The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-11-03
The Ocean as
A Matchmaker.


ately to those occurring in fields more
propltious. One Of the most prolific is
The ocean steamer. Sail ships in thaif
Gay must have been even more so
But even with steam there is some
'hihS invlgorating to sentiment for &
couple sitting in coy corners in steam
| CT chairs Or leaning over The rail- look
ing down into the depths of old ocean.
Torn Roundtree. Il citizen Of the
| United States living in Australia.
| found it impossible to get any woman
| across either the Atlantic or Pacific
| ocean to keep house for him. he was
a methodical fellow and did every
thing by plan. Intending 10 return
| some day to his native land and being
| prejudced against Engishwomen, he
| did not wish to marry one of them
| He wrote his sister in America to
| come out TO him. She consented, but
when she landed at Melbourne Tom
| found her engaged to be married &c
one Of the officers If the ship in which
| she came over IL, then got up a cor
reSpOndence with one of his old flames,
|
announcement for him to leave, or, rather,
to save his making two trips instead OF
| the girl making one she consented to
| 90 out and be married in Australia.
| She was poor. and Tom not only sent
her money for the trip, but for her
trousseau On the way out she fell in
| love with an officer Of the British army
! ;nI harnpn che Inft rho
ship. The money Tom had expended
| was never returned
Tom was angry. He SwOre Il great
oath that the next girl he got engaged
TO he would not trust on the ocean,
but would go home and marry her
\ third time he tried. lie advertised
in the matrimonial column of a news
paper in America for Il wife. The ad-
vertiSement caught the eye of 4 very
worthy Young woman who was making
her own living and pinng for man
TO make it for her while she took care
of his home The two exchanged ref
crenceS, and, both turning out salts
factory. they exchanged photographs,
wrote a number of long letters, then
| DpfaIlc D1euStu W cdCl oAiiSi.
Tom mindful of his resolution to
| trust no woman again OH the ocean,
Amounted 4 time for his going to
America for the girl. But when be
was ready TO sail business affairs that
he had not counted on made it SIM
DIV impossible for him to leave. He
cabIed funds and directions for the
Ii, ING %
the steamer in which he had engaged
passage for himself sailed Il new com
pleXion came over his business at
fairs. rendering his absence possible
He had just time to cable his betrothed
to remain at home and to catch the
steamer himself Having sent the ca
begram, he hurried aboard and soou
after found himself on the waters OF
the Pacific.
Tom was used to active business
and, finding time heavy on his hands
made the acquaintance of others OF
the passengers lie played shuttle
board, whist. dOminoS. He sat on deci
moonlight nights with parties of meI
and women, chatting, cracking jokes
| anu Sl1fSlllS .tHiohS tIt pti''
sengers was Il Russian family. Ton
had always regarded Russians of al
| the people of the earth the most bar
barous. but one night when the moon
light was pouring down on the fea
lures of one of the family, Il woman
Of some tWenty-eight long Russian
. winters. he got it into his head tina
| CHI hnunfjfnl hrIt
j.. saint. From that time he wished III
had not to marry some one else whel
he reached port
On landing in San Francisco he wa
: approached by gentleman, who intro
. duced himself as the brother of hi
, betrothed. He told Tom that his ca
blegram had come an hour after hi
q sister had sailed for Australia. Her
was a pretty pickle. Tom had com
into port determined to break off tn
p match with her and marry the Russian
+ maiden. This slip rendered such
, course q hundredfold more difficult
! Indeed, Tom, who was an HONORABLE
+ fellow, felt that he could not brin
: himself to go back on a girl who ha
r gone ai1 the way 10 AuSlEdIld u IH'ti
!, ry him. He could do nothing but wal
o till notice was received of the arriva
g ut Melbourne of the ship in which sh
a had sailed.
= The agony of the situation was tel
rible. Every day Tom became NOR
# infatuated with his Russian. In lov,
n his betrothed gone many thousan
d miles to marry him, anxious to &c
f. back to his business with wife, h
II wished that the woman he was boun
{ to might meet with some mishap t
: relieve him of her.
Then came news of the Wrecking {
= the vessel in which she had saileI
IS 1t was reported that every soul o
% board had been lost. Tom, secret
i rejoicing. married his Russian. Til
r ceremony had scarcely been perfOrme
" when he was handed cablegran
re Casting his eyes at the signature, b
e found that it was from his betrothed