The Washington herald., 1916-06-18

were made up, the spur Of the moment for
bridge or poker, never claimed him. He seemed
TO see no fun in throwing rope quoits at stick,
and he passed the devotees of shuffleboard with
a tolerant smile. He made 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 eat in the solitary
state Of his own state-rooms.
So Mona herself deprived Of the aid of
all the pleasant cultivators of acquaintanceship
that 50 abound a ship. On the ocean the
ventions are 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, Mr.. held aloof. II
he noticed her at all he gave sign, and Mona,
though she might have managed it shlfully
enough, was afraid to resort to the crude strata
gem of boldly beginning the acquaintance herself.
She did as much she thought was safe.
One day, when she that he coming
toward her, she stood the rail, peering out
the waves Calculating her time to a nicety she
dropped the that contained her marine
glasses. They fell at the feet Of the self-styled
Armstrong; in a moment cap in hand, he
bowling before her
Permit me- he said, handing her the case.
"Oh, thank you so much" said Mona, prettily
confused. What clumsy thing to dol I'm so
afraid they're broken"
Gravely he took the case from her, drew out
the glasses, and inspected them.
You are fortunate" he said. They quite
uninjured. I congratulate your
He restored them to her then, and she had,
perforce, to look through them at a distant gull.
And when she turned, expecting to find him at
her side, he had gone. She bit her lip; certain
chargn at her failure to his interest, that
was wholly personal sent the color into her
cheeks. 1t was feeling distinct from her disgust
at the effect of his action upon the i'm
portant phase of her work. but it promised to
rankle. 1t was long time since any man whom
Mona had deigned to notice had turned away from
her. She turned to go back to her chair, and saw
regarding her, speculatively, family amused,
from spot little distance away.
Beast !" she said to herself Hes perfectly
sure 1 dropped those glasses intentionally-for
him to pick up! I wonder-am getting clumsy,
He looks like the sort of that women
supposed to find irresistiblel" |"
But though Mona's determine tion to succeed
was only sharPened by this incident she was
obliged to admit to herself, after few
days, that she had met man at last who was
entirely impervious to her charms
The two girls had followed the suggestion Of
Jones; they contrived, without resorting to any
tsing obvious. TO give the ship the impression
that they dlshked one another. Like all the wom-
en- on board they spoke, but each cold and
distant 1t seemed that they were of opposite and
instnctivey antagonistic types.
Meanwhile, though Mona had failed in her
part of the undertaking, Mary's triumph was COM
plete. Her subjugation of the purser was the talk
OF the ship. The two took long walks about the
decks; heads nodded as they passed. and there
we're 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, soon
he could, to find work ashore
This sort of thing is all very well for .
time" he told her. But when chap begins 70
think Of marrying and settling down-why, the
seas no place for him. thenl"
'Sn-oh" said Mary, innocently. why wnsn