Year: 1879

l
loaded with various articles. On board
were fourteen passengers, and, take them
all in all, pleasanter lot never steered
across the stormy sea.


There were three old gentlemen who
were going out to share their fortunes
come what might, and which, poor souls,
they seemed to think fashioned in the
brightest colors. long before the English
Channel was out of sight.


Then there was solitary old gentleman,
who, Judging from the tone OF his con-
versatlon, was seeking the new world for
the ostensible purpose of finding fault
with it,


There were two young couples, all full
of hope and activity, bent upon making a
new home far away from their native
land.


There was also a very jolly, orderly
brother and sister, neither Of whom had
ever entered into the bonds of matrimo-
ny, but instead had stuck to each other
through life.


There were three old Australian settlers,
who had been over TO have peep ut the
old country, and who were now returning
to the land which to them, through long
communion. had become the dearest of all
others, home, sweet home"
Lastly, though not least, there WAS q
solitary passenger, who soon became the
pet of all on board. lie was "a man of
about twenty eight years of age. possess
ing very clear complexion, very hand.
some, long flowing beard and very silky
mustache.


His name was Reginald Moore. His
given reason for taking this sea voyage
was the delicate state of his health. There
was not the least doubt that the poor fell
lows chest was affected, for his voice,
though charmingly sweet, was one of the
weakest ever remember hearing; and it
had certain hollowness in its sound that
in my mind is invariably associated with
that terrible disease commonly termed
consumption. lie always wore a thick
muller round his neck TO protect his
throat and chest.


In all my experence-an it has been a
pretty wide one-I never knew any one to
win so many friends, and such undivided
esteem, in so short time, as Reginald
Moore. There was not, believe, sailor
on board who did not entertain the warm
est possible liking for him.


AS for the passengers, they never seemed
so happy as when listening to his amusing
anecdotes, of which he seemed to possess
an ineXhaustible store. And this delicate
young English paragon of passengers had
made this conquest over all our hearts be.
fore we had been three weeks at sea.


He was, too, such clever fellow with
his hands. lie could cut and shape you
anything out of piece of wood, from an
| tn. 70 a1n Nd NJ IL
models of ships,who never met his equal.
He was. besides, such Kind and consider
ate fellow towards fellow passengers.


When the three elderly gentlemen, who
imagined their fortunes made, were afflict-
ed with sea.sickness. he was the first to
come forward and help them about while
they slowly recovered. He would insist
upon their taking his arm, weak as he
was himself, and he would lead them
about on deck with firmness that spoke
volumes in favor of his sea legs"


do not remember any voyage ever
passing so quickly as the one when the
pleasant passenger was on board. l
could, with infinite pleasure, make a long
pause at this junction in the thread of my
story, to dwell upon the pleasant memories
| still retain of Reginald Moore.
We were within weeks sail of Mel
bourne, and Reginald Moore had all but
completed a model of the Janets Pride,
which he proposed presenting to me the
night before we landed.


Now he worked at the model principal.
ly on deck, and, strangely enough, he had
chosen for a work table the top of one of
the empty water casks that stood on deck,
| H. g. vi tho al, oc ko L,,l
warks.


While he worked through the day you
were sure to see him surrounded by some
of the passengers or sailors. The amount
of industry displayed was truly wonderful,
for he was invariably at work in the early
morning long before any of the other pas
sengers dreamed of turning out of their
snug berths.


| AS bave already said. we were but six
days sail from Melbourne. For the first
time in our experience of him the pleas
ant passenger appeared at the dinner table
with solemn, downcast expression of
the face and silent tongue. Before din
ner was over l asked him what troubled
his mind and caused this unhappy change
in his wonted cheerful manner.


At first he tried to evade my queries by
replying it was nothing in particular" i"
but pressed him persistently until l won
from him an explanation.


Perhaps. after ALL" he said, cit is
only fair that should explain matters.
The fact of the matter is, my watch has
been stolen"


"Stolen!" we exclaimed in breath.


Undoubtedly" he answered; but l
pray you. Captain, here he turned to
mel pray you not to say one word
about it. The only thing that renders the
loss of consequence to me is the fact that
it once belonged to my poor mother. On
that account alone l would not have lost
it for any amount of money. However, it
is no use crying over split milk, as the old
adage has it. My only request in the
matter is. my dear Captain, that you will
have the matter entirely in my hands, and
| think it is very probable that may re-
cover it. This request am sure you will
oblige me by granting"


"Certainly, my dear sir,' l replied; /;
"but-"


Exactly" he interrupted, with one of
his pleasant smiles, lyon would like to
take the matter in hand, and investigate it
10 Inc utmost OF your power. KNOW
that, my dear Captain, full well; but can
trust you to keep your promise, and leave
the case entirely in my hands"


How could deny him his requestP


You will readily imagine what con-
sternation this event gave rise to among
the other passengers. The three old gen
tlemen instantly proceeded to explain that
they possessed jewelry 10 the value of at
least f300, which they usually kept locked
up in a brown leather writing case; but
unfortunately at the present time the lock
was out of order.


Reginald Moore suggested a safer de-
post for their valuables.


The young married couples announced
the fact of their owning at least f250
worth of jewelry, and they, too, consulted
Mr.. Moore as to the safest place of secret
ing IL.


The kind-hearted brother and sister had,
it appeared, more valuables in the way OF
Ijewelry than any one on board, since
fl, 500 had never purchased what they
possessed.


The whole of that evening was occupied
in speculating as to the probable perpetra.
l. A. Al =. l.! -.al.