The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-23

were made up, the spur of the moment for bridge poker, never claimed him. He seemed to see no fun in throwing rope quoits at a stick and he passed the devotees of shuffleboard With a tolerant smile. He made no friends at meals, for he was careful to take his meals always after the other passengers at the table had returned to deck this, when he did not eat in the solitary state of his own state-rooms.
 So Mona saw herself deprived of the aid of all the pleasant cultivators of acquaintanceship that so abound on ship. On the ocean the con ventions relaxed introductions dispensed with more often than not But though plenty of the men among the passengers found excuse for talking with her, for joining in her walks about the wind-swept decks, MT. X held aloof If he noticed her at all he gave no sign, and Mona, though she might have managed it skilfully enough, afraid to resort to the crude strata gem of boldly beginning the acquaintance herself.
 She did much she thought was safe. One day, when she saw that he was coming toward her, she stood at the rail- peering out over the waves. Calculating her time to a nicety, she glasses. They fell at the feet of the self-styled Armstrong; in moment, cap in hand he was lowing before her
 Permit me-" he said handing her the case
 "Oh, thank you so much !" said Mona, prettily confused. What clumsy thing to do! I'm so afraid they're broken"
 Gravely he took the case from her, drew out the glasses, and inspected them.
 You fortunate he said. "They are quite uninjured. congratulate your
 He restored them to her then, and she had, perfOrce, to LOOK through them at QlStanb gull And when she turned, expecting to find him at her side, he had gone. She bit her lip; certain chargin at her failure to arouse his interest that wholly personal sent the color into her cheeks. It was feeling distinct from her disgust at the effect of his action upon the more inn portant phase of her work, but it promised to rankle. It long time since any whom Mona had deigned to notice had turned away from her. She turned to go back to her chair, and saw regarding her, speculatively, fantly amused, from spot little distance away.
 "Beast!'' she said to herself. He's perfectly sure I dropped those glasses intentionally-for him to pick up! I wonder-am getting clumsy, is he preternaturally wise and experienced? He looks like the sort of that supposed to find irresistible!" !"
 But, though Mona's determinatio to succeed was only sharpened by this incident, she was obliged to admit to herself, after few days, that she had met at last who entirely impervious to her charms
 The two girls had followed the suggestion of Jones; they contrived, without resorting to any thing obvious, to give the ship the impression that they disliked one another. Like all the on board, they spoke, but each cold and distant. It seemed that they were of opposite and instinctively antagonistic types.
 Meanwhile though Mona had failed in her part of the undertaking, Mary's triumph was com plete. Her subjugation of the purser the talk of the ship. The two took long walks about the decks; heads nodded they passed and there were many smiles and whisperings about the budding romance Shelley found Mary captivat- ing; it was difficult for her to keep his ardor within bounds at all. He sighed talked of his wretched work, that almost forbade him to marry; confded to her that he intended, as soon he could, to find work ashore. /
 "This sort of thing is all very well for @ time!" he told her. But when chap begins to think of marrying and settling down-why, the seas no place for him. then!'
 SOh- ohv said Mary, innocently. "Why. when