Page:The Atlantic Monthly Volume 1.djvu/665

He had demolished two pieces before the other boy awoke at the sound of eating, which, however, at last reached his ears and aroused him, though the shout and kick of the boat-hand had not disturbed him. He drew close to his companion, and watched him with water-ing mouth, but did not dare to ask him for a share of what he seemed little disposed to part with. The big boy fin-ished the third piece, and hesitated about the fourth; but no, he was a human being,—no brute. He thrust the remain-der into his watcher's hands, and turned his back upon him, so as not to be tan-talized. Beasts indeed! Here were two instances of self-denial, nowhere to be matched in the whole animal creation, except in that race which is but little lower than the angels!

Among the young gentlemen smoking around us, there was one who drew my attention, and that of every other per-son present, by his jolly laugh. He was a short man, with broad shoulders and full chest, but otherwise slight. He was very good-looking, and had the air of a perfect man of the world,—but not in any disagreeable sense of the word, for a more genial fellow I never saw. His ha! ha! was irresistible. Wherever he took his merry face, good-humor follow-ed. He had a smart clap on the shoul-der for one, a hearty hand-shake for another, a jocular nod for a third. I en-vied those whose company he sought,—even those whom he merely accosted.

Presently, to my agreeable surprise, he drew near me, threw away his cigar, on Kate's account, and said,—

"Lend me a corner of this machine, Sir? No seats to be had."

"Certainly," I responded eagerly, and then, with a bow to Kate, he sat down upon the foot of my couch. He turned his handsome, roguish face to me, with a look, at once quizzical and tenderly com-miserating, while he rattled off all sorts of lively nonsense about the latest news. The captain, who pitied my situation, I suppose, came up just then, to ask if anything could be done to make me more comfortable; and he happened to call both the stranger and myself by our names. I thus learned that his was Ryerson.

When he heard mine, he changed color visibly, and looked eagerly at Kate. I introduced him, and then, with a timidity quite unlike his former dash-ing air, he said he had the pleasure of being acquainted with an admiring friend of hers—Miss Alice Wellspring. Had she heard from her lately?

“Yes; she was very well, staying with her aunt.”

He was aware of that. He had ask-ed the question, because he thought he could, perhaps, give later information of her than Kate possessed, and set her mind at rest about the welfare of her young friend, as she must be anxious. He was glad to say that Miss Wellspring was quite well—two hours ago.

Kate made a grimace at me, and an-swered, that she was “glad to hear it.” Mr. Ryerson looked unutterably grateful, and said he was “sure she must be.”

“Portentous!” whispered Kate to me, when the young man made a passing sleep the excuse for turning away to hide his blushing temples.

She gave him time, and then asked a few questions concerning Alice's home and friends. He replied, that she was in “a wretched fix.” Her aunt was a vix-en, her home a rigorous prison. He sighed deeply, and seemed unhappy, un-til the subject was changed,—a relief which Kate had too much tact to defer long.

This sunny-hearted fellow made the rest of the journey very short to me. I think such a spirit is Heaven's very best boon to man. It is a delightful possession for one's-self, and a godsend to one's friends.

When we reached the Astor House, I was put to bed, like a baby, in the middle of the afternoon, thoroughly ex-hausted by the unusual excitement. The crickets and grasshoppers in the fields at home were sufficiently noisy to make me pass wakeful nights; but now I dropped