Year: 1873

her, looking through his glass, asked,
"Is this seat engaged'


The answer was a cool '.Noi" and
the gentleman seated himself Ham
nah did not like strangers, and, be-
sides. all her friends in Eastport had
| given her innumerable warnings about
making acquaintance on the st. John
steamers so that she made her sweet
face as cross as possible, and before
long, thinking that her companion was
staring at her, went away to her state
room, into which she locked herself
with great firmness.


Meanwhile. her fellow-travcller
thought TO himself, '.Now that little
woman's gone I'll mako myself com.
Portable He could not smoke. for
the rules of the boat forbade it but he
took out the latest st. John paper, put
| his feet on the round of the chair in
which Hannah had sat. and began to
read. He was pleasant, fresh-look-
ing man of forty or SO. with an Eng
| lish.lnade suit of clothes. a tourists 8
glass slung over his shoulder. and a
blonde beard with dash OF gray in it..
Not wolf at all, apparently, even in
shcep's clothing, although he had
frightened our poor little lamb, who
was at that moment sitting on her
| berth in mingled state Of Fear and
indignation.


She sat there for an hour or more,
when, not liking TO lose the sea-breeze
| and sunshine, she locked her door
carefully, and, after going the whole
length Of the saloon, went back 10 try
the handle and assure herself that she
had really turned the KEY. The sun
was far down In the west, fresh
breeze had sprung up, Grand Menan
was out Of sight, and the steamer was
going out TO sea. The bugbear had
left his seat, and Hannah curled he r.
self mp and watched the water until
tea-time.


Now, the New Brunswick" is a
winter boat. and its dining-room, in
stead Of being on deck, as the summer
steamers, is down in the depths Of the
hold. Hannah had dozen minds
about venturing into the uncanny spot,
but hungar finally drove her down be.
I low. When she seated herself at the
table she tinidly raised her eyes and
/ saw, staring straight at her, the dread
fui man from whom she had fled in the
afternoon.


lie was not at ali rude or unciyil,
and did not even try 10 talk 10 her,
! but her fear of him made her swallow
cup OF tea and slice of toast as
| quickly as possible, and 20 back to her
place on deck. just before she had
! gone below she had seen sight for
which she had hardly dared hope, some
/ purple peaks rising ont Or tue Watei, =,
/ and unfolding themselves against the
sunset until they stood, sharply-cut, in
/ long line against the west. Hannah
began to live over again happy sum
mer which she and Nora had spent
there, when nobody but artists and
sca-loyers took the trouble 10 find out
the place, when Nora was just begin
ming TO paint, and Hannah used TO sit
| on the rocks, and watch the western
light spreading, as now, from Dog
Mountain to the 'three silent PIN
nacles" which 'stood, sunset-fushed,
towering over the others.


The western sky faded from rosy
gold to purple, the red reflections died
out of the water, the peaks melted into
the sky, stars came out, and the air
grew chilly. Hannah was just going
TO her state-room when she heard
voices at her side.


That was a good thing for your
firm, wasn't it:" said one.


YES" answered the same voice
which had spoken to Hannah on deck.
ave shall make more by it in month
than We did in six last year"
What has become of your friend
who went down with you last week -
said the same voice.


"Oh, Brown? l don't know just
where he is. | left him at Digby,"
and. lowering his voice in what seemed
TO Hannah q mysterious way, Il have
some money of his that l am going to
dispose of in Boston"


"Some money Of his" asked the
other. Il don't see how you managed
to get it,


"Oh, it was easy enough. I'll tell
you about it. Let's come and have a
smoke"


Hannah's blood ran cold. Could the
well-dressed gentleman in gray be a
robber-perhaps murderer, She
half-e1pected that he would spring out
at her. when she went through the sa-
loon, point pistol at her head, and
demand her money or her life.


That night was a long one for our
poor Hannah. The window of her
state-room was in the top, and while
she lay with wide-open eyes in her
berth she could see by the starlight
the ceaseless motion of the walking
beam, until she grew dizzy and turned
away from it. Before long. too, slow,
heavy footsteps passed over her head,
and she watched the window again in
nervous fear lest the feet which she
heard should make a mis-step and
enter her berth.


Toward morning she fell asleep, and
did not wake until the steamer was at
her wharf in Portland.


At six o'clock Hannah vas on deck
again. waiting for her cousin Stephen,
at whose house she was to breakfast
before going to Boston in the morning
train. He took her luggage from the
sharp-eyed officers, put her and hel
shawl strap and travelIing-bag into q
hack. and landed her in front of his
own door before she fairly knew where
she was. An hours rest before break
fast refreshed the little woman, and
she was in her bravest and most defiant
mood when she bade goodbye te
Stephens wife and children, and wen
with him to the station. She was tht
soul of punctuality, and was comfort