Emmons County record., 1917-07-19
CHAPTER u.

Dinner ran of uneventfully, II enli.
vened by the quenchless animation of
the Dowager Dragon. but Miss Car.
teret. manifesting little appetite, sat
out the meal with downcast eyes, mute
save when courtesy dictated speech,
Later she found herself seated by her
Dragons side on the lee of the prome-
made deck, in darkness save for the
beams from lighted ports. For little
the girl relished all this with Rladness.
But presently her spirits sagged again
and she grew drowsy, and fingered
from her bed only to please the
warm-hearted old woman who had
adopted her pro tempore-"on suspi-
cion," as Mrs. Beggarstafr put 1t, not
without little harmless malice.
Now and again friends paused to
pay their addresses to the Dowager
Dragon; amiable, light-hearted people,
personable and attractive: yet Of them
all the facile waxen tablets Of Miss
Carteret's memory retained impress
sions Of but three personalities.
One was the famous Peter Trait,
claiming her interest more because Of
Mrs.. Beggarstaf's outspoken delight
In him than through any qualities he
paraded during the few minutes he
spent with the two-a youngish, we'll
poised body. with a drawl and a sort
Of ins0uciant humor that seemed to
AFFORD the Dragon intense diversion.
But much Of this mans discourse was
couched in modified phase Of Ameri-
can slang or else harked back to local
American topics; both largely unintel-
lgible to sense Of humOr nourished
On strictly British slang and localisms.
Then there was a Mrs. Merrilees-
according to Mrs. Beggarstaff not a
year out Of mourning for a worthless
husband-an adorably pretty creature,
and 50 bewitchingly gracious that
Miss Carteret, at sight. first caught
her breath with envy, then fell hope
iessly In lave with her.
A third she remembered for no rea.
son she could assign. His name wns
Quoin-a tall, taciturn man with a
quiet voice. semi.irOnic attitude
toward the Dowager Dragons gush Of
spirited inconsequence, and sugses-
ton Of reserve. For some reason she
remembered him more definitely even
than she remembered Mrs. Merrilees.
AS for the others. they might as we'll
have been shadows on a cinemuto-
graph screen.
BY ten o'clock, leaving Mrs. Beggar.
staff firmly fixed in the fourth seat
at a card table, engrossed by her one
confessed infatuation, auction bridge,
Miss Carteret was abed and asleep.
A bed Of almost sybaritic luxury It
seemed, as 1t rocked her gently to for
getfulness; but bed Of misery when
she awoke in the chill of dawn. with
the Alsatia, for all her immense bulk.
dancing drunkenly to the tune piped
by mad northeaster. And for more
than sixty hours she was held the
victim Of mortal weakness and the ele-
ments' immortal rage.
Intervals there were, Of course,
when. her sufferings temporarily abnt-
ed, she was able to talk little with
one or the other of her would-be COM
forters-Mrs. Beggarstaff and the
stcwardess. But on Tuesday men,
orable conversation took place, neg
ugible though it seemed Mt the time.
It was at about six bells in the fore
noon watch when the Dowager Dragon
came below, ostensibly to find book,
In reality to convey fair tidings.
you're feeling better" she assert
ed, after shrewd look at the girl.
Propped up in bed, Miss Carteret
moved a languidly negative head.
'Don't tell me! haven't crossed
this mill-pond thirty times not to
know when seasick woman's on the
mend. Besides, haven't you noticed
how much steadier the boat has been
this last hour OF two?"
II thought must be imagining It,"
the invalid murmured incredulously.
Nonsense! The barometer's been
rising since midnight. The wind shift
ed at dawn, and now we've clearing
sky and falling sea. OF course
you're feeling better. You'll be on
deck before night"
"Oh, please, Mrs. Beggarstaff!"
'Don't worry; shan't carry you on
BY force. Bless my inadequate in
comet What's this7"
The girl turned her head wearily to
look.
Mrs. Beggarstaff had been standing
beside the chest Of drawers, hand
abstractedly toying with her protegee's
simple jewelry, and suddenly had
singled out a brooch for wondering In
terest.
This brooch was very beautiful
thing, an exquisite cameo in sardonyx
framed in an oval frame of fine dia.
monds; and Miss Carteret treasured II
above all her possessions.
"Where under the sun, child, did you
pick this up?"