The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-07-31

wonder If
But what was the use of wondering
anything about a woman he would
probably never see again?
So this Englishman who had lived
so long in the States that Re could not
keep away from them re-snbarked for
his adopted country In first cabin
deck room and tried to be happy in
spite Of handicap that he couldn't
forget.
During the first night out it came on
to blow great guns. Roberts lay in
his berth late, debating whether to get
up or not. when suddenly something
shot through his open port and hit
him squarely in the face.
1t was soft and red. with gold
threads running through 1t. and
Great Scott" calculated Roberts.
starting up in his berth. "Her tam~
Surely there could not be two of
them-at least, he hoped there couldn't
But how had it come into his cabin!
1t could not be possible that she
knew he was there and had taken this
means Of apprising him Of her pres
ence? Why. she had scarcely spoken
half a dozen words to him in her life.
But the cap was hers Enthusiastically.
He fondled it foolishly for min
ute or two and then got up and pro-
ceeded to dress with all speed, or at
least with as much speed as was con-
sistent with the rolling of the vessel.
All day he haunted the ladies' room
and the decks. almost deserted on ac-
count of the storm. and had begun to
read the cards affixed beside each
stateroom door when he suddenly re-
membered the foolishness of this plan
to find a woman whose name he did
not know.
"This is simply maddening," he told
himself after day Of fine weather
and still no sight Of the tam's owner.
Sat this rate she will escape me again"
Then he bethought him of brilliant
eXpedient.
He took pen and wrote the follow
ing notice:
Found. - A lady's red tam. shot with
gold. owner may have same by applying
at cabin % between bugles any evening.
This he affixed to the bulletin board
in the companionway and that night
dressed a half hour before the first
bugle sounded so rs to be in readiness
to receive company during the period
named.
But nobody appeared that evening
nor the next, and now there were only
two days left on the voyage.
He had passed a half hour of i'm
patient waiting in the stuffy state
room on the third day of the notice.
and, quite discouraged. threw open his
door to 60 to dinner. when he stepped
squarely into the person who had
emerged from her room just opposite
i'm the narrow entryway. .,,i,,.
II beg your pardon" said Roberts.
and then he fairly gasped as he real
lied that the other person was the
lady Of the tam.
81 have something of yours" he
blurted eut-"that red tam you lost
once before"
the hue Of the cap that hung over
Roberts berth.
"Oh." she said. was it your port
flung 1t into? didn't know. 1t start
ed to blow away again that first morn
ing. and l thought | was tossing it
into my own cabin"
And you've been just across that
five foot space" Roberts rejoined.
while I've been ransacking the ship
for you-to restore the tam" he has
tened to add. Didn't you see the no.
tice on the bulletin board"'
''No. This is the first I've been out
since the storm. 1t left me with a
nasty reminder Of the shaking we all
received. I'm so glad to be on deck
again! Did you have pleasant trip
on the other side?"
"Jolly fine" answered Roberts.
But he wasn't thinking Of the other
side at all when he said it. but Of the
woman he had lost and found again.
Unconsciously they had walked to
that part of the deck where Dorothy
had been standing when the tam blew
off on the voyage over
81 suppose | must pin the cap in
tightly this time" she remarked. "You
won't be there to catch 1t IL it flies off
again." And she glanced over at the
second cabin.
He looked up at the one she was
wearing.
That's very pretty TAM" he OBJ
served irrelevantly. 81 trust it Is
skewered In tightly"
Whether she read his inner mean
ing. she gave no token then. but sug-
gested that 1t was nigh time they both
went down, to dinner. The next night
was the dance. and after the final two
step she reminded him that in the
morning there would be the hustle of
landing.
And / haven't relieved you of that
tam yet" she added.
81 shall miss it very much" he re-
piled. "And you won't need IL now
the voyage is over"
YES" she said softly. her eyes fix
ed on Nantucket light. toward which
they were swiftly cutting their way.
II suppose It has served its purpose,
but don't want TO lose II apoin"