The Democratic Advocate

Seeing
By Bentley
SEVERO
ETHEL
Off.

Copyrighted, 1909, by Associated Literary Press.

Amy Sheldon, leaning idly over the steamer's rail, watched the crowd on the pier and wished, just for a moment, that there had been an opportunity to get word to some of the people she could trust.

This was all so different from her last sailing, and it brought more sharply to her memory the scene of two days before when she had given Dick Nesbit his ring and had declared that she hated the very sight of his face.

She had last sailed in June, and the pier had been crowded, but until the very last she had seen Dick's smiling face framed in an indistinct blur of other faces. Now she would look in vain, if, indeed, she looked at all.

She had about decided to go to her stateroom until the boat should swing into the stream.

She had turned to suggest to her aunt that course of action when she caught sight of Dick making his way through the crowd about the gangway, and presently he came on board with a heavy suit case that seemed to argue his determination to take passage on the Aurania.

Amy had turned back to the rail; then she turned again and made her way to the lower deck, where she knew that the purser's office was located.

Passing rapidly through the gangway, she saw that it really was Dick, though he was in earnest conversation with a man in blue and brass, and he did not see her.

He had his pocketbook in his hand, and with flashing eyes Amy made her way back to the upper deck, where her aunt still sat in the winter sunshine enjoying the bustle that preceded the departure.

One of the most admirable things about Aunt Molly was her willingness to do what her tempestuous little niece wished to do, but even the usually placid Aunt Molly demurred when Amy stormed up and demanded that they leave the ship at once.

"But I've said goodbye to the Brookes, and Mrs. Brooke is going to send all our mail in care of the London agent," protested the little old lady, "you can't go back home after telling the Brookes that we were to be gone until fall. She will tell all her friends and"-

"And that's just the trouble," interrupted Amy, with a stamp of her little foot. "Mrs. Brooke has been talking already. She must have gone to the telephone the moment we left last night and told everybody she ever knew."

"But what will Dick think if you start and then turn back?" reminded Aunt Molly, determined not to give up a spring in the south of France without exhausting every argument.

"That's just the trouble," explained Amy. "That horrid Mrs. Brooke must have called him up last night after promising that she would not tell a soul. He's on board. I just saw him in the purser's office buying his ticket."

"I thought that they bought them at the dock," objected Aunt Molly, but Amy shook her head.

"You can buy tickets on board at the last moment. I suppose that Dick-I mean Mr. Nesbit-had to wait until he could settle about his practice being looked after-not that there is so much to the practice," she added spitefully. "I don't believe that he's been in court this month."

"Is he altogether to blame for that?" asked Aunt Molly, fencing for time in which to marshal other arguments.

"And suppose that I did let him waste a lot of time with me!" retorted Amy. "I've been telling him for the last month that I was tired of seeing him about and that our engagement was all a mistake."

"Then I don't think that he is following you," advanced Aunt Molly.

"Dick is not the sort of man to follow when he is not wanted. If he is on board it is because he has to reach Europe by the first steamer, and he won't bother us in the least."

"Because I shan't give him a chance," explained Amy promptly. "I am going down to the stateroom to have the steward take our steamer trunks back to the dock. It is lucky that we arranged to have our other baggage follow."

"But what will people say?" demanded Aunt Molly as she rose and prepared to follow her energetic niece.

It was plainly to be seen that the trip was off, or at least postponed, and Aunt Molly knew the signs well enough to realize when resistance was useless.

Amy, by dint of liberal tipping, managed to collect her things on the dock just as the final warning sounded. For the moment it was useless to try to leave the dock.

The port captain stood beside the remaining gangway ready to superintend the lowering of the last connection between ship and shore, and a line was stretched to keep back those who had not gone to the end of the pier to wave a last farewell.

The sides of the ship were lined with eager faces, some smiling, some bedewed with tears. Aunt Molly stood guard over their belongings and looked wistfully at the fortunate ones on the decks.

Just as the signal was given to hoist, Dick Nesbit appeared at the head of the gangplank and dashed down, his feet not touching the dock before the upper end of the plank was hoisted clear of the ship's side.

He sprang lightly aside to escape the swaying edge of the chute and in doing so almost bumped into Aunt Molly, who was making a brave endeavor not to look disappointed.

The black bulk moved slowly past the open section of the shed, but Aunt Molly did not see it now. She was busy watching Amy and Dick Nesbit, after a single glance at the frowning girl, devoted his conversation to Aunt Molly, with whom he was a favorite.

"Did you get afraid of seasickness at the last moment?" he demanded gayly. "I didn't even know that you were thinking of going abroad or I should have sent some flowers."

Aunt Molly glanced triumphantly at Amy, but that crimson-cheeked young woman gave no sign that she had heard the disclaimer.

"I came precious close to taking the trip myself," continued Dick. "You know what a pest Fred Bentley always is when there's a wedding. He always wants to decorate the trunk and do all those things that aggravate the bridal pair.

"When it came to getting married himself he was scared stiff, for he knew of a dozen chaps who had it in for him. He married Belle very quietly last night and came aboard this morning before daylight. Some reporter asked Ben Houghton about it, and we found that Fred was locked in his stateroom.

"Trimmins, the purser on this ship, is a jolly sort of chap. I've crossed with him three times, and I know him very well. The boys got me to hustle down here with a lot of junk in a suit case. I gave Trimmins some money to tip Fred's cabin and saloon stewards, and Fred's going to get a daily hint from his victims. I was so busy explaining that Trimmins had fairly to fire me down the gangplank."

"And you were not sailing yourself?" asked Aunt Molly.

"I only wish that I could-to see the fun," declared Dick, with twinkling eyes. "If it hadn't been that I caught a big case last night I think I should have done so. I bet Fred's sorry by this time tomorrow that he ever heard of white ribbons and old shoes as decorations for trunks and hacks."

Amy was watching the steamer swinging into midstream with the aid of two bustling little tugs, but from the corner of her eye Aunt Molly saw that the girl heard.

"And, speaking of hacks," ran on Dick, "shall I get you one?"

Without waiting for an answer he tore off up the dock to retain one of the few waiting hacks, then hurried back to escort Aunt Molly and the trunks.

It was not until he had helped Aunt Molly into the cab and had turned to show a similar courtesy to Amy that she spoke.

"I thought that Mrs. Brooke told you we were leaving on this steamer and that you were following me," she said hurriedly. "I am sorry that I was so silly, and yet I am glad, because I know now that it was just because I was tired and silly that I broke the engagement. Will you come over tonight Dick-and bring back the ring?"

"Will I?" he echoed jubilantly. "I should say that I would. And, do you know, I am almost sorry that I put up that job on Fred."

"Don't be afraid," reassured Amy smilingly. "That case will be over and we'll be on our own honeymoon before he gets back to play tricks on us. If you had not played the trick I should have sailed, and you-"

"Would not be the happiest man in town," completed Dick. "I guess Fred was of some use, after all."