williamson a m - lady betty across the water

8/12/2019 Williamson a M - Lady Betty Across the Water

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The Project

Gutenberg eBook,Lady Betty Across

the Water, Editedby Charles Norris

Williamson andAlice Muriel

Williamson,

Illustrated by


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Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

***START OF THE PROJECT

GUTENBERG EBOOK LADY BETTY

ACROSS THE WATER***

E-text prepared by SuzanneShell

and the Project Gutenberg

Online DistributedProofreading Team

(http://www.pgdp.net)


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Transcriber's Note:

Minor typographical errors

have been corrected without

note. Dialect spellings,

contractions and

discrepancies have been

retained.


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EDITED BY


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To

the people of that great, delightful, andhospitable

land which gave Lady Betty the time of

her lifeand inspiration, this story of her visit is

admiringly

Dedicated by Betty Bulkeley

and C. N. and A. M. Williamson

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE


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XII. About a Wedding and a

Disaster 200

XIII. About Running Away 211

XIV. About the Twentieth

Century Limited and

Chicago 223

XV. About Seeing Chicago 227XVI. About the Valley Farm 238

XVII. About Cows and National

Characteristics 253

XVIII. About Some Country Folk,

and Walker's Emporium 272

XIX. About Getting Engaged 289

XX. About Jim and the Duke 297


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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

"I found myself chatting

away with those cadets as

if I had grown up with

them" Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

"He turned around quickly,

glanced up and caught my

eyes, as I was looking

down, quite distressed" 34

"When I turned to speak to

him he was gone ... and I

was immediatelysurrounded by other men

asking me for dances" 196

"I swept past him with my

nose in the air, trying to


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This envelope had a great sprawly gol

crest, but she didn't seem to disapprove o

t. She read on and on, then suddenl

glanced up as if she would have sai

something quickly, to Victoria; she didn

say it, though, for she remembered me.

am never taken into family conclavesbecause I'm not out yet. I don't see wha

difference that makes, especially as I'

not to be allowed to come out till afte

Vic's married, because she was presented

four years ago, and isn't even engaged ye

so for all I can tell I may have to stay i

ill I'm a hundred, or leak out slowly whe

nobody is noticing, as Vic says girls do i

he middle classes. This time I didn

mind, however, for I couldn't see how th


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etter concerned me; and as I was dyin

for a sight of Berengaria's puppies, whic

were born last night, I was glad whe

Mother told me not to fidget after I'

finished breakfast, but to run down to th

kennels if I liked.

Soon I forgot all about the letter, for th

puppies were the dearest ducks on eart

can puppies be ducks, I wonder?), an

besides, it was such a delicious Jun

morning that I could have danced with jo

because I was alive.

often feel like that; but there's nobody t

ell, except the trees and the dogs, and m

poor pony, who is almost too old and


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bulb again.

stopped out of doors till luncheon, an

played croquet against myself, wishin

hat Stan would run down; for althoug

Stan rather fancies himself as a Gorgeou

Person since poor father's death gave hihe title, he is quite nice to me, when i

occurs to him. I'm always glad when h

comes to the Towers, but he hardly eve

does in the Season; and then in August and

September he's always in Scotland. So i

Vic, for the matter of that, and she hate

being in the country in May and June

hough Surrey is so close to town tha

uckily she doesn't miss much; but thi

year we seem to have been horribly poor


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did leave it for the last so far a

answering was concerned, but inside

where, thank goodness, even her eyes can

see, I was wondering hard when Mothe

had formed that flattering opinion. A

fortnight ago I heard her announce tha

Americans "got upon her nerves," and shhoped she would not soon be called upo

o meet any more. As she had made thi

remark directly after bidding Mrs. EsKay good-bye, I naturally supposed tha

ady to be the immediate cause for it. Bu

now, it seemed, this was not the case.

"You would be very ungrateful if you

disliked her," Mother went on, "as sh

ook such a tremendous fancy to you."


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"Dear me, I didn't know that!"

exclaimed, opening my eyes wide. "

hought it was Vic she"

"You are her favourite, as you are with

Miss Woodburn, also," said Mother, who

gets the effect of being so tremendousldignified partly, I believe, from neve

clipping her words as the rest of us do. "

am asking them down again especially o

your account, and I want you to b

particularly nice to them."

"It's easy enough to be nice to Sall

Woodburn, but"

caught a look from Vic and broke off m


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sentence, hurrying to change it int

another. "As they're sailing for the State

so soon, I shan't have time to sprea

myself much."

"Don't be slangy, Betty; it doesn't sui

you," said Mother. "You pick up too manyhings from Stanforth."

"Trust him not to drop anything wort

having," interpolated Vic, which was pert

but Mother never reproves her.

"Perhaps Mrs. Stuyvesant-Knox and MisWoodburn won't come," I said, for the

sake of getting on safer ground.


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"Not come? Of course they will come. I

s short notice, but if they have othe

engagements they will break them,

returned Mother; and though it would b

as impossible for her to be vulgar o

snobbish, as it would for a tall white aru

ily to be either of those things, still couldn't help feeling that her unconsciou

hought was: "The invitation to a couple o

unknown, touring Americans, from thDuchess of Stanforth, is equivalent to m

receiving a Royal Command."

She was probably right,anyhow, so fa

as Mrs. Ess Kay is concerned: as for Sall

Woodburn, I don't think she has a drop o

snobbish blood in her veins. She'


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July and August,even for September, i

you are amusing yourself. Later, Mrs

Stuyvesant-Knox will send you home wit

friends of hers, who can be trusted to tak

good care of you. She knows severa

people, she tells me, who are crossing i

he autumn, to winter abroad; and thewould bring you to me. Of course,

should have to be nice to them, by way o

showing my appreciation of any troubl

you had given; but a dinner, and

Saturday to Monday at most, would b

quite enough."

So it was all arranged, even to the detail

of my home-coming, and the price to b

paid for returning me, like a parcel, to m


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without Mother seeing, if she shoul

happen to prance in at the wrong momen

as she often does.

"Look here, Betty, are you going to be

good little girl, and do what you're bid

without making a fuss?" she asked, in quick, low voice.

"I'm not certain yet," said I. "I'm thinking i

over. I don't see why I should be sent of

across the water with strangers, at

moment's notice, and I"

"'Tisn't a moment's notice. It's five days

They're not sailing till Wednesday, and as

hey've a suite engaged,the best on th


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white, with just a tiny bead of black fo

he pupil. I never saw anything so har

except the glass marbles I used to pla

with): and they look at most people as i

something behind them were doing

mental sum in arithmetic, for th

Something's own advantage. They donook at Mother in that way; no eyes in th

world would dare; but I'm talking abou

ordinary people, who are not tall whit

arum lilies, with the air of having grow

n kings' gardens.

Mrs. Stuyvesant-Knox's nose is well

shaped and rather large; so is her mouth

with a "thin red line" of lips; but somehow

t's the chinthe feature you simply tak


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ike her cousin, who is so much older an

bigger, and apparently able to make th

gentle little Southern relative do as sh

wills?

Mrs. Ess Kay, terribly glittering thi

evening in a gown contrasting stronglwith our simple things, was almost to

nice to me, saying several times over how

glad she was that I was going to visit her

At dinner, she painted word-pictures o

he "good times" she would give me, an

hough I've never been able to care fo

her, and don't a bit more now, I began to

be rather excited by her talk, for she mad

hings seem so interesting and new

Besides, it appears that Sally Woodburn


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will be at Newport most of the summer, s

shall have her to fall back upon.

As for me, I was good as gold, and Vi

hrew me approving glances, for which

was grateful, for I like being in Vic's good

graces. She doesn't often bother with mmuch, but when she does, she is so swee

t makes up for everythingand sh

knows that well.

could hardly wait to hear he

"explanations," and so I was glad Mrs

Ess Kay and Miss Woodburn werehypnotised by Mother into thinking the

wanted to go early to bed. Mother is ver

clever about such things.


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"That's because you're such a great baby

f you must have every t crossed an

every i dotted, Sir Gilbert has apparentl

conceived a patronising toleration fo

your Victoria, which is likely, if properly

fostered and encouraged, to develop int

something more satisfactory."

"Patronising, indeed! That dull elephant!"

"Elephants are not, as a rule, dull. And

forty thousand a year in any form ca

afford to patronise a daughter of a hundre

dukes without a penny, whereas I'

merely the granddaughter of three. In fact

my dear, I'm humbly anxious that Si

Gilbert should propose; and as he's bee


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rather nice, and as he's written almos

asking for an invitation to come dow

with Stan, from next Saturday to Monday

although he carefully states he's bee

nvited for the same time, by Princess Pau

of Plon, things look hopeful. The onl

rouble isyou."

"Me!"

"Yes, you. The one time he ever saw you

was when you had that frightful cold, an

ooked hideous, with your poor dear nos

wice its size, and your eyes half theirsButwell, Betty, you're a beauty, and I'm

not, though I do flatter myself I'm not ba

ooking. I'm 'penny plain,' and you'r


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"You couldn't, without Stan making some

blundering remark, or some contretemp

happening; it would be sure to. It's muc

safer to have you absolutely out of th

way; and it was when we were talking i

over this morning, that Mother hit upon th

plan of sending you to the States. Youknow how prompt she is, once she's mad

up her mind? Mother is really a wonderfu

woman. Twenty minutes later she sent aelegram to Mrs. Ess Kay, asking her to

come down, and certain, unde

Providence, that she would; for a

ntimate sort of invitation like this, whe

we're alone (especially after the Grea

Disappointment), would be too flatterin

o a woman of that type not to be snappe


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at, no matter if a dozen engagements had t

be trampled in the dust."

"What Great Disappointment are yo

alking about?"

"Infant in Arms! Why, Stan and MisWoodburn."

"Ididn't knownobody told me"

"Fancy needing to be told! As if tha

weren't the only reason why Mothe

smiled on Mrs. Ess Kay in the beginningt was because she thought Mis

Woodburn might do for Stanforth, who

must marry money, and is too poor


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horribly poor, to be much of a catch with

most English heiresses, who aren't as kee

on titles as they used to be, unless there'

some solid foundation for them to stan

on, and not wobble. Everyone says Mis

Woodburn's a great heiress, and though

she's a few years older than Stan, she's ady, a charming creature, and not bad

ooking. Mother thought all that out, th

day they were introduced to her at th

orthminster's concert, so she invite

hem here. But Stan and the Woodburn

wouldn't lookat each other. It was useles

even for Mother's genius to attempt th

mpossible, so she resigned herself to th

nevitable, and gave the thing up. Sh

meant to drop the Americans gently


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which she could easily do as they wer

going home soonwhen this new ide

popped up. It's really important for me

dear. I do want you to see that. It will b

so much better all around if you are out o

he way, anyhow until I'm safely engaged

and the wedding-day fixed. Then, yoknow, if you haven't meanwhile picked up

an American millionaire on the other sid

don't look so horrified!Mother wil

be able to devote herself to you, heart an

soul, as she has to me. Next spring you ca

be presented"

"Don't bribe," I said, feeling as if I wante

o cry. "If you want to get rid of me, I'll go

without that. But I should have thought


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might be sent again to Aunt Sophy's."

"Not again till our magnificent cousin'

safely married. She wouldn't have yo

here. Remember how she sent you home

ast time. Poor Loveland! He too, mus

hink about collecting honest golsomebody else's), to brighten up hi

coronet. We're a poverty-stricken lot, my

child, and it's for me, with your help, t

retrieve the fallen fortunes of this branc

of the family."

"That's settled then," said I, as drily as could with wet tears in the background

"And now, let's go to bed, please. I'

sleepy."


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should have my fun later. When the other

went up to town for the Season, as the

often did, I was left behind, and thoug

Battlemead is within five-and-twent

miles of London, I suppose I haven't bee

here more than two dozen times in m

ife. When I did go, it was generally for concert, or a matine, and, of course,

enjoyed it immensely; but I don't know tha

t taught me much about life. And the on

ime I was taken abroad we had nothing t

do with anyone we met at hotels. Being o

his big ship seemed at first exactly lik

being at a play when I had been brought i

ate, and found it difficult to know whic

were the leading actors, which the villain

and villainesses, and what the plot wa


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bunch of roses, and several magazines

and just as we were starting he slippe

something small but fat into my hand.

"That's to help you keep your end up, Kid

n case you're imposed on," said he. "You

areonly a kid, you know; but all the samedon't let them treat you like one, and if yo

get the hump over there, just you cable me

'll see you through, and have you bac

again with your own sort, Mater or n

Mater, hanged if I don't."

Stan never made me such a long speecbefore, and after we sailed and I got tim

o look at the fat thing he'd put in my hand

found it was a lot of goldpieces bundle


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up in two ten-pound notes. The gold mad

welve sovereigns more, so Stan ha

given me altogether more than thirt

pounds. All that money, with the twenty

pounds Mother had told me to use onl

"when strictly necessary," made me feel

regular millionaire. I've never had a sixtpart as much before, in my life.

Stan's kindness was just like a cup o

something warm and comforting whe

you're tired and cold, so that I began t

brighten up and feel happy.

liked our suite, with two staterooms,

bath, and a dear little white-and-blu

drawing-room, about as big as the ol


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blouses of hers altered in a great hurry, fo

me. Besides, Mother said my outfit wa

quite good enough for a young girl i

England, and that I was not to let mysel

feel dissatisfied if in another country the

chose to overdress.

Anyhow, I will say for Mrs. Ess Kay tha

she didn't appear to be ashamed of me a

first. On the contrary, she had a way o

seeming to show me off, almost as if sh

hought I did her credit.

When we had unpacked, we three went tuncheon, and took the first seats whic

were vacant. But presently Mrs. Ess Ka

sent for the chief steward or someon


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mportant. "I am Mrs. Stuyvesant-Knox,

said she, in a haughty voice, "and I hav

as my guest Lady Betty Bulkeley, daughte

of the Duchess of Stanforth. You must give

me three of the best seats at the Captain'

able."

couldn't help hearing, and my ears di

ingle, but Miss Woodburn only smiled

and looked down, with a funny twinkl

under her eyelashes, which curl up s

much that it always seems as if she wer

ust going to laugh.

thought, if I were the steward, I woul

give us the worst seats on the ship, t

each us not to be proud; but he didn't d


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"I must have my chairs changed and pu

here," she said. And thenoh, horror!

'm certain I caught her repeating th

formula she'd used at luncheon. "I am Mrs

Stuyvesant-Knox, and I have as my gues

etc, etc." To be sure, she had walked of

o a little distance with the deck-stewardwhere our chairs were, and I might hav

been mistaken; but two or three peopl

who were standing near looked suddenlvery hard at me, and I know I turne

scarlet with annoyance, to be labelled i

hat way, as if I were a parcel marked

"glass" and to be handled with care.

Afterwards, when I came to read th

passenger-list, I found that there wa


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her cousin being a dragon if she could.

By and by, somebody else would sail up

perhaps not half as nice to look at as th

one who had gone. But lo, Mrs

Stuyvesant-Knox would be suddenl

ransformed. She would smile, and holout her hand. To their "How do you do?

she would respond "How do you do?" an

hough I don't think she's really muc

nterested in anyone but herself, she woul

ask where they had been, what they ha

been doing, and how it happened the

were going back so soon. The next thing

she would say to me: "Betty, dear,

should like you and Mrs. or Mr. So-and

So to know each other, as I hope you'l


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people and preening herself to others.

"My deah," said Sally (I'm to call he

"Sally" now; it's been understood betwee

us for some time), "my deah, you're

poor, innocent child, and I reckon you'v

been brought up in darkness, without eveso much as hearing of the Four Hundred."

"What are the Four Hundred? Are they

kind of Light Brigade, like the Si

Hundred?" I asked. "Or is it a sort o

governing body likelike the Council o

Three?"

She laughed so much at this, with he

charming, velvety laugh, that I grew quit


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was being intelligent at last, for I'd hear

Stan say that, in America, the Republica

party was rather like our Conservatives

and the Democrats like the Liberals; an

'd remembered because I believe I shoul

be very much interested in politics if onl

understood more about them. But Sallseemed to think that question funny, too.

"They can be either, my poor lamb," sh

exclaimed; "and they can be almos

anything else they like, if only they're jus

awfully, dreadfully rich, and can manag

o scrape up a family crest. It used to b

he crest that counted, with the man wh

nvented the Four Hundred; but since hi

day, that idea has got buried under heap


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and heaps of gold, and pearls an

diamonds; especially pearls. In thos

places I was telling you about, you don

exist unless you're in the Four Hundred

which is now being sifted down to Two

Hundred, and will probably be Seventy

five in a year or two. You may have thebluest blood in America in your veins; yo

may be simplysmeared with ancestors

but if you haven't managed to pus

forward in a clever, indescribable way

neither they nor you will ever be noticed

and your grey hairs will go down to th

grave in the Wrong Set.Now do yo

understand why my cousin Katherin

makes narrow eyes for some people, an

broad smiles for others?"


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"Ye-es, I suppose I do," I answered

"Onlywe are quite different at home.

haven't been about at all yet, but I know

because some things are in the air. How

did Mrs. Stuyvesant-Knox ever have th

poor Wrong Setters for acquaintances

hough?"

"Because (she'd kill me if she heard this

she has only lately got into the Right Se

herself, and after trouble enough to give a

ordinary woman nervous prostration. Tha

kind of thing does give it to a lot o

womenespecially if they fail. Bu

Cousin Katherine very seldom fails. Sh

almost always carries things through. I

you knew anything about America i


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Four Hundred. She did it by buying

Russian Prince."

"Buyinga"

"Yes, love, he was going to the highes

bidder, and she bought him. That is, shentertained him so gorgeously and did s

many nice things for him, that he posed a

her property; and as everyone was dyin

o meet him, it made her. She'd bee

working killingly hard before that, for

whole year after taking her house on Fift

Avenue and building her cottage aewport, but it was buying the Princ

which did the trick. On the strength of tha

episode and its consequences, she went t


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Europe with very nice introductions, an

as you know, deah, she has made som

valuable as well as pleasant friends. To

ive up to them and her reputation, sh

will have to be busy for a while droppin

a lot of old acquaintances."

"How horrid!" I couldn't help exclaiming

hough Mrs. Ess Kay was going to be m

hostess.

"Yes, it seems rather miserable to me

because I'm a weak, lazy, Southern thing

who would be right down sick, if I had thurt any human being's feelings. Ye

perhaps it looks fair to her. She's so

ambitious, and she's worked so hard, sh


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hasdeserved to succeed. As for poor me

she just regularly mesmerises me al

hrough. She mesmerised me into comin

up from Kentucky and visiting her thi

spring; then she mesmerised me into goin

with her to Europe. But I'm not sorry

went, for I've had a rightgood time."

"I'm so glad you went," said I, "because i

you hadn't I shouldn't have met you. I'

sure I should love Kentucky if all th

people there are like you. But these thing

you've been saying seem so odd. Do yo

mean to tell me that the people who lea

Society in New York want to keep their

set limited to a certain number, and refus

o know others, even if they'r


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extraordinarily clever and interesting?

"They don't like them to be too clever

because they call such people 'queer'

hat is, unless they happen to be 'lions' o

some sort from England or other place

abroad. Then, so long as they're nomerican, they welcome them with ope

arms."

"I'm glad Society isn't like that i

England," I said. "There the realpeople

he people who have the right to mak

social laws, you knoware delightewith anyone who can amuse them. O

course, deep down in our hearts, we ma

be proud if we have old names, whic


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he first menu I saw surprised me so much

hat I couldn't believe they really had an

could produce all those things if anybod

was inconsiderate enough to ask for them

hardly supposed there were so man

hings to eat in the world. But the captai

heard me exclaiming to Sally, so hsmiled, and told me to test the menu b

ordering a bit of everything on it; he'

guarantee that nothing would be misse

out. This was at breakfast the second day

and when he saw that I ate several dea

ittle round things, shaped like cream

coloured doyleys, which are calle

pancakes (though they aren't a bit lik

ours) with some perfectly divine stuf

named maple syrup, he said my takin


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such a fancy to American products was

sign that I should marry an American

What nonsense! As if I would dream o

marrying, especially a foreigner. But fo

all that, pancakes and maple syrup ar

delicious. I've had them every day sinc

for breakfast, after finishing a great orangfour times the natural size, which isn

reallyan orange, because it's a grape fruit

You have it on your plate cut in two

halves, with ice in each, and you scoop

he inside out of a lot of tiny pockets, wit

a teaspoon. You think when you first see

t, that you can't eat more than half; bu

nstead, you eat every bit, and sometime

f the morning is hot, you even wish yo

could have more; though of course yo


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"Yes, do come, Lady Betty," repeated

Mrs. Van der Windt; whereupon I obeyed

ittle knowing what I was laying up fo

myself.

Our deck is amidships. Aft, on a leve

with ours, is the second-class deck; anfor'rard, down below, like looking into

pit, is the steerage. We walked to the rail

over which quite a number of men wer

eaning, to see what was going on, an

several moved aside to give us room.

didn't like to take their places away

especially as they were laughing an

enjoying themselves, and I could hear th

sound of dance music coming up fro

below (such odd-sounding music!), bu


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crowd was collected round two smal

squares, which they purposely left open

Besides those little squares, every inc

was occupied. There wouldn't have bee

any more room for even a baby to si

down than there was in the Black Hole o

Calcutta. In the crowd were old menyoung men and boys, all poorly dressed

and old women, young women and girls

big and little. They wore crude, vivi

colours, and more than half of them ha

bright handkerchiefs tied over their heads

They scarcely took any notice of the first

class passengers staring dow

superciliously or pityingly at their poo

amusements; they were far too muc

absorbed in the dancing which was goin


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on busilyI can't say gailyin the tw

hollow squares. In one of these an elderly

pinched little man who looked almos

half-witted, was monotonously scraping

battered fiddle, for two solemn couples t

dance round and round, always on th

same axis. But the other "dancing salonwas more lively. There a man dressed lik

a buffoon, with a tall hat, a lobster claw

for a nose, a uniform with big red flanne

epaulettes and pasteboard buttons covere

with gold paper, was pretending to

conduct the band. And what a band it was

t consisted of four sailors, rather sheep

faced and self-conscious. One musica

nstrument was a wooden box rigged up


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with strings and a long handle; anothe

was formed from a couple of huge soup

spoons tied together, on which the playe

beat rhythmically with a smaller spoon

he third was a poker, dangling from

string, banged heartily with an enormou

nail as it swung to and fro; the fourth waa queer, home-made drum, which looked

as if it had been made out of a woode

bandbox.

Somehow they contrived to coax ou

music of a sort, and a few young men an

girls were solemnly gyrating to it in a wa

o make you giddy even to watch. When

man thought he had had enough, or wante

o dance with another girl, he dropped hi


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had a few shillings with me, and I'd bee

so much amused that I felt like bein

generous. Luckily, Mother couldn't se

me, and scold! I took half a dozen coins

shillings and sixpencesand wrappin

hem hurriedly up in half the cover torn of

a magazine I was reading, I aimed thittle parcel to fall at the comi

conductor's feet.

Generally I can throw fairly straight, fo

Stan took some pains with that part of m

education when I was a small girl; but jus

at that instant someone standing next m

moved, knocked me on the elbow, and

spoilt my aim.


110/933

nstead of falling in front of Mr. Lobster

Claw, the parcel hit the ear of a very tal

young man among the crowd below, who

had been standing with his back to me. H

urned quickly, not knowing what had

happened, glanced up and caught my eyes

as I was looking down quite distressed.


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guilty sort of thrill, as if I had no right t

be well-dressed and prosperous, staring a

him and his companions as though the

were a show which we others paid to se

daring to amuse ourselves with th

hard, strange conditions of their lives.

've heard Mother say that good blood i

sure to prove itself; that a gentleman can

ook like a common man, even in ragsStan disputes that theory with her, when h

sn't too lazy, and wants to bet he could so

disguise himself that she would take hi

for a green grocer or a fishmonger, who

have the air of being commoner than othe

men, I think--at least in our village a

Battlemead--because they wear fat tufts o


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at once they were grey because the ligh

struck into them) rimmed with blac

ashes, so long you couldn't help noticin

hem; black eyebrows and hair short an

sleek like Stan's, or any other well

groomed man one knows. Besides

commonness shows in people's mouthmore than anywhere else; it's hard t

define, but it's there; and this man's mout

s the best part of his face--unless it's th

chin; or perhaps the nose, I'm not quit

sure which, though I've thought a goo

deal about them all, because of th

mystery of finding such a man in such a

unsuitable place. It would be just the sam

f you saw a tall palm suddenly shootin

up in the kitchen-garden, and couldn't fin


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realise exactly what had happened, an

stooping down, he picked it up. Then h

raised his hand high, so that I could see h

had the crumpled ball of paper in it; an

edging his way determinedly but not at al

roughly, through the crowd, he opened th

parcel and gave the money to thconductor.

"What a splendid-looking man!" I said in

ow voice to Mrs. Ess Kay. "Isn't i

extraordinary that he should be in th

steerage?"

"Come away, my dear child," sh

answered. "I can't have you standing her

o be stared at by low creatures like that


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The fellow's not in the least splendid

ooking. He's only a big, hulking anima

Don't take to making up romances abou

he steerage passengers, my love. They'r

not worth bothering your little head about

because if they weren't born for that sor

of thing, they wouldn't be there, I assuryou."

didn't say anything more, though I wa

vexed with her, both for being so stupidl

conventional, and for speaking to me i

such a loud tone that she attracted people'

attention.

We went back to our deck-chairs, and

here was nothing to remind me of th


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are two nice American girls on board

about my own age or a little older (the

seemyears older, for they are so charmin

and self-possessed) and Mrs. Ess Ka

encourages me to like them, as they are i

Mrs. Van der Windt's party. I grew quite

well acquainted with them the third daout, and they asked me to go and watch th

people in the steerage, who had a littl

rick dog which was lots of fun. I went

and saw the bronze young man again. H

was standing with his arms folded acros

his blue-flannel-shirted chest, leanin

against one of the supports of a kind o

bridge, looking up towards the first-clas

deck. Our eyes met as they had before, an

was so absurd that I felt myself blushing


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could have boxed my own ears; an

hough the trained dog really was a pet,

didn't stay long.

t is strange how certain kinds of eye

haunt one. You, see them in the air, as i

hey were really looking at you-especially when you are just dropping of

o sleep. I think grey ones do this mor

han others. Perhaps it is because they ar

more piercing.

But it was on the fourth day that the clima

came,--the climax which has ended bupsetting me so much, and has mad

everything so uncomfortable.


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The weather was glorious--all blue an

gold after a sulky, leaden day--and ther

was dancing down on the steerage dec

again. Though it was so fine, the wate

was not smooth like a floor as it had bee

at first, but broken into indigo wave

ruffled irregularly with silver lace anedged with shimmering pearl fringe.

The same performance was going on

down there on the crowded deck, that I'

seen the first day, and Sally Woodburn

and I, who had been walking--counting th

imes we went round, to make two miles-

stopped to glance at the show.

"There's that good-looking man Cousi


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Katherine classifies as a hulking animal,

said Sally. "I must really consult th

dictionary for a definition of the wor

hulking.' I don't know whether it's a ver

or adjective, do you?"

"No, I don't," said I. "But whichever it is'm sure he doesn't or isn't. He's

gentleman, and something strange ha

happened or he wouldn't be there. I d

hink it's a shame. It must be horrible."

"Don't you think Cousin Katherine know

more about such persons than you?" askeSally, and there was such a funny quave

n her voice that I turned to see what i

meant. She was laughing, but whether a


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suffocation, that a tiny boy down below

who had climbed up on the rail to watc

he dancing, was missing.

t was a woman who had screamed, an

everything followed so quickly that m

mind was confused, as if a whirlwind harushed through it and blown all th

mpressions on top of one another, in

heap. There was a babel of voices on th

steerage deck, more cries, and shouts, an

screams, and people surged in a soli

wave toward the rail to look over. But ou

of that wave sprang one figure separatin

tself from the other atoms; and then

heard myself give a cry, too, for the ma

who had been in my thoughts had throw


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nstantly, with one wave of my hand.

But it was being stopped, by anothe

power than mine. I felt the deck shive

under my feet, like a thoroughbred horse

pulled on to his haunches. The acciden

had been seen from the bridge; an order tstop the ship had been telegraphed dow

o the engine-room, and obeyed. Stil

when Sally Woodburn and I had been

carried by the crowd far enough toward

he stern to look out over the blu

wilderness of water we were leavin

behind, the ship's heart hadn't ceased it

hrob, throb, to which we had all grown s

accustomed in the last few days.


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"He's got the child!" exclaimed Sally

"See, he's hauling the little creature on t

his back with one hand, and swimmin

with the other. Glorious fellow!"

Yes, there were the two heads bobbing

ike black corks in the tossing wavesclose together. I pictured so vividly wha

my sensations would be, if I were dow

here, a mere speck in that vast expanse o

blue, that I almost tasted salt water in m

mouth, and felt the choking tingle of it i

my lungs.

Then, suddenly the ship's heart ceased t

beat; and the unaccustomed stillness wa

as startling as an unexpected noise. A boa


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shot down from the davits, with severa

sailors on board; a few seconds later the

were rowing away towards those tw

bobbing black corks, and I loved them a

hey bent to their oars.

can't remember breathing once, or evewinking, until I saw the child being lifte

nto the boat, and the man climbing i

after. What a shout went up from the ship

Sally clapped her pretty, dimpled hands

but I only let my breath go at last, in

great sigh.

There was such a crush that I couldn't se

hem when they came on board, but ther

was more shouting and hurrahing, and me


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slapped each other on the shoulder an

aughed.

Throb, throb went the machinery again

and there was no sign that anything out o

he monotonous round had happened

except in the excited way that peoplalked. Several men we knew paid a visi

o the steerage, and came back wit

stories which flew about from group t

group in the first-class cabin, and no doub

he second too.

t seemed that the little boy who had fallento the sea was the only son of hi

mother, a widow. They were Swedes, and

he woman, who is on her way to th


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o be done to show him that the passenger

admire his bravery--not anythingfulsome

but something nice."

"I guess you don't know the America

disposition yet, as well as you will afte

you've wrestled with it on its native heatfor a few months," remarked Mr. Doremu

n his quaint way. "That chap down in th

steerage isan American, whatever else h

may be, or I'll eat my best hat; and

wouldn't for five cents be in the deputatio

o present him with the something 'no

fulsome but nice' on a little silver salver.

should expect him to give me the frost

mitt."


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"Very well, then, I will," said I. "Though

'd rather someone else did it."

"It wouldn't be so popular from any othe

quarter. I'll help you. We'll go floating

around together and pass the plate; and i

you like, I'll do the talking."

agreed to this, and if I'd thought about i

at all, I should have supposed that Mrs

Ess Kay would be as pleased as Punc

with such an arrangement, because Mr

Doremus, as a relative of Mrs. Van de

Windt's, is the only man on board to who

she makes herself agreeable. It appear

hat he has started several fashions in New

York, the most important being to drive in


137/933

some park they have there, without a ha

But probably if the truth were known, h

ost it, like the fox that tried to make hi

friends chop off their tails.

Mrs. Ess Kay had gone to her stateroo

soon after lunch, as the motion of the shiphad given her a headache, and I didn

happen to be near Sally Woodburn; so

said "yes" to Mr. Doremus on the impuls

of the moment, without stopping to thin

whether I ought to ask permission first.

We had great fun going about, for MrDoremus was so witty and said suc

amusing things to the people he begged of

hat I could hardly speak for laughing, an


138/933

everyone else laughed too. I wished tha

he wouldn't put me forward always, an

say it was my idea, and I had started th

subscription; but he argued that I mus

sacrifice myself for the success of th

Charity, just as I would at home, if I had t

work off damaged pincushions or dabefore yesterday's violets at a bazaar. O

course, not being out, I've never sol

anything at bazaars, but Victoria i

continually doing it in the Season, and sh

makes quite a virtue of forcing perfec

strangers to "stand and deliver," as sh

calls it. This seemed much the same sor

of thing to me, and so I felt nice an

virtuous, too, as Vic does when she come

home with a new frock torn and steppe


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on, and lies in bed late next day, wit

Thompson to brush her hair, and me to

read to her.

People were very kind, and though the

aughed a great deal, they gave so muc

hat before we'd been half the rounds, MrDoremus said we had more than enoug

for our friend. He wanted to know if

would like to "hit the nail on the head" an

settle matters at once, by arranging wit

he purser for a second-class cabin to b

put at the hero's disposal. I wanted him t

do that part alone, but he pretended to b

shy, and said he had grown to depend so

entirely on my co-operation, that he fel

unequal to undertaking any responsibilit


140/933

without it. He told the same story to th

purser that he had told others, about m

being the one to start the subscription, an

he wanted me to sign a kind of lette

which he wrote, to the effect that th

passengers had chosen this way o

estifying their appreciation of a gallandeed, and so on; but I wouldn't, and h

stopped teasing at last, when he saw that

was going to be vexed.

After the business was what Mr. Doremu

called "fixed up," he took me back to m

chair on deck. Sally wasn't in her place

and as I was wondering what had becom

of her, the dressing-for-dinner bugle wen

wailing over the ship like a hungr


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describe as a "foreboding of disaster"; bu

when I have it, it's generally connecte

with a lecture from Mother, so I know i

only as a sneaky, "I haven't eaten th

cream" sort of feeling.

Just as I had begun to take off my frockLouise appeared at the door which lead

nto the little drawing-room. She said tha

f I pleased, Madame would be glad to se

me in her cabin. I hurried across to th

other state-room opposite ours, and ther

found Mrs. Ess Kay, in a gorgeousl

embroidered pink satin Japanese thing

which she calls a kimona. She was sittin

n a chair in front of the makeshif

dressing-table, putting on her rings, an


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o pour out my news.

"Never mind dinner, my dear girl,

replied Mrs. Ess Kay, with an air which

do believe she tried to copy from Mother

"What I have to say is more important tha

dinner. I hope what I have been hearinsn't true."

"That depends upon what it was,"

retorted, disguising my pertness with

smile.

"Don't think I've been tattling," said Sally"Whatever my faults may be,I haven't

Rubber Neck."


145/933

didn't know in the least what she mean

but afterwards she explained that if you

neck is always pivoting round, to pry int

other people's affairs, it is a Rubber Neck

and I shall remember the expression to tel

Stan when I go home. He will like to ad

t to his collection of strange beasts.

Mrs. Ess Kay partly turned her back upo

Sally. "The dear Duchess" (she alway

speaks of Mother in that way,) "the dea

Duchess has entrusted you to my charge

Betty, and I don't know what I shall do i

you take advantage of me by playin

naughty tricks whenever I a

ncapacitated from chaperoning you fo

half an hour."


146/933

One would have thought I was a traine

dog! I simply stared with saucer eyes, an

she went on. "Mrs. Collingwood came i

o enquire for my headache, and she tol

me that you have been running abou

begging for money to give to a commo

man in the steerage. I sent instantly foSally, but she either knows, or pretends to

know nothing."

rushed into explanations, sure that whe

Mrs. Ess Kay understood, I should b

pronounced "not guilty." But to m

surprise, her chin grew squarer an

squarer, and her eyes harder and lighter

ill they looked almost white.


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"I don't want to be harsh," she said at last

n the tone people use when they'r

walking on the ragged edge of thei

patience, "but for the Duchess's sake,

must befirm. It was very wrong o

Tommy Doremus to let you make yoursel

so conspicuous. This may lead to youbeing dreadfully misunderstood an

putting yourself and all of us in a fals

position. The man may be a butcher foall you know."

"His complexion isn't pink and whit

enough for a butcher's," said I. "Besides,

hought that in America one man was a

good as another."


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"You were never more mistaken in you

ife, my dear girl; and the sooner yo

correct such an impression the better, o

you may get into serious trouble fro

which I can't save you. If the steerage ma

sn't a butcher, he's probably

professional swimmer, and the wholhing was ascheme, to advertise himself

n fact, I am pretty certain from what Mrs

Collingwood said, it wasthat. And I wanyou to promise me solemnly that you wil

not go around helping to advertise th

creature any more. If you say you admir

such a person, people will think you'r

ike the Matine Girls, who wait at stag

doors and run after actors."


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"It's for you to say yes or no, Lady Betty,

announced Mr. Doremus, "because it'

your show; you set the top spinning."

"She is to have nothing more to do wit

he affair," Mrs. Ess Kay answered for m

quickly. "She is very sorry shcommenced it, and has lost the smal

nterest she felt in the beginning. I do hop

hat tramp, or beggar, or whatever he is

hasn't gotten it in his conceited head tha

Lady Betty Bulkeley has bothered hersel

about his insignificant affairs, or he'll b

hrusting himself upon her notice in som

way which will be very disagreeable fo

Me, as her guardian."


151/933

"Well, he has sent a message of thanks to

everyone concerned," said Mr. Tommy

Doremus. "I don't know whether he pu

Lady Betty at the top of the list or not, an

f that's the way you feel about our nic

ittle stunt, I expect it's just as well not t

enquire further."

All the rest of the trip has been spoiled fo

me, by the hateful way in which th

excitement of that day ended, and it doe

seem too bad, for everything might hav

been so nice.

Whether people really do make ill-nature

okes or not, I don't know; but anyhow

Mrs. Ess Kay keeps hinting that they do


152/933

which is almost as disagreeable for me

She says that they have nicknamed th

bronze man "Lady Betty's Hero"; and thi

has made me so self-conscious that I can

bear to go near the part of the deck wher

you look over into the steerage, for fea

some silly creatures may think I'm tryino see him. I feel as if I had been

conspicuous idiot, and I'm s

uncomfortable with Mrs. Ess Kay now

hat I expect to be wretched in her house.

can't talk it over even with Sally, because

after all, she's Mrs. Ess Kay's cousin.

wish I had a nose two inches long, an

green hair, and then perhaps Mother and

Vic would have let me stop at home.


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and almost cried about some money he'

ost. If I had been the first man, I wouldn

have trusted the other in the beginning

because he had fat lips, greasy blac

curls, and wicked eyes so close togethe

you felt they might run into one, if h

winked too hard on a hot day. But if I habeen so stupid as to trust him, I woul

have been ashamed to make a fus

afterwards. I think people ought to b

sporting.

liked the "Captain's dinner," too, i

honour of the last night on board, with th

flags and paper-flower decorations, th

band playing military music, the dishes o

he menu named after famous generals, an


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home, and I suppose they had gone awa

because they wanted to go. If they ha

iked, they could have stopped in thei

own country as well as not; and I hear

some of them saying during the voyage tha

f they could, they would spend nin

months out of the year in Paris; but themade as much fuss over the first lump o

sand we saw as if we were discoverin

he North Pole. Some of them had take

his trip a dozen times or maybe more, bu

anyone would have thought it was as new

o them as to me.

t seemed as if I were sailing, in a dream

o a dream land, and everything would b

a dream, till I found myself waking up a


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home. If anyone had pinched me, I hardl

believe I should have felt it, as I stood b

he rail, while we steamed towards New

York. We passed a big fort, and some nea

ittle houses, which looked like officers

quarters. There were Long Island an

Coney Island, which Mr. Doremus said must be "personally conducted" to see

some day when I felt young and frivolous

and by and by I heard people exclaimin

"There's Liberty--there she is! Bless th

dear old girl!"

While I was wondering whether they wer

alking of a lady, or a ship, I caught sigh

of a majestic giantess, obligingly holdin

a torch up to light the world. Then I knew


159/933

t was the Statue which I had read about.

"What do you think of her?" asked Mr

Doremus.

"She's agrande dame," I said. "Now

know why your girls hold themselves swell. They're trying to live up to the Idea

American Woman. But she isn't as big as

hought she would be. Nothing ever is a

big as you think it's going to be, especiall

when Americans have told you about it

for one has been brought up to believe tha

heir big things are bigger than anybodelse's in the whole world."

"So they are," said Mr. Doremus, "onl


160/933

where all the things are big, you don

notice them, for the high grass. And ove

here's some of the grass."

He pointed, and I saw a great number o

enormous objects, shaped like chimneys

and apparently about a mile highscattered aimlessly along the horizon

which was a brilliant, limpid blue.

"What are they?" I asked. "Great, strange

factories of some sort?"

"No. Houses where pretty women liveand offices where men make the money fo

hem to live on."


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"You must be joking. Women would be

afraid to perch up there in the sky

Besides, it would take too long to go up

and down."

"Nothing takes long in America. And i

comes natural to our women to perch uphigh. Statues aren't the only things we bu

pedestals for, this side of the porpoise

ank. You just wait and see."

"I don't need to wait to see that America

men are nice to women," said I; "perhap

no nicer than Englishmen, really, only yo

seem to take a great deal more trouble

Fancy all the men at Mrs. Van der Windt'

able drawing lots every night for the righ


162/933

o sit by her and the two Miss Eastmans;

don't believe it would have occurred t

Englishmen. The ones who reallywante

o sit there, would have tried to get to thei

places first, that's all. I do think it wa

pretty of you."

"Wasn't it? especially supposing none o

us particularly wanted--but never mind

Talking of pretty things, here are the

docks."

They were big enough to satisfy even m

expectations, and I wished that I'd insisteon being taken by someone long ago, t

visit the London docks, so that I migh

know whether ours were better or worse


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One never thinks of going to see things a

home; but I began to suspect that I migh

some day be stabbed with jealous pang

and need to be stuffed with a lot of fact

about England--though until I knew

Americans I've been in the habit o

hinking facts the least interesting things ihe world. They seemed like chairs to si

on or floors to walk on without noticin

what you were doing; but I suppose i

might be awkward without chairs an

floors.

Soon we were near enough to New York

o see the tremendous chimney thing

clearly, and they sharpened the impressio

hat I was sailing straight into a dream


164/933

There could be no such things in the rea

world; they wouldn't be possible. But th

dream felt very interesting and intense al

of a sudden, and I didn't want to wake up

from it just then, in spite of Mrs. Ess Kay.

The tall shapes were bright and vivinow, as giant hollyhocks growing i

rregular rows. Still, they did not look on

bit like houses, or offices where peopl

could work without going stark, starin

mad. I got a queer idea in my head that th

houses themselves must be buried dee

underground, like bulbs, with only thei

owers sticking up.

The next thing that happened in the dream


165/933

was slowing majestically into our ow

dock, and that was wonderful. The whol

place was alive with faces, mostly prett

girls' faces, under fascinating hats, gay a

flowers in a flower-show; parterre abov

parterre of brilliant blossoms; and the

had all been grown in honour of us.

There was a wild waving o

handkerchiefs on the ship, and a franti

fluttering of white among the flowers, as i

a flock of butterflies had been frightene

up into the air. Still we were a long tim

getting in, and I grew quite impatient; bu

finally Louise, who had attended to m

packing, took charge of my handbag, m

sunshade and coat, with her mistress's an


166/933

Miss Woodburn's things. The moment had

come to bid the ship good-bye.

"Now," said Mrs. Ess Kay, slipping he

arm into mine, "I wonder, dear child, i

you would mind being left alone to dea

with the custom-house people? You'dstand under your own letter 'B,' o

course."

"Oh, Katherine, do you think even Lette

B, which sounds so like a warning t

young men, a proper chaperon for

Duchess's daughter?" exclaimed SallWoodburn.

laughed, but Mrs. Ess Kay didn't. Sh


167/933

evidently considers things connected wit

he American Custom House no fit subjec

for frivolity. She went on, withou

answering; "I'm under 'K,' and Sally 'W

We'll both have all we can attend to

wrestling with our own Fiends, an

Louise will be just as busy. But you're British subject, on a short visit to thi

country, and they won't be as diabolical to

you, dear. I did all the swearing necessar

for you in the saloon, with my own, whe

he tiresome man came on board, an

here's really nothing left for you to bothe

with on the dock, except to open you

boxes and say you have nothing t

declare."


168/933

was glad that since profanity had bee

called for in the saloon, owing to th

iresomeness of a man, it had been Mrs

Ess Kay who was obliged to give vent t

t, not I; but I felt rather defrauded that

couldn't have heard, and I wondered if sh

had gone so far as to mention "damn." Alsaid out loud, however, was that I wa

sure I could manage very well in th

docks, and Mrs. Ess Kay appeared mucrelieved. "That's perfectly sweet of you

Betty," she said, launching a dagger

glance at poor, inoffensive Sally, for some

reason which I couldn't understand. "

hope you won't think I'm horrid not to hav

asked you to label your baggage 'K,' so i

could go with mine. It's better not, fo


169/933

everyone concerned; I'll explai

afterwards why; and Louise shall take yo

o 'B.'"

Louise did take me to "B," which they ha

houghtfully printed very large and blac

on a wooden wall of the dock, in a rowwith all the other letters of the alphabet. A

good many people from the ship wer

collecting beneath theirs, as if they wer

animals getting ready to join th

procession for the ark, under the headin

of Cat or Elephant, as the case might be

and they all seemed worried an

apprehensive, as you do at the dentist's

even when you try to distract your mind b

ooking at the pictures inPunch.


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Louise put my bag on the wooden floor

and folded my coat on it. "Miladi will d

well to sit down," said she. "It may be tha

he baggage do not come immdiatement.

With this she bustled away to the Louis

rabbit warren, wherever it was, leavin

me to the tender mercies of fellow "B's,who began to swarm round me and buz

distractedly.

subsided on the bag, which was very lik

sitting on the floor; but it was stiflin

down there among people's feet; besides

mine soon got "pins and needles"; s

presently I popped up like a Jack out o

his Box, and almost knocked off a man'

nose with the crown of my hat.


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172/933

Bulkeley by strangers."

"It isn't my name," I said, more puzzle

han ever. I would have tried to b

dignified, as he was a perky-lookin

young man in an alpaca coat; but when yo

have just made a person's nose bleed wityour hat, it would seem unfeeling to be to

frigid,--though I believe an application o

ce is supposed to be beneficial.

"Shall I call you Lady Betty then?" aske

he man, patting his nose with hi

handkerchief, which luckily for my nervehad already a pattern of pink dots on it.

"I don't see why you should call m


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anything," said I.

With that, he produced a card, with

whole string of words printed on it, an

poked it under my eyes. "I was just goin

o introduce myself," he said. "I represen

The New York Flashlight, and I've beesent by my paper to get something fro

you, if you'll oblige me."

"Something from me?" I repeated

bewildered. "Is it anything to do with th

Customs? I've nothing to declare."

"Just tell me, please, something about you

family. Your brother's the Duke o

Stanforth, isn't he?" (He pronounced i


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"Excuse me. You're going to stay with

Mrs. Stuyvesant-Knox, I believe. Will yo

make a lengthy visit?"

"I don't"

"You must have met one or two of ousmartest young men on board. What d

you think of them as compared wit

Englishmen?"

Long before this I had made up my min

hat he couldn't have anything to do wit

he Customs, or if he did, that it was nwonder Mrs. Ess Kay had been driven t

swearing in the saloon. I was glad now

hat his nose was bleeding, and I turne


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my back upon him, because it was th

most emphatic gesture I could think of. Bu

as I faced round the other way, wonderin

f my luggage would ever come, anothe

man pushed through the "B's" who had go

heir boxes, and almost bounded into

foot of unoccupied space in front of me.

"Lady Bulkeley?" he shot at me, lik

history repeating itself; only h

pronounced me as if my name wer

founded on my size and weight.

This time I didn't answer. I simply stoodat bay, and stared, trying to look as muc

ike Mother as possible. But the new ma

didn't seem to mind this in the least, s


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apparently my effort was not a success.

"I 'm The Evening Bat," he remarke

hurriedly, with an air of valuing his tim

at so much a second.

was sorry he was a bat, for I've alwaybeen fond of bats, they are such soft, grey

velvet things; and I should have liked t

ell him that he was much more like

chicken hawk, only that would have bee

vulgar; and, besides, I didn't intend t

pose as chicken to his hawk. By way o

not letting myself be gobbled up, remained silent; but I couldn't help startin

when a voice behind me exclaimed: "Ah

here, my chappie. You're welcome to the


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milk. I've skimmed off the cream. Ta, ta."

t was theFlashlight flashing at th

vening Bat.

The creature was not blinded, however

He seemed difficult to disconcert. Thonly response he made was to grin, an

push his hat a little farther back on hi

head. An inch more, and it must have slid

down over his collar--which was so low

n the neck in front that it gave me th

creeps.

"There's plenty of milk and roses, too,

guess," said he, staring in such a way that

blushed, and was vexed with myself fo


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blushing. I peered anxiously about, hopin

o see a face I knew, even ever so slightly

which might be summoned to the rescue

But all the "B's" were passionatel

minding their own business, and while

was wishing that Mr. Doremus began wit

a "B" instead of a "D," I caught the eyes oa man looking straight at me. The ver

nicest eyes, and with an expression i

hem that filled me with joy!

They said: "Do let me come and get rid o

hat fellow for you," and mine said: "Yes

yes--yes. Please come at once."

So the Eyes came, without waiting fo

more; and it was the Hero of the steerag


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who brought them. That was the reason I'

elegraphed "yes, yes"; for I thought: "H

saved a little boy, why shouldn't I trus

him, without an introduction, to save me?"

"Look here," said the bronze man to th

vening Bat, "I've got just five minutes tspare. You can have them if you like."

TheEvening Batlooked at him, crossly a

first; then his sharp little face seeme

urning into a point of admiration. "B

Jehosaphat!" he ejaculated. "Home-mad

goods will get the preference over Britishis time, duty or noduty."

couldn't think what either of them mean


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hough at first I was afraid my ma

ntended the other to understand that th

five minutes would be devoted t

knocking him down, or something els

violent, as a punishment for impertinenc

o a defenceless foreigner. But my mind

was almost instantly relieved, for the twmen walked off together quite amicably

and stood talking at a distance.

A moment later, one of my boxes went by

ooking very fat and friendly, on th

shoulders of a porter, who apparently had

no head. I rushed out, and seized it--no

he head, but the box; so there wa

something encouraging; but I had tw

pieces of luggage to wait for still.


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Most of the other "B's" were mor

fortunate about getting their things

nevertheless, they seemed far from easy i

heir minds, and though they proteste

almost tearfully that they'd nothin

whatever to declare, stern persons i

uniform stirred up their boxes as I used tdo with the nursery pudding, when all th

plums had sunk to the bottom.

was very tired and very hot, hotter tha

'd supposed people could be, except in

Turkish bath; and I was beginning to b

hungry too, for I'd lunched principally of

he Statue of Liberty and Sky-scrapers

which were more filling than lasting, as

meal.


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fanned myself with my handkerchief a

well as I could, and felt sure I was slowl

getting appendicitis; because wheneve

Americans feel uncomfortable in any way

t seems almost certain to turn eventuall

nto that, probably on account of th

climate. Would my other boxes nevecome? I thought. Most of the "B's" wer

going home. They had homes, luck

people, and if they liked, they coulpresently have tea.

"World without tea,

Ah me!"

When I was small, and my nurse talked o

Sundays about heaven and hell, making th


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one sound incredibly dull, the othe

ncredibly painful, I used to think that I'

rather go to neither, but just be stuffed

ike Mother's Blenheim, Beau Brumme

whose soul I fancied had leave to stop i

his body so long as moth and rust did no

corrupt. He seemed rather out of thingshough, poor dear, standing forever in th

same position in a glass case, with on

paw up begging for something whic

nobody gave, while the years dragged on

and I'd begun to feel as if I were fallin

nto his state, when I was roused from

stupid dream by the man of the steerag

suddenly looming over me.

"I beg your pardon," said he, taking off hi


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hat, and speaking in a nice America

voice, as nice for a man as Sall

Woodburn's is for a woman. "Please don

suppose I mean to be rude or intrusive, bu

wanted to tell you that I think you won

be annoyed again; and--just one thin

more. May I thank you for your goodneson shipboard? It brightened what woul

otherwise have been a grim experience."

Blind Mrs. Ess Kay to pronounce this ma

not a gentleman, just because some strang

circumstances had forced him to travel i

he steerage! I did wish that, without hi

knowing it, I could have slipped into hi

pocket my thirty pounds!


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"Oh, I did nothing," I answered. "It wa

he other people who did everything--th

ittle that was done. It's I who have t

hank you, for taking that person away. H

and the other, who came just before, wer

so rude."

"They didn't mean to be rude," he said

"They wanted you to tell them somethin

which they could put into their papers, an

hey live by doing that kind of thing. I di

he best I could with them, but I wish

could have saved you from being annoye

n the beginning. I hesitated at first, fo

fear you might misunderstand, and thin

me as bad as they were; but I wish I hadn

now."


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"After what I saw you do, at sea, I couldn

possibly have misunderstood," I said.

"Thank you for saying that," he returned

"though for what I did then, I don't deserv

any praise. It was done on the impulse

and I'm used to salt water. As a child, ived close to it for a time, in California

and swimming came almost as natural a

walking. But I'm not here to talk abou

myself. It was only to tell you how

grateful I was, and am, and shall continu

o be, for your kindness on the ship.

couldn't go without speaking of this; an

here's something now I'd like to ask. You

won't be offended?"


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"If it's something you want to tell me,

know it isn't the sort of thing which coul

offend," I said; but I didn't say it as calml

as it looks when written. I stammered

ittle, and got the words tangled up; and

felt my face growing hotter than ever.

"I thank you again. It's only this. If, whil

you're over on this side the water, there'

ever any way in which a man--a ma

who'd be as respectful as your footman

and loyal as your friend--could possibl

serve you--I wish you would let me b

hat man. I know it seems now as if such

hing couldn't happen; but nothing's quit

mpossible in this queer world, and--an

anyhow I shall always be ready. You


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could trust me"

"I know that!" I couldn't resist breaking in

"I'm--employed for the present at a club i

ew York. If you'd send word to Jim

Brett, at the Manhattan Club, there'nothing under the sun that Jim Bre

wouldn't do for you, from finding a los

dog, to taking a message across th

world."

"First I must catch my dog before I ca

ose him," I answered, laughing. "But if do, or--or there's anything else, I shan

forget."


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"That's a true promise, then; and I have t

hank you for the third time. Now, I'm no

going to trouble you any longer. Good

bye."

Without stopping to think who he was, o

who I was, I held out my hand, and higood-looking brown face grew red. H

ook the hand, pressed it hard, once

dropped it abruptly; turned on his heel an

walked away, without looking back.

was so interested in going over th

conversation in my mind, that I forgot t

feel like Beau Brummel with one paw u

n his glass case; and though I daresay te

minutes had passed, it hardly seemed two


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when a wonderful little black image in th

shape of a boy came sidling up to me, al

rolling white eyes, and red grin, like

nice Newfoundland puppy. He had som

newspapers tucked under his arm, but i

his hand was a small basket of peache

almost too beautiful to be real. But thenweren't they--and wasn't he--part of m

dream?

He grinned so much more that I was afrai

his round black face would break into tw

separate halves, and looking at me wit

his woolly head on one side, he thrust ou

he basket.

"Fur you, missy," said he, with a funn


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ittle accent, for all the world like Sall

Woodburn's.

"They can't be for me. There must be

mistake," said I, wishing there wasn't, fo

he peaches did look delicious; and ther

were two rosebuds lying on top of thbasket; one pink, the other white. "I don

know anyone who could have sent them."

"The gent knows you, you bet, missy,

replied the image. "He guv me a quarte

and axed if I know'd my alphabet 'nuf t

find letter 'B,' an' tote dese yere to thprettiest young lady I'd ever seed. Mos

wite ladies, dey looks all jes' alike, to me

but you's different, missy; an' I reckon d


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ings must be fur you."

had a horrible vision of this complimen

proceeding from The Flashlight or Th

vening Bat. "What was the gentlema

ike?" I asked.

"Like mos' any gent, missy, 'cept that h

was powerful tall, an' I reckon if he keep

right on like he's doin' now, he'll get mos

as brown as me some day."

Then I knew that I was safe in taking th

present; so I did, and gave the comicablack image two or three little roun

white metal things I'd got from the purse

when I changed some English money.


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didn't know how much they were, and the

ooked ridiculously small, but he seeme

pleased.

When he had run off, I turned my attentio

o the peaches. They were so big that ther

was room only for four in the basket, anhey seemed dreadfully patheti

considering from whom they had come.

That poor fellow must be almost penniles

or he wouldn't have been in the steerage

yet he had bought peaches for me, an

given a "quarter"--whatever that was--this quaint black doll of a messenger.

could have cried; nevertheless, I ate tw

of the peaches, and reluctantly presente


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he other two, which I couldn't possibl

eat, to a gloomy "B" child, sitting on

shawl-strap.

As if for a reward of virtue, just as I ha

disposed of my leavings, and stuck th

roses into my belt, the last of the luggagarrived. There were two Custom Hous

men near to choose from, and as I'v

heard, in choosing between two evils it'

better to choose the less, I smile

beseechingly at the smaller man who ha

ust crammed a pile of lace blouses int

he box of a lady with nervous prostration

Whether he was sated with cruelty, o

whether he was naturally of an angeli


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disposition, I shall probably never know

now; but the fact remains that, instead o

urning out the Fiend I'd been led t

expect, he was one of the most considerat

men I've ever met. He wouldn't even le

me unlock my own boxes, but took th

keys and opened them for me himselfDidn't an executioner braid the hair o

some queen whose head he was going t

chop off? I must look the incident up

when I have time.) Anyway, I thought of i

when the Custom House man was being s

polite; but the analogy didn't go an

farther, for my head never came off at all

and two of the boxes remained unopened.

"You're English, aren't you?" he asked


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and when I said yes, and that I was

williamson a m - lady betty across the water

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