The Detroit times., 1912-11-12

I TIM r s: TU Il I'D Az
do not wish TO disturb them. But
may say that he was a peer who play
ed good game OF polo. owned three
very fine houses. and had foreseen
English predatory legislation so clev-
rly that he .hsd practically all his
capital invested beyond the reach Of
sOcialistic theft Personally. | have
always found him amusing, and so
presumably aid Miss Chesterman ull
she became engaged 10 him. But after
that they apparently bored one an
other 20 tho verge OF tears. lie, beinS
gentleman. played the engaged
mans game down TO the last comma
but she. towards the end OF thO
month became acutely miserable.
And uncle saved the situation. lie
was fishing for tarpon and catching
sharks In the Pannco river at Tam
pico. and he wrote her half-toklnS
invitation to come out and amuse her
aunt. She cabled frantic Yes.
rushed down TO Southampton just In
time TO see the North German Lloyd
boat put 10 sea, and within an hour
had engaged passage on the Ger
man tramp 8. s. Rhein. then on the
point OF departure for gulf ports with
coal and general cargo.
From the safe harborage or the
Rheims stuffy saloon in Southampton
water, she wrote the friendliest pos
sible letter breaking OF her engage
ment, and when this had been sent
ashore by the pilot, set herself to
study the manners and customs OF
! that unknown animal. the German
merchant seaman
For week Miss Chesterman found
her new associates interesting. She
marveled three times daily at the
amount OF knife-blade they could swa!-
low at meals without cutting them
selves; their martial bearing, cF/sr
bows, and their taste for sentiment
were all frankly amusing; but at the
end OF that week these things grew
stale. and general feeling OF fastidi-
GUS disgust filled her 10 the brim.
| Chose unfortunates who have met
the German mariner at home on the
high seas will be able TO supply the
details.)
There are moments when she
thought she might have done worse
than close with the ofrer so recently
rejected. And she was in this frame
OF mind when she encountered Ro-
nance in the largest OF capitals and
| (as she believed) for the first time in
her life, in the person OF Mr.. Owen
Kettle.
You are 10 imagine her leaning over
the poop rail OF the Rhein. and watch
| ing the battered life-b boat, that she her
self had sighted, being callously left
astern TO perish in the desert OF the
| sea- ANY man or woman living II
would seem, would have been thrilled
by the sight of that little ships officer
sitting there undaunted among his
lean scarecrow crew with nothing
else in sight but blue sky. blue Sar.
gasso sea, and orange-yellow weed.
II had been a shock TO her to find
that the engineer took the whole as
matter OF ordinary German routine.
German ship-owners were in business
TO make dividends. not TO waste time
over saving the lives OF competitors.
was the view that Mr. McTodd took.
And then she had turned her elo-
uuence on the Scot. and had seen that
acid northerner thaw out and deliber-
ately risk the safety OF the ship TO
do her pleasure.
Romance, She drew deep breaths
as she thought OF II. These were
deeper waters than those she had
known before. and as for the men
that traficked In them-well, at any
rate they were men.
| And then she had seen this Mr..
Kettle. with nothing much else be.
sides flis bare hands and his person
Atty. take possession or big, we'll
found. strongly-manned steamer. and
carry her on 10 do his pleasure in the
teeth OF all opposition. The man was
something quite new TO her. some
thing full TO the brim with primeval
vigor. No wonder she fell In love
with him. 49,.
The coaIing went on with noise. and
dust. and orderly speed The steam
ers rolled criNscross, but the Rhein
engines kept the lines taut and the
lunches OF coal bags went hopping
merrily across from lower masthead
TO lower masthead TO the boundless
amazement OF the flying-fish. IL Is
nice operation, this coaling at sea,
and none OF the crew OF the Norman
Towers had ever witnessed IL before
They were interested at first, ana
heartily sick OF II before IL was nm
ished. but II was astonishing to note
that no one complained OF tiredness
when Mr. Kettle returned on board
they were one and all sunk In sloug-
OF Iethargy. and the process OF wax
ing m under his hard driving WAS
painful to many OF them. But the
small mate was perfectly callous 70
their inclinations toward laziness, ana
even that chartered idler, the carpeu-
tier was seen to carry out an order on
the run when Mr. Kettles trim shoe
toe threatened him from the rear.
But at last the hungry bunkers were
stored with sufficient fuel 10 steam
the Norman Towers back TO Liver
Dool. and crisp orders were given 70
knock of. and unrig the transporter.
In the meanwhile fires had been
lighted under the cold boilers, and
smoke trickled from the rusty stack.
The escort OF sea-gulls recognized the