The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-01-17
Copyright by ]. B. Lippincott Coz

trunk, III inc Hopo VI
spending week or a
fortnight in 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 VIII COL
lapse" my friends used to say, and,
like all evil predictions, theirs came
true. I had been fearfully busy.
There had been an avalanche of
crimes, and the strain had begun to
tell on me, to an obligato accompani-
ment of headache, sleeplessness, and
other unpleasant symptoms. With
mistaken sense of duty tried to cling
to my post, but when I saw had the
medical faculty against me. gave
up the battle and promised to take a
rest.
The following day, as was walking
down the Rue de la Paix voice like
thunder called out my name. l did
not see the man, but / knew that in
the whole of France only one person
possessed such an organ-my old
friend Stanislas TiIon, a captain in
the merchant navy.
Good old Stanislas, who stood six
feet three, had not only tremendous
voice-eyerything 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. Il
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" said, Il am not very
well. The doctors say l 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
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
king. We have a splendid cook, and
as nice a lot of passengers as you'd
wish to meet"
Stanislas' proposition tempted me.
My shaken nerves clamored for rest
such as l knew l should find on the
high seas! and, after few objections,
Immediately oyerruled 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
after an excited and whispered dis
cussion between him and the stew
ard, the latter took my valise to the
Our steamer was an ancient tub,
and, no doubt, a bit of roller, yet
she looked comfortable enough, and
in order to shake off my first unfavor-
able l. preston 1 made for the COM
panionway to have look at my fell
low passengers. ...
The steamer was crowded with per-
sons who were saying goodby to their
friends and partaking of lunch with
them, so that 1t was impossible for
me to know who We're the passengers.
At four o'clock, however, the hawsers
were cast off, the engine room bell be-
gan to tinkle its Standby" and we
had started on our voyage.
The rain was coming down in tor.
rents as 1 descended to the saloon to
join my shipmates. Several persons
were sitting at the long tables. some
writing, others reading, and l 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
NJ. Van Vloot, rich wine importer.
with an aquiline nose and the
shortest legs l have ever seen be-
longing to man of his size, and his
wife, stout lady, afflicted with tooth
ache; Mr.. Aylmer Knowles, Scotch
man with an eXpressionless face, &C.
companied his wife and daughter, the
latter an unusually pretty girl; Father
Glass, priest; Monsieur Waskywicz,
of no nationality, with comic eyes, fat
cheeks, blue with the razor, who turn
ed out to be comedian; DR.. Lopez
an oculist; and Senior Gonzales, a
South American Spaniard, a hand
some, aristocratic looking man, whose
temper seemed to be considerably ruff
fled.
| 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
a piano in the saloon, and none in the
smoking room, decided to make the
latter my headquarters.
Halo, old chap" roared Stanislas
How do you like your hotel? Where
do you want to sit at table? Near that
pretty Scotch girl, / suppose"
Since you ask me-" 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
ella ~