320 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



X or ember 



spoke to me (we were on the shores 

 of Eaglesham lake, and she had 

 kissed me and called me her own 

 sailor and told me that she knew shr 

 never could love any one half as 

 well as a sailor) were: 'Arte, don't 

 forget St. Elmo's light. And, Arte, 

 when you see that light Noi'a will 

 be near you in spirit. And when 

 you see it you say "Nora, Nora 

 Nora," three times, and wherever I 

 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 love- 

 sick lad buried his face in his hands. 



"By Jove, you've got it bad, Bes- 

 sy," I said. "I thought I was fond 

 of ,the girl that saved my life at 

 Limerick, but my affection is but as 

 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 i^leadingly at me. 



"I will not, Bessy. I don't won- 

 der that Nora fell in love with you. 

 You are too good looking for a man. 

 And I promise -\jo\x that if on my 

 watch on deck I see St. Elmo's light 

 I'll send Gog Thompson to pull yon 

 out by the heels." 



After this conversation I noticed 

 a change tor. the better in Bescoby. 

 He had lost his moodiness and gave 

 such hot shots to his tormentors, 

 who used to chaff him for their di- 

 gestion, that he silenced their bat- 

 teries in short order. I think he felt 

 relieved that he had told me his sto- 

 ry, and I listened to the entire tale 

 of his meeting w^ith and engagement 

 to the Irish beauty. 



I hoped that she had not been 

 flirting with mj' 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 baud in by practicing on Bescoby. 

 There was such a strawberry and 

 cream flavor about the business, a 



Paul and Virginia atmosiDhere, that 

 I felt my countrywoman was sim- 

 plj^ amusing herself with the sus- 

 ceptible young sailor and nothing 

 more. 



Two days afterv/ard we brought 

 up in Hakodate. There were a few 

 merchantmen in the harbor and an 

 English yacht. At mess that even- 

 ing one of our fellows who 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 chap- 

 eroning 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 

 Hongkong. I say, we must give them 

 a dance. Just think how jolly ! 

 Here wo are, away from home, and 

 the lots of English girls we know. 

 Hey for the maids of merry, merry 

 England! Wouldn't it be gi'and if 

 we got to Hongkong in time for the 

 wedding?" 



"What's the owner's name?" I 

 asked. 



"Lord Gilmour. A jolly young 

 chap too. Has a grand shooting and 

 great place somewhere near Glas- 

 gow." 



"I want to see you for a minute, 

 Paddy." 



I looked around, and Bescoby was 

 at my elbo'.v. He was strangely pale, 

 and his eyes wore a wild and most 

 unnatural expression. 



"Paddy." he said as he stood at 

 one of tiiw starboard ports, "there is 

 something awfully wrong. I knov; 

 this Lord Gilmour. It was at his 

 house I staid. It was there I met 

 Nora. And he was attentive to her, 

 I remember, but she did not seem to 

 care about him. And now she is on 

 this yachting cruise with him. And 

 he is engaged to some one on board. 

 Oh, Paddy, I know there is some- 

 thing wrong!" 



