The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-21
The Eoening Story
Sally OF the Sea.
.Ry Catherine Coope.)

Sally OF the Sea.
.(By Catherine Coope.)
/ John Bellew had always hated the
sea. Never had he crossed the ocean
and he hoped he never would. Some
how he had q premonition that the sea
held some vast secret; whether TRACE
dy or comedy. he knew not. but he
feared to test its power.
When the opportunity came to him
to travel for year after his college
examinations, he refused, and later,
when business really demanded q trip
across to Liverpool. he threw the re-
| sponsibility ON another man and re-
| manned in New York
Now, however. the stress Of business
forced him either to take a quick trip
or lose a great contract.
BelleW cursed his fate and made hur-
ried preparations for the voyage. He
would sail ON the Lusitania and there
by reach foreign shores in q scant six
days. His disposition and his Office
force suffered during the days before
the ship sailed.
-Beliew had told himself ON many
occasions that there was something
fundamentally wrong with q person
who could elect to take q round trip on
an ocean liner for sheer joy OF sailing.
There was nothing worse in his esti
| nation than to be literally thrown into
thousand strange people and to have to
eat. sleep and spend every hour OF the
day with those same people. He felt
that fnane questions would be hurled at
him from morning until night in ef-
| forts to make conversation. On the
other hand, he did not want to be put
down as a snob. Also he felt positive
| that sea sickness would assail him and
make him want to Jump overheard.
| However, all his fears were in q way
1 tote H. Id
smoothly out past Sandy Hook. A
cursory glance over the people ON deck
told him that they were q harmless
enough looking crowd and not lacking
in variety Of attractive girls. Bellew
cheered up considerably. and even
strolled the full length of the deck with
a perfectly strange and garrulous law
| yer from the south, who wanted to
know all about him from the cradle to
his present thfrty-summer record.
| Later in the evening when a soft and
timid moon trailed up and over the
sky. Bellew found himself treading the
upper deck with q most bewitching
maiden whose eyes reflected the moon
rays in So generous a manner that Bel
lew did not go below until the moon
was we'll over the heavens.
! Much to his amazement he realized
| that the soft motion OF the boat, the
swish OF water and the rhythmic chug Of
the engines gave him q sense of rest
SUCH as ln0 noise OF inc city lx4u u0V0H
offered him. When morning came and
he saw the great vista OF sun-lit water
and knew that his inner man was most
delightfully."- comfortable, Bellew pom
dered over the erstwhile antipathy to-
ward ocean travel.
It was not until after beef tea had
been served and he remembered bust
ness cares that he really learned the
reason for his premonition. 1t was l
o'clock on the morning Of his second
him to seek out q etenographer and
dictate them to her. For the first
time in his life Bellew regretted the
claims Of business.
| He went below and sought q typist.
The sea-going stenographers were for
| the moment all engaged, and Bellew
was obliged to wait until one was
| free to take his letters. When finally
a cotton broker came out Of the office
nearest Bellew he stepped in and
gazed blankly at the girl sitting at her
"Humph!" he muttered. st see now
why SO much business is done on ship
board. Gee whiz-what a beauty"
/ did you say anything?" Sally
Parker looked straight into Bellows
eyes, and that young man knew then
and there what his fears OF the ocean
had meant. He was to be made cap
| tive ON the sea, and BelleW hated
bondage Of any kind.
IT want to dictate some letters" he
said more or less Eruffly.
Are you not feeling well?" Sally
asked with a peculiarly irritating
sweetness. II am 20 sorry for people
who can't stand the sea. Perhaps II
your letters could wait you will feel
| better tomorrow-oned day makes such
| q difference"
IL will write them now" Bellew
| said. and Sally put paper In her ma
| chine without another word.
The debating went on smoothly
enough, and when the letter was fin
ished and another one started. Bel
After all. bondage to q girl like Sally
was going to prove rather interesting.
| That she was possessed Of q great
amount of independence was notice.
level look in her blue eyes. Bellew
wondered IL she ever came ON deck
and what she would be like away from
her typewriter.
But he was destined not to know
much about Sally She was busy
every hour of the day during the trip
over. and when Liverpool was reach
ed she seemed to disappear with mad
dening swiftness from the wharf
Bellew cursed his fate again. and
from the moment he stepped from the
gangplank he lived only for the mo-
ment he would again step on 1t. He
called hims-H every kind Of a fool
for falling headlong in love with q
did not frtghten away the picture of
a golden head bending over a type
writer.
| II am every kind Of an idiot" he
repeated many times q day to him
self when he watched every passing
/ feminine figure. III that girl isn't ON
the Lusftania sailing home most GER
| tain1y will Jump overheard"
1 Below began to feel again his ersf-
| while hatred for the ocean. but his
1 present feeling was due tn a faar that
Sally would not be on the ship and
that the sea would be q vast 1000
mile space between him and her.
! His business in Liverpool proved q