The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-08-28

unknown to her in Elsa It was Irr'tabi
ty: and here she was, finding fault
like any ordinary tourist
Where is Mr. Warrington"
II don't know. haven't seen him
since yesterday" Elsa dropped ner
book petulantly Il am weary OF these
| namby-pamby stories"
Martha's eyes had a hopeless look
in them as she asked: Elsa. what 10
the matter?"
Il don't know. Martha | believe
should like TO lose my temper utterly
| I'm irritable because ] do not know my
| own mind hate the stuffy stateroom.
the food. the captain. Nothing seems
to disturb his conceit Tonight we
sleep on deck, the starbOard side A;
| five O'Clock We have to get up and go
inside again so they ear no!y-stone
| the deck And am always soundest
| asleep at that time. Doubtless. Shall
be irritable all day tomorrow"
Sleep up here on deck? But the
men," Mortified.
They sleep on the port side" Elsa
| laughed maliciously. Don't worry
| Nobody minds"
Il hate the East" declared Martha
vindictively. Everything is so slack
1t just brings out the shiftlessness 10
! everybody
Perhaps that is what ais me; am
growing shiftless When came on
board decided to marry Arthur, aho
! have done with the pother. Now am
at the same place as when left home
! | don't want to marry anybody. Have
you noticed that fellow Craig?
What will you 90 if he speaks?
81 have half q dozen good hatpins
left" dryly.
~ hate to hear you talk like that"
"Jt,s the East There goes
that hateful gong again. Soup. chick
en-. curry. rice and piccalilli. am so
ing to live on plantains and mango
steens. I'm glad we had sense enough
to order that distilled water. Come
Wen 20 down as We are to dinner. ana
watch the ridiculous captain and MS
fan bearer. The punka will at least
give US a breath of fresh air. There
doesn't seem to be any on deck. One
regrets Darjeeling."
Martha followed her young mistress
into the dining saloon; she was anx
ious and upset Where would thls
mood end? With glance OF relief she
found Warringtons chair still vacant
The saloon had an air OF freshness
tonight. All the men were IN drill! or
popgee, and so receptive is the imagi
nation that the picture robbed the
room Of half its heat To and tro
the punka tapped: the pulleys creaked
and the ropes scraped above me
sound OF knives and forks and Spoons
Elsa ate little besides fruit she
smoke scarcely q word to Martha. and
none to those around her mus. she
missed the frown OF the colonel ana
the lifted brows Of the spinsters. ana
the curious glances OF the tourists
The passenger list had not yet come
from the ships press. so Elsas name
was practically unknown. But in some
unaccountable manner It had become
known that she had been making in
ouiries in regard to the gentleman IN
cabin 70. who had thus far remained
away from the table Ship life Is
dull life, and gossip is about the only
thing that makes it possible to i've
through the day. It was quite easy
to couple this unknown aloof young
woman and the invisible man. and
then to wait for results. 1t WOULD
have amused Elsa had she known the
interest she had already created II
not inspired. Her beauty and her ap'
parent Indifference to her surround
ings were particularly adapted to the
romantic mood of her fellow-travei-
ers. Her own mind was SO broad and
generous, so high and detached. that
so sordid a thing as AN affair" never
entered her thoughts
As she refused course after course
a single phrase drummed necessarily
through her tired brain. She was not
going to marry Arthur: never. never
In this world She did not love him
and this was to be final She would
cable him from Singapore.
That night Craig found 1t insupport
able IN the cabin below: 80 he ordered
his steward to bring up his bedding
He had lain down for half an hour
grown restless. and had begun to
walk the deck in his bath slippers. He
had noted the still white figure for
ward. where the cross-rail marks the
, waist. As he approached. Craig dis
covered his man. He hesitated only
a moment; then he touched Warning
toms arm.
ITO BE CONTlNUEDJ