The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-03-03

did anything by halves. He hated the
! |. !. :. !. !. !.
word Strenuous" if it were noocious
living thing, and yet every and thought
4N8 SAN of his perfect exenplar of the princi-
R$s# pie of strenuosity. He worked hard, and
W&@ YEA played quite hard he worked. He
MA H&M had been so engrossed with study and
IA SASE$~ # athletics while at college, and
M@I driven with making good" since
that he had never had time to fall in
love- Now, at the ripe age of thirty-four,
he suddenly found himself completely,
Overwhelmingly, bewi1deringly in
love with Ellen Lee, of his three
hundred fellow passengers the steamship Assty0Ie.
that Re could think of nothing else.
When he aboard the AskstYGEiG he exhausted
but happy. Four years of experiment followed by
years of tedious litigation had last given his firm
the best ranproof material In the world and fortified
their exclusive right to 1t by patent Now he
his to London to the foreign patent rights,
and he looked forward to the six days of slow
ship to restore him prime condition Possibly it
his depleted resisting power no less than the dleness
of life that made him such easy victim to the
love microbe. At all events, few days had reduced
him to such of mingled hope and despair that
he had been unable to eat than morsel of lamb
and take sip of caret at dnnerbecause he de-
trined on this very evening ask Miss Lee the great
Questcn .et.
But he had zecloned without the concert and Its con-
sequences His goddess had dutfu1ly beside
ma throughout the long and deadly programme. Now
mamma starting for her stateroon, and the fair
Ellen devotedly following. "Good night, Mr.
Gardner" she said, gently, with the touch of
ner small fingers his burning palm. Mother
leaving. must 60" The last words were uttered in
involuntary response the look on Gardner's deep
lined face look such as must have appeared on the
face of lone martyr WHEN. very large lion APP
preached him sss
Nevertheless, she did GO Gardner had bestowed on
her retreating mother glance that should have turned
her to stone but the good lady, ali Unconscious of it.
continued her serene progress followed by the dufu
Ellen The depth of his disappointment, his knowledge
that after all the apprehension he had hitherto
cureds he still undergo another day of the mental
rage He paced the boat deck smoking cigars that
seemed wonderfully bitter, while he carefully bestowed
q hearty and separate curse each and every per-
former who had dragged the wretched concert pro-
Erzmme until past eleven o'clock
"A pack of idiotsP' he grow1ed 'Idiotsl And the
wood-headed mbeciies who encouraged 'em Blast
'eml I'd like to heave the whole outfit overheard and
let 'em sing to the fishes. Gr-r-rhp
The longer he walked the deck the hotter his wrath
grew. His robust native energies, restored to their
fullest power, concentrated in swelling the flood
of resentment he felt toward the ships company
He decided at last to drop into the smoking and
soothe his wrath with drink of Scotch and soda He
driven to bolt the drink and flee again the deck
because he saw old Professor Wesman artfu1ly ap-
preaching his table with the evident intention of boring
him for hours with a long dissertation on his pet
theory of the C1nsan origin of ptarminographs.
For half hour Gardner 1ounged against rail- and
smoked, outwardy calm, but still boiling within as he
weft on his disappointment Again he approached the
smOking-room, intending to have nght-cap. but the
loud voice of the boresome Herr Professor made him
retreat growing II 100 cold TO stay deck:
he determined finish his cigar in his state-roon1 and
return for his nghtcap when the bore should have
vanished He stretched himself the lower berth
and for few pufs enjoyed to the full the tran
QUILTING effect of the tobacco Presently his eyelids
dropped shut, and he almost dozed.
Better get after that Scotch ri be too late,
he said to himself He slowly climbed the companion
stairs made his way along the deserted deck, and
entered the smoking-room It en1ptyl
Gardner glanced about him. All the armchairs had
remained in the picturesque disorder in which the last
smokers had left Them the tables were strewn with
ashes and cigar STUBS while the wind which in
at port caught up the stale smoke and empha-
sized the stiffness of the place. He annoyed and
determined to hurry. He pressed the button.
The steward apparently far away for almost
instantly steps heard in the corridor. Yes;
Gardner heard steps In the corridor; but they didn't
inclined enter, and presently they became
fainter and fainter, and finally died away Evidently
It the steward. Disguised, he got up and
damned the electric button He pushed it violently
and than dropped back into the cusions@ grurbline
something about negligent service
minute passed-two-threel This was becoming
unbearable He got up again and gave several sharp
impatient rings and then instead reseatng himself
he went toward the door, intending to welcome the
steward with few plain truths
"Huhi He's probably asleep somewhere Well he'll
bear from ne-but through Medleyp Medley was the
purser and perhaps the afab1e of all the ships
officers.
whiskey and soda. AS he made his way toward the
bar the dead silence that reigned aboard impressed
him deeply. Not a sound be heard save the
rnu7ed trum of the machinery and the splashing of
the waves All the lights were extinguished, except
Ia the snokng-room, the library, and the bar Eight