The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-21

hearts.
| knew without looking thai there
were neither goodies nor messages Of
good cheer for me; nevertheless l was
cheerful to the point of carefully sup
pressed hilarity.
The boat had backed and sided
away from its pier in the teeth of a
swapping little gale which speedily
cleared the decks. The passengers
who had not already secured their
table seats gathered around the sec
ond steward, who had before him a
large polished board on which the
location of the seats was indicated by
rows Of small holes. A heap of red
and white pegs represented passen-
gers and as a seat was assigned a peg
was placed in the corresponding hole
in the board-white for a woman, red
for a man.
A clean cut young chap signalled to
the steward to seat him beside a par
~tiCularly attractive girl. Neither the
young woman nor her vigilant mother
was conscious of this bit of steame
strategy. but the alert officer ac-
knowledged it with a slight nod.
The little incident appealed to me
because an oCean trip, with its tenn
porary isolation from the rest of the
world. tends to a speculative interest
in ones fellow travellers. But ! ven
ture to say that lone aboard was so
acutely interested in whom he or she
might meet as I was in whom ! shoul
serve.
The ~bellboy's brisk "Ninety-ninc
wants YOU came in startling response
to my musing.
I tapped at the door.
"Come in." said a portly dowager.
Il probably sha'n't be able to go to
the table after this noon and don't
expect to need them. but"-pointing
toward her trunk-"you might take
my gowns out and hang them up.
I'm always seasick. dreadfully sea-
sick. the seasickest creature there ever
was" she declared with melancholy in
sistence. as II the dubious supremacy
were in dispute. you look like a SEN
sible person." she pursued. whatever
possessed YOU to become a steward
ess?"
"Oh. I'm a good sailor" ! replied.
lodging the main issue.
But lest there should be an impress
sion hat / had invaded a field OF labor
foreign to me from either an inquisi-
tive or al investigating turn of mind
! will ell why / embarked on my
cruise Of curiosity-so termed by me
because. surrounded by wholly unac-
customed conditions. ! was in a on
tinuous state of wonderment as to
what next.
! had. until within a year. held a
salaried position which re-
quired some measure of initiative and
ability, Through the ex-
.igencies of business this position was
abolished and | naturally sought an
other along similar lines.
Hard times, however, whether actual
or simply a deceptive state Of mind.
had set in. and although followed up
every lead and exhausted my in
.genuity in the quest. the weeks Of un-
merged into months.
The habit of loafng. however un-
willingly entered into, is peculiarly in
! realized this in a terrified
one day. ! had neve. for a sec
ond considered that ! had failed had
not deteriorated in any way. Things
had failed me for the tine leiug. sud
denly it dawnei upon me that while
all this was true, I nevertheless should
indeed become a failure If | continued
to absorb an atmosphere Of adversely,
one day l happened to reach
the waterfront, revolving in my
how | was TO pull myself
Of the hole by my own boot straps.
so to speak. ] decided that ! would
take the first honest work | could find,
even If II were dish washing, rather
than let the habit Of sitting around
upon me.
With no objective point | followed
the chain Of piers until I spied an
ocean liner docking. These
Of the flowing road hol a compelling
for me. The pung mt odors Of a
cargo unloading whisk me in imag-
ination to shores OF strange adventure.
] picked my way past trucks, teams.
draws and automobiles out through
the shedl!ke structure. 4 couple of
young men. seamen by Their garh. had
posted themselves or a pie of lum-
Der in order to get a better view.
up beside them and soma
comment served as an intro
Tho loung men expected to
Sign on the vessel for her next
trip.
Il wish | could sign on" ! inn
pulsively exclaimed.
They shook their heads obviously.
The only job on shir board for a
was that Of Stewards, and
they were quite sure ! wouldn't like
that.
But why note" ! argued. and
what does a stewardess have to do,
As ! am an excellent sailor
my only recollection on the subject
was that in such journeys as ] had
made by water the St~ewardess called
me in the morning when she had pre-
pared my bath.
My new friends disagreed somewhat
To the SPECIFIC duties of a steward
ess. One thought she Stopped u the
rooms and made the beds while the
other was positive that, on the CLASSY
lines at least, she only ~"juggled trays
and hooked up IN, lady passengers"
II d MT care ! declared rccklessly.
I'm going to he a stewardcss."
The next morning, sure enough, I
cut on this new line of at
tack. one after another ! int rViewe.l
port stewards my S'afaring friends
had advised me they wcr" the proper
officials 10 apply to ana one after an
80 tlL,s ttf 49, mod ,,. that . T. -. ,.A.