea, for as 1t turns out, Mr.
Vereker-who is that kind of a fussingr
Miss Nancyish man, and loves to study
the passenger list-has discovered that
every soul at our table, except those dread-
full southerners, has a title! The one with
glasses. who speaks such funny English.
is German Graf. of a family of fabulous
antiquity. who has been to Washington to
see his ambassador ABOUT SenulnS one VI
his to learn agriculture in America
The one who gobbles So and complains OF
the draught on his back and had the port
shut. is Prince Zourikoff, Russian saw
ant. who has written a book called 'Etudes
sur la cause de la decadence des peuples.
The saucy boy who went in for a Irritation
with that Winstanley girl, is Mr.. Vane.
a son of Lord Remington, whom they sent
to Canada for a year TO get him out of
mischief at home. The really interesting
person is-who do you suppose?-the man
opposite you. Lord Clandonald. whose
story was In all the newspapers a year
ago. His wife, a beautiful Miss Darien,
behaved scandalously, yet was so clever in
trucking everybody. II was hard to get the
divorce. But he got rid of her at last, and
then went around the world. Doesn't look
like "A man of that sort, does he? Rather
shy should say, and hold-off, but splen-
did figure. The Frenchman is actually the
famous Mariol, whose books are my de-
light though he's a wretch the way he
writes about women. He's Clandonalds
great chum, and they have been travelling
together"
Helen's face had lighted.
Il know only one or two books of Mariol's
ESSAYS principally-but they are perfect
OF their kind"
Il advise you to keep to the essays" said
Miss Blocker dryly. He has an enormous
reputation in the literary world, and one
likes 10 meet them now and again IL they
are not frumps."
And provided he is not seasick," said
Helen. smiling.
In this boat, in an ordinary sea. there1l
be no excuse for 1t. Why, one hardly
knows we are moving To return to Clam
donald, don't you think people one reads
about and hears about are always disap-
pointing? l don't say there was anything
wrong attributed to him; they said he was
rather Quixotic in his treatment Of the
worthless creature who had to give up his
name and go under. But he Is so much like
other people. Nothing 10 show he was in
csrnh nrin oil -t,ot
you smiling at?''
The thrilling thought that had NJ de
Mariol to mix my salad dressing" replied
Miss Carstairs.
Was it good? I am always careful the
first day out Oh, must tell you about
those queer Dicks, the southerners. 1t
seems that Lord and Lady Channel Fleet
came on board at the last minute and took
quite an ordinary room-that heavy looking
red-faced man and the dowdy woman in
big turquoise earrings, who sat at the cap
tain's table-they had to have those two
seats, so the Winstanleys were transferred
to US. If We had only secured the Channel
Fleets we should have been so complete!
Perhaps they and Clandonald don't speak,
though and the captain found 1t out, or
the purser. who always hears all the gos-
the Winstanleys, and I'll give you my frank
opinion. Helen. that before this voyage is
over we'll have cause to rue the day when
we laid eyes on them. The old man is
simply too absurd. Treats her as If she
were princess and he her courier How
you could stand his babbling in your ear 1
can't imagine. But she! she. The worst
specimen of the travelling American who
makes one blush for ones country when
abroad
zone must own to her good looks" Helen
interpolated bravely.
Miss Bleecker snorted.
My dear, that is unworthy of you. A
23d street shopgirl would be ashamed to
do her hair like that; and her frock-
bought in stock and fitted in half day.
probably. But even that doesn't count be-
side her phenomenal assurance and self
conceit Fancy now. her addressing a re-
mark TO me. before had spoken to her. 1
young person in my life, and to take it upon
her to entertain the whole table! 1t really
silenced me. One comfort is that every
body will put her down as l did, and
sooner or later she'll be left severely to
herself"
Il noticed that Lord Clandonald and M.
de Mariol seemed much amused, and the
Others couldn't keep their eyes from her,"
said truthful Helen, who had her own
cause for blank wonderment at the further
development Of John Glynn's acquaintance.
"Oh. that is the provoking part of men,"
answered Miss Blocker, tossing her head;
manner. and they'll pretend to be enter
tanned. I'm very sorry, Helen, but IL that
girl doesn't take my hint and tone down
great DEAL shall be under the necessity of
isn't possible the line wouldn't wish to
place your fathers daughter at least re-
specially at table. These Winstanleys are,
In my opinion. most suspicious people, and
/ have asked Mr.. Vereker to make very
particular Inquiries and find out II ] am
not right. He says that when she came
Into the saloon every neck on our side was
stretched looking after her. and he quite
agrees with memo. Mrs. Vereker agreed
with me, her husband was weak enough to
say what were the odds when girl Is so
deuced pretty-that there must be some
thing wrong.
The latter part of Miss Bleecker's mono
1ogue was spoken to space, since Miss Car
stairs. melting away into her own room,
had closed the door between them.
Helen found Mile. Eulalie sitting on the
foot Of the cane settee, comfortably warm
ing her toes at small apparatus of shin
ing brass, which, with Its red lamp inside.
presented a fair semblance of the forsaken
fires OF home. Upon the bed lay her own
satin quilt, her own pillows of embroidered
linen were prepared invitingly, her peig-
noir beloved across the couch. Upon every
side cleaned and glittered the little objects
of cut-glass. tortoiseshell and gold which
she had heaped in the balance against John
GIynn's love, along with hundred other
manifestations of the outward and visible
signs of O solvent existence. Tonight she
was strangely repealed by them. She made
a motion to go out again into the half
darkness of that same deserted lower deck,