The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1913-02-13
Copyright by j

iW2 udu packed my
trunk, in the hope of
spending a week or a
fortnight in a seclud-
ed spot among peaceable citizens, but
somehow or other fate ordained that
the train that was to carry me away
should start, leaving me and my lug
gage behind.
"One of these days you will COL
lapse" my friends used to say, and,
Ike all evil predictions, theirs came
true. had been fearfully busy.
There had been an avalanche of
crimes, and the strain had begun TO
tell on me, to All obligato accompani-
ment OF headache, sleeplessness, and
other unpleasant symptoms. With
mistaken sense of duty tried to cling
to my post, but when | saw had the
medical faculty against me, | gave
up the battle and promised to take a
rest
The following day. as l was walking
down the Rue de la Paix voice like
thunder called out my name. | did
not see the man, but | knew that in
the whole Of France only one person
possessed such an organ-my old
friend Stanislas Tilon, a captain In
the merchant navy
Good old Stanislas, who stood six
feet three, had not only tremendous
voice-everything with him was big.
He seized both my hands in his lion
grip, and, having knocked my stick
out Of my hand, and my hat off my
head, he conducted, or rather dragged,
me to the Cafe de la Paix.
Fancy meeting you!" he roared. 81
came back on Tuesday last, and am
off again the day after tomorrow. But
what's the matter with you? You look
out of sorts"
''The fact is" l said, Il am not very
we'll The doctors say | must take
a holiday"
Down came Stanislas fist, upsetting
all the dominoes on the table next to
ours.
"You want thorough holiday? I'll
give you one. You may bless your
stars you met me. We are running a
regular line of steamers from Bor-
deaux to st. Louis, on the African
coast, stopping at Madeira and Ten
eriffe. They are capital boats carry
ing only a small number of passen-
gers. ! am in command of the Gam
bia, the most comfortable of the lot
You'll be my guest, and the sea will
put you right in no time. We are go
ing only as far as Teneriffe, SO that
you will be back In three weeks. I'll
give you one of the two deck cabins,
and you'll be as happy there as a
king. We have a splendid cook, and
as nice a lot of passengers as you'd
wish to meet"
Stanistas' proposition tempted me.
such as l knew l should find on the
high seas! and, after few objections.
Immediately overrulcd by my friend.
I accepted his invitation.
The following day at two in the aft
ernoon / arrived at Bordeaux, and
went straight on board Stanislas well
coined me with unaffected joy, and
cussion between him and the stew
ard, the latter took my valise to the
deck cabin On the starboard side.
The rain was coming down in tor
rents as I descended to the saloon to
Join my shipmates. Several persons
were sitting at the long tables, some
writing, others reading. and noticed
one, a pronounced German type-his
name was Won Winter - drinking
champagne and playing solitaire.
Before the dinner hour had struck
Stanislas had introduced me to every
body. Besides Won Winter there were
N. Van Vloot, a rich wine importer
with an aquiline nose. and the
shortest legs / have ever seen be-
longing to a man of his size, and his
wife, a stout lady, afflicted with tooth.
ache; Mr.. Aylmer Knowles, a Scotch.
man with an expressionless face, &C.
companied his wife and daughter, the
latter an unusually pretty girl; Father
Glass, a priest; Monsieur Waskywicz
of no nationality, with comic eyes, fat
cheeks, blue with the razor, who turn,
ed out to be a comedian; DR.. Lopez
an oculist; and Senior Gonzales, a
SOuLn american OpduldTu, d AdAO
some, aristocratic looking man, whose
temper seemed to be considerably ruff
fed.
I guessed that our loquacious cap
tain had been talking about me, for
not only the passengers watched me
with curiosity, but the crew stared
at me open-mouthed. AS there was
q piano in the saloon, and none in the
smoking room, decided to make the
latter my headquarters.
''Hallo. old chap" roared Stanislas
"How do you like your hotel? Where
do you want to sit at table? Near that
pretty Scotch girl l suppose
"Since you ask me-" l replied, you
can place me between the German
and the lady with the toothache
Neither of them looks laxative, and
that just suits me-"
poor Goron," said my friend, Civ
ing me slap on the shoulder that
sent my book overheard, wait a