The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-03-01

When AN ocean liner has been out a
couple Of days if the weather is fair
those who have had mai de mer begin
70 md their way on deck. Women re-
cine III steamer chairs comfortably
tucked in with rugs, many Of them
signify pale, but gaining color from
the pure ocean atmosphere
1t was on such an occasion that |
hfst saw a lady whose face at once
interested me. | was Young, and
young men are very sensible to beauty.
rms girl was not so especially beauti-
ful as striking. Her eyes and eye
broWs were a dark brown, while her
lair was chestnut with n tinge Of
red in IT, 1t was this contrast that at
tracted me-
NOW. | am quite willing TO confess
that under other circumstances |
might simply have admired the arts.
tic combination of milky skin, dark
eyes and Titan hair without having
given the girl another thought. But,
as have said, in fair weather at sen
one is under different influences. or.
rather free to he moved by any influ
ence. We had left New York in a
snowstorm and were now on the hos
ON of the warm waters of the gulf
stream Though we needed our wraps.
there was a pleasant softness in the
air in marked contrast with the win
ter we had left, Not only did I feel a
delightful relaxation, but was not
troubled with multiplicity Of things
to look at. | saw only the sky, the
ocean and the ship, and on the ship
| looked only at the young girl who
charmed me.
AS luck would have 1t friend of
mine who was aboard stepped up to
the young lady and spoke to her. !
was delighted. An Introduction was
assured to me. Within an hour was
sitting beside Miss Manning, chatting
with her.
We were making the Mediterranean
trip and, since we had been out only
two days. ten or eleven days remained
to me to enjoy Miss Manning's society.
How impressionable ~ a youngster of
twenty-five, especially one who has
nothing to do but be impressed. I con-
fess that | had no right to be i'm
pressed. for was engaged to very
lovely woman. The trouble with me
was an artistic temperament. / had
been caught by peculiar condition
of beauty. did not find Miss Man
ming especially intellectual especially
entertaining, but ever before me was
that singular combination of features.
did not at first realize the danger for
me, an engaged man. to put myself
under the influence of another woman,
even IL the attraction was In that
which appealed alone to an abnormal
sense for beauty Before we reached
the Azores | began to fear for myself,
and when we reached Madeira and W.
went ashore together and walked in
the garden of F'unchall redolent with
the perfume OF tropical flowers, knew
that was lost,
Ind written something daily to mr.
fancee to post from our first landing
point but somehow / could not drop
1t in the purser's box to be mailed.
glanced over what | had written, and
so completely had | passed under
new spell that | wondered how | could
ever have been under any other,
tore my letter into bits From Ma.
deira to Gibraltar | was in an agony
between 4 sense Of honor, shame and
self condemnation on the one hand and
infatuation on the other. From Gibral-
tar to Naples sank into absolute non
resistance and self contempt
| had not the assurance nor was I
expected to attach myself to the Man
ming family during their stay in Italy,
so | left them, intending to meet them
in a few months in Switzerland |
had not spoken my infatuation--I can
not call it love-to Miss Manning, for
I could not bring myself to act so con
temptibly while | was still betrothed
to another. | hoped the conditions
might be changed before our next
meeting though what was TO. change
them except some dishonorable act on
my part did not know
had not been separated from my
fellow traveller week before the
chains that bound me to her began to
drop Off of their own weight Then 1t
first occurred to me that | had been
captivated by peculiar beauty.
saw so many different types of beauty
in the galleries of Italy that | suppose
became surfeted Still, | could not
coll up the image Of Miss Manning
backsliding i'&
Three months passed, and I Joined
the Mannings at Lausanne, on Lake
Geneva. When Miss Manning came
into the room where waited for her
| stood mute with establishment. Her
Titan hair had turned into dark
brown, like her eyebrows.
you are surprised at my appear
anee," she said, Let me explain.
Before leaving America I had suffered
from a fever. On recovering my hair
came out rapidly, and had 1t shaved
shortly before sailed. ordered a
wig of q color to match my eyebrows,
but before II was sent home 7 tried on
one belonging to grandma. 1t was 80
that determined to wear
It,"
In a twinkling my enthrallment was