Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-12-26

made him.
The purser chuckled. WIe's a gooC
I'm, Mac is. They say he liked to have
drowned Northrup after he had saved
him."
Elliot was again following with his
eyes the Tilt of the girls movements
Apparently he had not heard what the
T. officer said.
! With grin the purser opened an
other attack. "Dont blame you bit
Mr.. Elliot. She's the prettiest colleen
that ever sailed from Dublin bay"
"WhO is she?"
"The name on the books is Sheba
O'Nein."
"From Dublin, you say?'
"Oh, if you want to be literal, he1
baggage says Drogheda. Ireland is
Ireland to me-"
! "Where is she bound fOr?"
"Kusak."
The young woman passed them with
a little nod Of morning greeting to the
purser. Fine and dainty though she
was, Miss O'Neill gave an impression
of radiant strength.
"What is she going to do in Kusiak?''
Again the purser grinned. "What do
they all do--the good-looking ones"
Get married. you meanY
"Surest thing you know. Girls COM
ing up ask me what to bring by way
of outfit. I used to make out a long
list. Now tell them to bring clothes
enough for six weeks and their favor
tie wedding march,
us this girl engaged"
"Can't prove it by me-" said the Of
ficer lightly. "But she'll never get out
of Alaska spinster-not that girl.
She may be going in to teach, or to run
millinery store, or to keep books for
a trading company. She'll stay to
bring up Riddles of her own. They all
do"
Three children came up the stair
way, caught sight Of Miss O'Neill and
raced pell-mell across the deck to her.
The young woman's face was trans
formed. It was bubbling with tender
ness, with gay and happy laughter.
Flinging her arms wide, she waited for
them. With incoherent cries of de-
light, they flung themselves upon her.
The two oldest were girls. The
youngest was a fat, cuddly little boy
with dtmples in his soft cheeks.
II dwessed myself, Aunt Sheba.
Didn't l, Gwen?"
Sheba stopped and held him off to
admire. "All by yourself-just think
Of that"
"We helped just the teeniest bit on
the buttons" confessed Janet, the old
est of the small family.
"And I tied his Shoes" added Gwen
dolen, latter he had laced them"
Gwendolen Struggled close to Miss
O'Neill. "You always smell so sweet
and clean and violety, Aunt Sheba,"
she whispered in confidence.
"You're spelling me, Gwen" laughed
the young woman. you've kissed the
blarney stone. It's good thing you're
leaving the boat today" "
Miss Gwen had one more confidence
to make in the ear of her friend. Il
wish you'd come too and be our new
mamma" she begged.
A shell-pink tinge crept into the
milky skin of the Irish girl. She was
less sure of herself more easily EN-
barrassed, than the average American
of her age and sex.
"Are your things gathered ready for
packing, Janet?" she asked quietly.
The purser gave information to Ell
hot. "They call her Aunt Sheba, but
she's no relative of theirs. The kids
are on their way in to their father,
who Is an engineer on one of the
creeks back of Katma. Their mother
died two months ago. Miss O'Neill met
them first aboard the Ssagit on the
way up and she has mothered them
ever since"
The eyes Of Elliot rested on Miss
O'Neill. 'She loves children"
"She sure does-no bluff about that"
An imp of mischief sparkled in the eye
of the supercargo. mot married your.
self, are you, Mr.. Elliott"
mo"
"Hmp!"
That was all he said, but Gordon felt
the blood creep into his face. This
annoyed him, so he added brusQuely:
"And not likely to be-"
When the call for breakfast came
Miss O'Neill took her retinue of young.
sters with her to the dining room.
Looking across from his seat at an
adjoining table, Elliot could see her
waiting upon them with a fine alb.
sorption in their needs.
Before they had been long in the
dining room Macdonald came in carry
ing a sheaf Of business papers. He
glanced around, recognized Elliot, and
made instantly for the seat across the
table from him. On his face and head
were many marks of the recent battle.
"Trade you cauliflower ear for
pair Of black eyes, Mr. Elliot" he
laughed as he shook hands with the
man whose name he had just learned
from the purSer.
The grip of his brown, muscular
Hand was strong. It was in character
with the steady, cool eyes set deep be-
meath the jutting forehead, with the
confident carriage Of the deep, broad
shoulders.
"You might throw in several other
little souvenirs to boot and not miss
them" suggested Elliot with a smile.