Fred Fearnots New Ranch | Page 6

become of your friend Olcott?"
"Oh, he's on board, and so is his sister Evelyn."
"Well, I'd like to meet him and his sister," said the old gentleman.
"Father," said his daughter, "she is just the sweetest and prettiest girl you ever saw in your life. I met her when we first came on board, but as the sea was a little too rough for her she had to retire to her room, and I hardly think that we will have the pleasure of seeing her again before tomorrow. Mr. Olcott, her brother, Mr. Fearnot tells me, is an awful victim to seasickness, and that he says and does funny things while old Neptune has a grip on him."
Then she suddenly asked her father how her mother was.
"Oh, she is in her room actually groaning and making believe that she is going to die."
"Oh, she does that every time she sails," and the girl laughed merrily.
Mr. Elon remained with her and Fred for at least a half hour. Then he drew a package of cigars from his pocket said tendered one to Fred.
"Thank you, sir; but I never smoke."
"Well you will excuse me, then, if I indulge."
"Certainly, sir; certainly." So he retired to the further side of the deck and lit a cigar by using a match made in Sweden which the fiercest wind cannot extinguish.
Then he began puffing furiously.
The girl squeezed Fred's arm and said:
"Just watch him. You'll see him slipping back to his room pretty soon. He's no sailor."
"Well," said Fred, "you seem to be a pretty good mariner."
"Yes; if you have any suspicions that I will retreat, just stick to me."
"All right, I'll keep an eye on you, for you are beautiful to look at, if you will pardon the liberty of expression."
"Mr. Fearnot, did you ever see a girl who didn't like such expressions?"
"Yes, I saw one once when she was struggling with an attack of mal de mer, and she had to yield to its effect in the presence of all the crowd, for there was no place for retreat for her. We were returning from Coney Island. The young man who was acting as her escort thought that he would compliment her by mentioning that she was the most beautiful girl on the ship. She thought it was spoken sarcastically, for she couldn't conceive how a seasick girl could be beautiful, and then just at that time she was disgorging the dinner which she had eaten an hour or two before, so she turned on him and gave him a pretty sharp rebuke."
Miss Elon laughed heartily at the story, and said:
"Well, I don't blame her, for a girl thinks at such a time as that she looks as ugly as she feels, even if she don't. Now, Mr. Fearnot," she continued, "will you please go back and bring me another dose of that acid phosphate?"
"Certainly, certainly!" and he hurried back to his cabin and returned with the glass with the phosphate in it. Filling the glass with water, he presented it to her and suggested that she take only half the dose.
"All or nothing," she laughed, and swallowed the contents of the glass.
She returned the glass to Fred with thanks, and he took it back to his cabin and took a dose himself.
To his astonishment the girl kept her feet admirably, and even when supper was announced she looked up at him and said:
"Mr. Fearnot, father and mother and sister have all retired. Will you take me down to supper?"
"With the greatest of pleasure," he replied, with a smile. "You are a strong, brave girl, and you must pardon me if I give utterance to my admiration."
"Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Fearnot," and, taking his arm, she accompanied him down into the dining-room, where she was the only lady passenger present.
She ate rather a light supper, and so did Fred. The meal over, they went back up on deck, for all people when seasick want to be out in the fresh air, and if the wind blows strong and cold they are all the better for it.
Of course, the air wasn't cold at that season of the year, but the wind blew fresh and strong from over the sea.
They walked about on the deck until ten o'clock, and then she said:
"Mr. Fearnot, you will excuse me if I retire."
"All right," said he, "but tell me, do you feel the least bit seasick?"
"No, indeed. I did expect to be, but that acid phosphate seemed to have been the very thing for me, and I thank you heartily for suggesting it to me."
"Perhaps you had better take another dose before retiring. You may need some, too, through the night; so you may take the bottle to the cabin with you," and he got it and placed it