Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-12-29
A VISIBLE PORTION
OF A ROMANCE
By r. A. mitchell.


leave her anchorage In the bay OF
Naples and speed westward to the
new continent. The chameleon water
is the hue of the sky, whatever that
may be; perhaps azure. perhaps green,
perhaps silver From the cutwater a
pair of white plumes shoot backward,
reminding one of those decorating a
lady's hat. Even the volume of smoke
pouring from her great funnel has it's
tints. An American standing on the
sea wall, perhaps a bit homesick, looks
upon her as connecting link with
loved ones on the far shore. Then,
too, if given to dreaming. he remem-
bers that within the distant ship are
being enacted romances.
Here is one I saw with my own
eyes.
We left Naples at 5 in the after
noon. i stood on the afterdeck look
ing back at the city and her gigantic
sentinel, Vesuvius, trife of smoke
emerging from the crater. as if he were
ready to pour forth redhot missiles in
its defense. Looking down on to
deck where the steerage passengers
were lounging, l noticed young girl
gazing up at the deck where l stood.
She was evidently Italian and above
the usual grade of steerage passen-
gers. There was something in those
black eyes of hers that indicated that
she was powerfully moved within.
When she saw that she had attracted
my attention she withdrew to a place
where l could no longer see her.
The next morning l was smoking
on the upper deck, where an old salt,
whose business it was to provide i'm
plements for games. was putting
chalk lines for Switchboard on the
planks. Two young men and two
young girls came and played. One Of
the girls attracted my attention. A
small felt hat secured by a veil.
sweater and skirt only reaching to
the tops of her boots made up her
visible attire.
She laughed most Of the time, and
her laughter was delicious. In short,
she was one of those fresh hearted
girls, at that attractive age when they
have just reached womanhood, whom
mature men love to gaze upon and
boys either do not appreciate or are
ready to commit suicide for. l saw her
at dinner in evening dress and was al
most ready to commit suicide for her
myself. Above the table line was the
round bust, white shoulders sloping
into lovely neck. lips parted In per-
petual smile. eyes laughing, too. and
mass of black hair parted on the side
of the head. Beside her was the young
man who had played Switchboard as
her partner. and it was plain that he
was enthralled
Every day and every evening my
eyes were at some time or times on
the couple. Other passengers passed
the days reading stories in print. Why
should ! read stories when l had the
real thing before me? Is not a beau
tiful view superior to its picture! And
is not love in flesh and blood more at
tractive than in cold print? At any
rate, was interested. In the morning
the sunlight smiled upon them while
they romped. In the afternoon she sat
in steamer chair. her eyes laughing
at him as he continually tucked her
rug about her ankles or folded it about
her shoulders. In the evening they sat
together in some cozy corner of the
deck
At Gibralter saw the lovers side by
side in the little steamer used to take
visitors ashore. The girl. as usual. was
\
with them in the same boat. In the
public garden there. redolent with
tropical plants and perfumes, | heard
laugh and. turning a curve came face
to face with them. | verify believe
they did not even recognize me for one
of the ships passengers. so engrossed
were they with each other. The same
along the island coast they stood to-
gether.' viewing the vineyards on the
hillsides through binoculars
Several times during the voyage
while on the afterdeck l saw the Ital
ian steerage passenger and always
with her eyes turned upward and for
ward as though looking for some one
her speaking to any one. There wa
a mingled melancholy and savage lool
on her face, as though she was brood
Ing over some wrong. The day befor,
we reached the American coast | saw
her looking, as usual, up at the decl
on which stood. Presently the lover
came up. the sunshine lighting th
girls smile. Suddenly l saw the Ital
ian below tear knife from her wais
and throw it at them. The young mai
must have seen the act, fur he pu
himself between his companion an,
the danger and received the knife Il
his right breast. l saw the red bloo
moistening his white flannel coat an
thought for moment he was killed
Drawing the girl along with him, b
rushed to the steps leading to the dec
below. She seemed hardly to hav