Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-04-09
EVELYN
By KILECuaNE C0wLES
Copyright, by Ford Pub. Coz

The last good-bys had been said
The lingering friends reluctant to say
the final farewell had been hurried
Town the gangplank, which was now
removed, and the f1utter of manifold
landkerchiefs was the only possible
communication between the boat and
the pier. The great steamer was
swinging into the bay, and though
the crowd on the wharf ran out to the
very end, their good wishes, expressed
by waving bits of linen, were soon but
a memory
Evelyn Bard sighed as she watched
the tiny white specks disappear from
view She had scanned the faces OF
Ill the people on the wharf, hoping
against her reason to discover the
one person whose "bon voyage" would
have lightened the load on her heart
Every tall man who had crossed the
yangplank had given her a start, aud
ut each disappointment she had real
lied how futile was her hope that
John Hawley would come to see her
off. She knew that she had been
cherishirg secret thought that he
would arrive at the last minute. He
must have known that she was sail
ing. Had not she, who disliked news
paper prominence most heartily, had
the date of her departure appear over
and over again in the society news?
She hated herself for wasting q
thought on him. 1t seemed almost un
Fomanly to care the least bit for. a
man who evidently lacked interest in
her. Foreign travel. music and study
would surely fill up any gap in her
life. Two hours after they had passed
the Statue of Liberty, she was still
standing by the rail, looking down into
the sea, when her aunt touched her
arm.
Mercy, child, have you been here
all the time? The bugle has sounded
for dinner and you haven't dressed
Il am not going to dress, aunty."
very well; do as you please. For
my part like to make as good an ap.
pearance as possible the first evening
out. For, even if I am able to crawl
into meals later on in the voyage, i
am always such sickly Nile green
hue, that 1t isn't worth while to
change my costume. l hope, my dear,
that you are better sailor than !
am"
1--WE never been Ill aboard ship,
and you know l spent all last summer
on yacht cruising along the New
England coast
Evelyn's face clouded and then
came shower of tears. for it was on
the yacht that she met John Hawley
and spent the happiest summer of her
life. Her aunt looked mystified as
Evelyn hurried away to her state
room.
IT believe the girl is actually sea-
sick already. It may affect some PEG.
pie in that way, but with me it is
quite different" Miss Morton looked at
the smooth sea reproachfully.
Evelyn's interest in the voyage had
been so slight that she had not
looked over the passenger list, and it
was with considerable surprise that
she found herself dining next to Rod.
ney Mason, friend Of John Hawley's.
He seemed equally astonished to see
aer. He had spent one day on the
yacht and remembered her well. He
remarked that he had been out of
town for some time and scarcely knew
what people were doing as he had not
read paper for a month.
During the whole OF the voyage,
which was a long one, it being the
vouthern route, Mr.. Mason and Eve
Ign were together large part of each
day, but neither of them spoke of John
Hawley. They had not found many
congenial passengers and Miss Nor.
toms numerous attacks of seasick
ness kept her in her cabin most OF
the time. When she was well enough
to lounge in her steamer chair, she en-
crossed herself in book rejecting on
the time-worn saying that ''Two's
company, three's none"
1t was at Naples that they parted !;
Evelyn and her aunt to travel slowly
northward and Mason to explore
Sicily for short time, and then re.
turn home, for he had chosen to spend
the greater part of his brief holiday
on the water.
Evelyn and Mason were sitting I'M
der the palms in the Villa Nazionale,
gazing out over the lovely blue Medi-
terranean, their last afternoon in
charming Naples.
II am sorry that our stay is over"
he was saying. Il shall feel tonight
that the last link between my home
is broken and my opinion of Naples
from this time on will ever be few
notches higher"
1T is a dear, fascinating, old town,
We certainly have had pleasant time
here. shall always be thankful that
you were here to escort us up We
suvious. Aunty and would have been
financial and mental wrecks had we
not had you to ward off those dread.
fully persistent guides"
..They did attack us rather fiercely,
didn't they? l wonder what sort of a
time I shall have at Mount Aetna
May I send you postal from there?
l understand that you don't answer
letters, SO will save my feelings by
venturing nothing more than picture
card"
Il would like to know how | ac-
quired such an unpleasant reputation.
Although l am sometimes dilatory, |
think l am no more remiss than most
people in regard to correspondence.
In fact, l always write, sooner or
later"
Sooner or later might cover very