Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-03-20

. in support or his NOBLE position
number of the women found n pleas
: ant excitement in angling for his lord
ships favor.
1t could not be expected that Craven
should sail all the way 10 San Fran
cisco without learning Of his position
as secretary TO the Earl Of Gambler
/ well. One day when he Joined Miss
/ Cunningham on deck he noticed that
! she received him with an air of Sis-
/ appointment. II was not long before
/ the secret was out.
81 have heard" she said. that there
/ is a British nobIeman on board and
you are his secretary"
Craven looked at her in astonish.
ment.
What nm actor you arer' she said,
with a slight ccldness in her voice.
! Craven said nothing. He was think
! ing Finally he asked:
And who is my masterT'
You know well enough without my
| telling you"
Tell me. please"
The short Englishman who calls
himself Suly."
! Thanks" replied Craven. And
/ now since you have discovered that l
am merely an understrapper to an
English nobleman 1 presume you are
I through with me"
'No." said the girl. 81 admit l am
| disappointed. but I have no reason to
/ give up your compRnionship."
! Craven chatted about ordinary mat
tiers for few minutes, then excused
! himself Seeing Sully, who was &C the
/ time with Peterson. Craven went to
| him and asked for an explanation OF
the story he had heard Peterson told
how they had fallen into perpetrating
the Joke. apologiZed and offered 70
do anything in his power to relieve Mr..
| Craven of his share. But" he added,
| ST fear no denial will avail as to the
! principal character. though. II you like,
! think he can deny your part in it in
a way that will be believed"
| LET the matter stand as It IS" said
Craven "Since l have been his lord
ships secretary thus far 1 will remain
| in his service during the rest OF the
voyage"
From that time until after the ship
left the Hawaiian Islands 1t was OBJ
served by those who noticed Mr.. era
ven's attentions to Miss Cunningham
that he was not with her as much as
before. This was not the lady's fault.
| Mr. Craven, from the day she showed
disappointment in having learned that
he was the secretary of very unat-
tractive nobleman. was very chary OF
her attentions. Moreover, he made no
further denial of the story. But as
time wore on and Miss Cunningham
found the days very long and the voy-
age very tedious without his society,
she encouraged him to return to her
side when she was on deck and showed
by her manner that If she had not for
gotten his position she ignored ii.
Some time before the ship reached
San Francisco il was evident 10 the
passengers that If the earl was going
to America for q wife his secretary
need not look for one there, having
found one on shpboard. Then all of
a sudden there was a noticeable fut-
ter in the Cunningham family. and
l Mr.. Craven and Mr.. Cunningham were
seen in conference on the after deck,
where there was no one to hear them.
| From that time till the end of the voy-
age. which was but a few days. there
were unmistakable signs that Mr. era
, ven had. or would. become a part of
: the Cunningham family.
\ Whats the matter with your lord
| ship" said Peterson. slappiug Sully on
the back. You're going 10 America
, for wife. and your secretary has got
: one right under your nose aboard
: ship"
my dear fellow" replied the earl,
my secretary costs but a few thou
: sands. Any woman who gets me must
come down with Millions
They both laughed merrily and went
into the smoking room for refrc3h-
ments
The dag before reaching port the
captain, as is usual on liners, gave
dinner to the passengers When coffee
was brought on he rose and said:
Ladies ana gentlemen. there has
been a joke perpetrated by some good
fellows among You for amusement
Not wishing you to go ashore deceived
they desire me TO say that the Earl Of
Camberwel is really Mr. Sully. and
Mr.. SulIy has given me his word Of
honor to that effect.
Nevertheless we have had real
nobIeman aboard. From the first !
have been aware that Mr.. Craven e.
Baron Craven. distinguished British
traveller. He Is not going 20 the States
for a rich wife, for he is very rich
himself. Besides, from appearances he
has found one aboard this ship In
deed. I am authorized 20 make the an
nouncement 70 you.
All looked for Craven aud the Gun
ninghams. Then II was noticed for
the first time that they were not IA
their accustomed seats.