The Storyteller.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7942, 4 October 1905, Page 4

The Storyteller.

IN TUK FDC. Il was one oi n.y first trips iinm New York to Naples on 1 oai'.l one of the great North-German I.loyd liner-, and before we had been many ilavs .ait I hart met a few sympathetic; people, with whom 1 spent most oi my time while coinn across. Two oi these werp American ladies, oi whom especially one before long (old me everything about lierseli, though I bad never tried to win her coiiliileuce. She felt in nerd of a friend • m board the big steamer travelling alone, so she told me that she had been engaged for live years to a countryman wrwm she was on her way to meet and marry at Naples. Her intended husband was a scientist, and had formerly be;n too poor to ihitik of martiage. but now be bad received a position in ihe famous aquaiiiiin which enabled him to support a family, if not in luxury, at least comfortably. For five limp; years she had not' seen bun—had only heard of him through letters winch came with unerring punctuality every week—and now she was so happy that she could hardly realise that the whole thing Was not a dream. .She was far from rvautifui, pab> and thin, with an expression whuli told of many sufferings ; when she spoke of "him" her faee became so radiently liappy ibat one could u,.i help considering her frettv ; ami in my thought I often .•.•ongra'tulatfd Human who was tin' imshaiid of sueii aft affectionate and loving wife. The other American girl was v.u much different. Serious, iiiielligct.i, well read and evidently uimsuaily uiShe was a Socialist a . d hid ilcvoud her lime to the i|i)i.roil«S of the Conditions of the poor of Chicago, She was the B i,ilior of several books on ihe s.*-ial question which had brought her not a lull,'. fame, and Was a delightful Conversationalist.

These two American ladies, ,„„• „f the ship's surgeons, a Frenchman who was returning to Frame after having !i;ado Ins fortune, in the States, and myself soon formed a little exelusive clique which was watched with jealousy by the other passengers., Our scats Were close together at tillable ; on deck we movul our easv chairs together in a lit tile. '.t.Mikai the end of the promenade 'Urk, and the evenings were generally spent m the saloon plaving cards or chatting.

One evening, when we were plough-

ing uiir w.w tlir.iugh a li> .ivy fo(j an.l i!,.' mar iif ill,, wltislle made the wlih!,' ship tremble e'.en minute, the Ficiici.inai'., wtiii bail until then ,i.cei, w-rv m!. m, 1 .-(■. in in speak ,n >,:,'>:-l>.' -|i:!i!.mii ,ii,il elair\o>HlKV Till- sill .Hill fl'll 11! illllV Imilliil io .licl.Uf '.hat 111' nlily holn.<i Hi ...iri.ce an.! ilriu,,l il,e exist.'ni-,' ~i Niiim:.. ~i am k.i.ii. Mui-i, 111 III) si|||,| is .. |;,. v;,,, |„,JK r„||tudteted i,y Hi,' Sin-i.il.si l.nh. while ilii- ••!Si.-i" l.iil> .iinl nns.'l! ,!„i „i,i t.lk,' aii\ |i.ir( ~, Hi,. ,ii v.1.5,.,;, "I Jill Willing I'l ll't Mill decide i.ir >iiur,i-!i," ili,' S.,c.ili:,i | a ,i\ said. "Malic MHI Will Lelle'.C ,i:|' wllcil 1 It'll ?n'i .ill about i.,'m- own ih.mji.s ii! 101 l I p.i M.'' "An.l what .ilk.iii Mini inuiic .''' '"!".■ I'i'iiiv neither I i.hi ~iu „th-|i-i liiiin.in li,iii., van .s.n iinvtiling Idiout." i ""!'. I il, 11 I do ili.l I-.V ~',11,1, 1„ "I." i.i!igh..l 111,. [•'i,,.i'!.: l ,„i i . '| |, ; „ IU "'} '■«"" I»'t- ; i' is niiU tli,. future ,!which .m, i:s|-, ,•,,,." I -'1:111 I ..,;, I,il M.ll :;„. ~: , |-v lolil I !'•»•:• ''it ■;!■» v.luii „iu ~i M.ui n(iatlMs air .Inlla. ~i I|,!, ii:,,;"..,,,.."No. ibank >■..: , 1 .'! ! cue a Colil|i„:,|.,l l.ji ,„y 1r1.nu,...." J Ml-S M.u Snll!.'!-.. Hi,. 1.|„i,.. |,.,,k_ ji.i uji, .in.: |..i-..|u >;ll .-i. ..,, Vli;j ,(., iml inin.i. \||ss Hurt,,a, 1 shnulil 1,.,,, in know li.in. v.lial inv fiancee at Naples lias l.eei. doing f,,.,!.,,. ,„■ is ■ j'h.iiig ii,.*-. li..n I will .I.K liim if ill is i-.iiuct wli.'i! \w ariin- ." "Willi pleasure." repliid Mis.-. Million. ..11l s,'l/l,[ |„| tight Lllilt. Wll.iM' lllll'S Nil,. 1,,-m.Uj ~, . CiUl C ., U ,,|,|l|y Suddenly she lit came very pale ami agitated, though Miss Sowers, who was hasliiuliv looking down, did n.,1 iioliiv it. We In.ike.l at .me another in surprise, but s.inri ihe colour came hack in her lace, ami in a most i.atulal an.l urn nnslianieil tone she t.ihl ihe bride tu he a few commonplace things, which she cviilenlly liiMiited mi Ihe spot. Mi- Solllrls. Hi,-, niilvr .li>il|.|...lllted. hut said nothing, ami soon aUciwalds nliieil. Wli.-n she h.aii hii us we sal lor a few moments in deep sileiiee, which was bii.k.'i, .inly by liie ho-.t-e mars mi l!i ■ v.i;i-;!e. ' All of us fill a .stisbut no niie dated ask Mi.-s liurton I what si.c bad ita'l m Miss Someis' liainl. I Kiiiallv I took courage an I ask. d-. | "1'1,..-.,- 1,11 Miss Jlilitnn. nlint iiark sei.'t m,ii kepi away irom .Miss Somels '.'" ! "(.'!., I rnhle—soinciiiing ; wli,<'ii idle.! my i.e.ii; Willi ixaU'sl • sniinw an.! pny." i man "Al :, o'clock this _!.-!„,. ~ |„, wr.iii- ,| '■■■■■■<■ in ii.. : . -., , V l,„.|, |„. bleaks ;1~ i Imi-s .:ii,i:l:ei-aii Itali.,ll s ul-,,iiil ! '""'' l'"' 'b'r I, 11.11. ■:,!„■; \r'i;l, ', |,'. Aim'.!..:, r, „.,i.I ..; X,,,,;,.,. hj„ will f't l' : - I :;,■! ;;..■ i,„: ; .,.,i „-,. ,„■. sum lii'ni ■ l ..\ : :r ;v', l i!. S ''!l i-Hni''' 'i'l',' Milii'i.li irie.l i,, !: ~;,,. ] .;,; u , j, i.n.l s.,|.i wilii a siiii.'e ■ ■■V»i. a:, „•„ .... M „.,: ; , !S , "t"ivj,t. '■;,., (•,,,.,,, v., v.,-i ~.. 'ly in'.iM' i„ ~,. „ j,,,, ~,„ ~d l, -, »l^^: ,,, » i .■."". , l^' ,, N ";,; , ' :,|! ., s '" •■'•■"' ''■■■)> 1.-fl. Wh„. (!„■ ,:,(,„ •"•" l:< !■"•':'I. tli.- lii-M „m,-,r d,s- - l , ", " J "- 1 "'• »"»l ■'".....:: 11..- , M s-ei,-

the side of the ship so as lo the sure to catch siyhl of licr lover as sonn as lip came near tin- duck. "Now we shall sic whether you Were right, Miss liurlon," whispered llii 1 surgeon. "Yes,, we shall sec," she replied. Suddenly »ve heard llie officer call out "Miss Soiners ! Miss Somcrs ! A letter lor Miss Soiners." in Hie young lady ran towards l,ij>j. She looked at i lII' envelope with a ■mile and lore it open. \V; be.;,in lo breathe tree. A piercing cry, and uv mv; ler faint and drop as if lead. Kvcry thing ,vhicli M;, s Minion ;.,«i foretold had :-,'>t]]p iri"? ? Miss Soiners never returned fo AmTica. She entered a eonveni at Naples.