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To-day's Short Story.I ———-———

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To-day's Short Story. I ——— ——— ROMANCE OF THE SEA I It had gone two bells in the middle watch, and I oould hardly keep my eyes open. The morniqg waa exceedingly warm, but there, was a high breeze from the westward—just enough to keep the canvas full. I had thought of everything I could remember to fight off the drowsiness that was stealing over me. I re-called the last eong I had heard ashore and the girl who gang it. I thought of the letters I had to write before we made IIakQ- date. for we were cruising in the Japan Sea on this night of June, 1886. There was no excuse to trim sail to keep oneself awake. The breeze, though light, was steady, and at the foot of the main course, to which I had extended my walk, and now stood under for the delightful draught it east, was as motionees as if the sail-rope had been of metal. I suddenly felt I was thirsty, and wandered down to the gun-room for a goblet of rum and lime-juice to give a relish to my next pipe. "Hello, old man! Why havs you turned out? Three hello have not struck yet." The face tha-t looked up to mine from the mess table was that of a bounty—so refined, not masculine comelinc6s, but 1J06itiye beauty that no debutaute at a London draw- ing-room 110 mr.ttei- hv lovely could domtir to ah exchange. There was nothing effeminate about the ligure. The shoulders were square and mueeular, and the necli showed unmis- takable sigiis of stre-ngtb. Arthur Bescoby, thou go wo called him lVtiSS Kescoby in the mess, was no girl-boy, but a young man frcm the pleasant county of Kent, who was a. good cricket and football player, pulled t btrong oar, and gave ample promise of being a valuable addition to her Majesty's navy. 1 can't sleep Paddy (Paddy was my pet name). I don't know what it is that worriee me so. but I feel wretched." You're in love. Bessie. That visit you made to Scotland has settled you." Besoody's palo face flushed. I don't think I'm very hard hit, Paddy," h I rejoined, only something to keep my mind: busy between mails. By the way, what did you make her out to be yesterday ? I gave him the ship's position at noon, and chaffed him at having forgotten it. Suppose you take a turn on the deck with me. Bee. I said. It will do you more good than acribblirig in the meas-room. Come along, and I 11 tell you about the girl that saved my life at Limerick." Before I concluded that remarkable tale Beacoby's blues had disappeared, and when the next watch was mustered he was all right again. He was a. favourite of mine, and, although he spoke to me freely on many things, there was still an a.ir of reserve about him tha.t made all perfect confidence im.poe- siible. He was sensitive to a degree, and suf- fering under the chafing which a lot of larky midshipmen find indicroencable to fill their leisure hours. "I'd like to speak to you, eir, for a. minute," said a. huge fellow, the tallest man in the ship, a marine whom we oalled Gog Thompson, and who looked after Beecoby b clothes a.nd washing as well as mine. "What L5 it, Gog? Quick, reel it off. I'm sleepy." "Ay a.y sir. It's about Mr. Bceeoby. Did he ever talk to you about 81.. Elmo's light? "Why, yes; he was curioua to see it. Well, what of it?" "He's more than curious, eir. He .a super- stitious about it. He thinks it will have effect upon his life." "Nonsense," said 1. "Mr. Beecoby as been chaffing you, Gog." "So, replied the big marine earnestly, who loved the handsome young middy as tf he bad been his son. "I know you are his chum, sir, and that if I told you you d talk him out of these ideas. But please, an-, don t mention that I had anything to say about it." "Certainly not, GOg," and as the marine saluted and walked forward I remembered that Arthur was superstitions, and had asked me many thingB about ghosts and fairies and banshees and other uncanny things indigenous of the Isle of Saints. But he had never mentioned St. Elmos light, that peculiar ball of electric light which is occasionally seen in the low latitudes, cling- ing to the trucks and the ends of the yards. "I'll pump him about it to-day," I thought, and fell asleep. That afternoon when I was writing up my individual log. Bescoby came into the gun- room. I saw the same curious and worried expression on his face that I had observed the night before. "Bessie, what the deuce is the matter with you? Are you fretting because you have not seen St. Elmo's light?" Who has been telling you that yarn, Paddy?" he answered, qui-ckly, with a flush of annoyance. I know. That big donkey, Gog, has been loading you up with a lot of bosh." "Look here, old man," I said, "you oon- flde in me. Now I have talked to you about banshees and ghosts, tell me about thia light business." He sat down beeide me, and, putting his arm on my shoulder, said, in a shameful sort of way: My dear Paddy, I'll tell you all. I am a, silly duffer, you know, and one week's shooting at Eaglesham Manor settled me. 1 met there a. countrywoman of yours. I will not describe Nora. to you. But here is her picture. "Humph!" I thought; "badly hit, in- deed," as he took a locket which he wore from a silk oord around his neck. opened it, and laid it before me. It was the face of an exceedingly beautiful girl—a rougish, laugh- ing face, with clusters of brown curly hair and deep blue eyfes. It was well painted. The artist was evidently deeply interested in his subject. "That is Nora," he said, and the gentle lowering of the voice as he pronounced tihe name of the loved one told the whole story. I ooragratulate you upon your good taste, Bess. Am I to be best man?" chaff me, Paddy," he said. "Nora is as poor as I am, but she loves me. She will wait for me. I am sure she will. Now, someone has been telling her a.bout St. Elmo's light, and I promised her that when I saw it I would go aloft and examine it closely and make scientific observations and all that sort of thing. "And the last words tha-t Nora epoke to ids (we were en the shore of Eagleeham Lake as she kissed me and called me her own sailor and told me that she know that she never could love anyone half ae well as a sailor) were: 'Arte, don't forget St. Elmo's light. And, Arte, when you see that lierht Nora will be near to you in spirit. And when yon see it, you say, "Xom, Nora, Nora," three times, and wherever 1 am my soul will be close by you at that moment, Arte. Oh, Paddy, she is as beautiful as an angel, and I am sick with longing to see her again," and the poor lovesick lad buried his face in his hands. "By Jove, you've grit, it bad, Bessy," I said. "I thought I was fond of the girl that saved my life at Limerick, but my affection is but a tallow dip alongside St. Elmo's light com- pared to yours." Don't chaff me any more, will you, ¡ Paddy?" and the hapless lover looked pleadingly at me. "I will not, Bessy. I don't wonder that Nora fell in love with you; you are too good- looking for a man. And I promise you that if on my watch on deck I see St. Elmo's light I'll send Gog Thompson to pull you out by the heels." After this conversation I noticed a change for the better in Bescoby. He had lost his moodiness, and gave such hot shots to his tormenters, who used to fthaff him for their digestion, t1wt he silenced their batteries in short order. I think he felt relieved that he had old me his story, and I listened to the entire. tale of hi* meeting with an engagement to the Irish beauty. I hoped that she had not been flirting- wi th my chum, but even as he told the story of their love I was villain enough to conclude in my own mind that Nora was looking out for a rich husband, and was getting her hand in by practising on Bescoby. There was such a strawberry and cream flavour about this .bu-sinefs. a Paul and Virginia atmosphere, that I felt my countrywoman was amusing herself with the susceptible young sailor, and nothing more. Two days afterwards we brought up in Ha.kocla.1of>. Th-we were a few merchantmen in the harbour and an English yacht. At mess that evening one of onr fellows whQ had been ashore gave us all the gossip of the place. "That yacht is the Spray," he said, and belongs to a rich Scotch lord, who has a large party on board. The consul told me all about them. His aunt and married sister are chaperoning the girls. One is awfully pretty, an Irish girl. She is engaged to his lordship, and they are to be married at the British Embassy at Hong Kong. I say, we must give them a dance. JtFst think how jolly! Here we are, away from home and the lots of English girls we know. Hey for the maids 01 merry, merry England! Wouldn't it be grand if we got to Hong Kong for the wedding?" What's the owner's name?" I asked. "Lord Gilmour. A jolly young chap, too. Has a, gramd shooting and great place some- where near Glasgow. I want to see you for a minute, Paddy." I looked aronnd, and Bescoby was at my elbow. He was strangely pale, and his eyes wore a. wild and unnatural expression. Paddy," he said, as he stood at one end of* th» starboard ports, there is something ^awfully wrong. I know this Lord Gilmour. It was at his.house I stayed. It was there J met Kora. And he attentive to her, j 3 (remember, but she did not seem to ca-re V&foat. brim. AntUnov she is on this yachting &ud be ia^Boeae^ad ter-eoroo one on board. Oh, Paddy, I know there is something wrong." Nonsense; belay all that stuff," I said, cheerily. If Nora. is on board, which is not probable, there are other Irieh girls in the world, and it does not follow that the Scotsman is engaged to her." He shook his head, and as he walked away I felt just as surely as I had heard the story that his Nora was the lord's fiancee, and that she had used him to bring her laggard to the proposing point. Beivcoby lost no time in confirming his sus- picions. I met him ashore a few hours afterwards, and he tokl nia that he had seen one of the yatchsnjcn, and got the whole I stOTY from him. The fates Nora was soon to become Lady Gilmour, and she had thrown her midship- I man completely overboard. I met her, Paddy," the poor fellow said, "and she smiled at me and shook ha.nds, but it was as if I was a, pleasant acquain- tance, and nothing more. Lord Gilmour was quite friendly, and spoke of the shooting, and invited me on board. I had only one cuanco to speak to her, and I whispered, Nora. have you forgotten?' and she laughed and said, with an air of a woman of the world. You silly boy, I want yatJ. to forget all that nonsense.' But it is all over now. 1 will never see her again. Nwer, never.' "Bosh!" Ea-id I, slapping him on the back. "You'll get over all this. Why, that girl who saved my life in Limerick, and who swore that I was the only man she ever loved, was married a weak afterwards to a wealthy tanner, and had the .mpudence to send me one of iier wedding cards." But ail. this well-meant consolation had no effect upon my friend, and I was glad when we got underweigh and pointed for the Straits of Sunda. Beeeoby went about his duty in a dull, m-echaiiical sort of way, and even the fellows who used to persecute him most bad re^fpeot for his despondency, although they kn-ew not the cause. He never mentioned the numo of his false sweetheart again, and I avoided all reference to the subject. I was in the second hour of a delicious sleep a few nights afterwards when some- body- grasped me violently by the arm. and shook me. "Rouse up, sir! Rouse up!" cried Gog Thompson hurriedlv. "I think there is seme-thing wrong with Mr. Bescoby. He ia aloft on the mizzeit), royal, and I sent one of the boys after him, and the boy came back and said he was talking to himself, and. mut- coring something about St. Elmo's light, and I a.m. afraid, sir, tha-t he is out of his mind." While I was hurriedly pulling on my trousers the marine told me that that sin- gular phenomenon had been seelI first on the main truck, and that another ball of fixe had. rested for a moment on the end of the mizzen royal yard-arm. The minute Mr. Bescoby ea. this he had rushed aloft and laid out on the yard. Filled with apprehension, I came on deck, and started quickly up the weather riggring. There was a heavy swell on, and the ship was rolling considerably. I stopped at the mizzen topmast cross-trees, and sung out softly: Hello, Bescoby! Lay down here for a momen t. I have got something to tell you." He did not reply, but kept talking to him- [ j self, so I bcgan the ascent of the top-gallant rigging. As the ship rolled heavily to lee- ward, I Raw his figure outlined against the dusky sky, and I heard him say in a pecu- liarity dull, but distinct, monotone: i "I have found the light a.t last, Nora. I have kept 3rty part cf the promise. Is your spiri t (near me now?" Again the big ship rolled to leeward, and the end of the royal yard was lifted up to the clear patch of sky. But there was no one there. Poor Bescoby had either sprang or fallen overboard. I shouted to the quartermaster to put the wheel hard down, and as the ship came shak- ing in the wind I jumped to the top-gallant backstay and slid rapidly to the deck. The boat was at once lowered away, and then another; but, though we searched for more than an hour, and burned ligths over a vast area of water, we found no trace of the hap- less midshipman. There was gloom in the gun-room for many weeks afterwards, for Beas was a general favourite. I never told the stoOry of this unfortunate attachment, and I never saw the woman whose marriage I read of in a Hong Kong paper, who had made my poor friend the sport of a summer vacation, and ruined a young and promising life for her own gratification, I and for the winning of wealth and title.

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