Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1918-01-24


quickly. "Have 1 ever in all my long
life told you single fib?" had met
her twice before, but she shook her
head in grave negative. "Then believe
me now that never even guessed you
possibly might go the same way was
going. could hardly believe 1t when
saw you; but It is you and this is i;
and we are on the same boat, and ]
am happy; That is every word truth
Il swear it,"
"You won't shake me?" she asked,
her lips curving at their corners ador.
ably.
moi" l almost shouted.
'Nor question me?"
mot a single question:! won't
even remember that you have Sc
cret. That is all past-back there on
shore in the gray fogs of the city. Out
here Oh the sunlit sea there is no mys-
terry, no-no nothing! Just you, 60
ing home; just me with you. Just
us!"
"Then you may sit down beside
me-" she said, sinking into her chair,
to be on steamer bound south"
There was some ones vacant chair
near by, and l did not wait for per-
mission, setting It as close beside her
own as might; and told her how i
had begun hunting adventures at for
ty. l made no mention of the events
of the night after 1 had last seen her,
M nP nj xxrl; oh I
sure had once been her murdered
friends sweetheart. / had promised
to forget it all, and was not anxious
to bring added trouble to her mind,
for she was evidently still grieving
for the tragedy which she knew. l
tried my best to take her mind far
away from its sadness, telling her of
my plans and prospects, and in way
/ succeeded. She had smiled several
times before the Chinaman with his
gong announced dinner.
We had been placed at different ta-
bles | discovered, but it was an easily
rectified mistake. introduced Cap
tain Blake, who promptly elected the
occupant of the chair at his left for
Miss Reade. l was across the table
within speaking distance, but 1t was
not an entirely satisfactory arrange
ment to me.
For the first time / looked at Cap
tain Blake and found that he had
points; he wasn't so old as |, to begin
with, an error of Judgment in selection,
older men making better officers, /
felt sure. Then he had curly brown
hair. expressive brown eyes and
smiling mouth-was quite handsome,
in fact-and he could talk in all inter-
esting manner that should have envel
oped the whole table in its attraction.
AS the representative of the Thurs
ton Line, the official host as it were,
l felt that he should be generously
distributive of his charms-not use
them all up on Miss Reade. AS
steamer efficiency expert, saw oppor-
tunity right here for the improvement
OF the service.
Miss Reade didn't seem to mind.
She was no efficiency expert, and /
found that was not the only one with
power to raise the bloom of sorrow
from her. She smiled at the captains
sallies and applauded his stories, and
/ was shortly eating away, glum and
jaundiced, which brought me disa-
greeably to her attention and, OF
course, into the conversation. She
was not callously trying to make me
sulk; she was just young and natur-
ally happy, and she wanted every one
around her happy.
She was trying as hard as she knew
how to forget her sorrows, and she
was letting anyone who would help
her. could understand that had no
reason TO feel hurt or annoyed at her,
but in my mind was the comparison
o: our ages and the gray wisps in my
hair, and could not be quite reason
able. Youth for youth does not ap-
peal to uncynical forty.
But fortunately the captain had du-
ties other than attending to youth
full beauty, and after dinner Miss
Reade and l found ourselves again
alone in steamer-chairs.
NOW" she said decisively, Il i'll
teEd to tell you soL.e things, and you
will have to. remember all the while
what YOU have promised me. Every
single question you ask will mean one
confidence cut off. Because it is dark
ana YOU may not see my face, l am
going to take risks and talk, but re.
member, | am going TO talk very, very
carefully, and ve.y, very slowly. All
during dinner was thinking just how
much of me | might tell you without
betraying another"
,"All during dinner!" / gasped.
WAS that IA question:" She asked
stcnly
mo, no! An exclamation of stu
p9ndous, awel surprise. All during
dinners"
why repeat III You think can't
think when that eaptain-man is telling
bis stories? | can and did. Now lis.
lcn and do not interrupt. l am going
on this steamer rs far as Mazatlan,
iive more days at least. Thore my