Wiping her eyes she went back to her own cabin.She had neglected closing its other door, the one from the saloon.The clerk was standing smirking in the doorway.
"You must be going away for quite some time," said he.And he fixed upon her as greedy and impudent eyes as ever looked from a common face.It was his battle glance.Guileful women, bent on trimming him for anything from a piece of plated jewelry to a saucer of ice cream, had led him to believe that before it walls of virtue tottered and fell like Jericho's before the trumpets of Joshua.
"It makes me a little homesick to see the old town disappear,"hastily explained Susan, recovering herself.The instant anyone was watching, her emotions always hid.
"Wouldn't you like to sit out on deck a while?" pursued the clerk, bringing up a winning smile to reinforce the fetching stare.
The idea was attractive, for she did not feel like sleep.It would be fine to sit out in the open, watch the moon and the stars, the mysterious banks gliding swiftly by, and new vistas always widening out ahead.But not with this puny, sandy little "river character," not with anybody that night."No," replied she."I think I'll go to bed."She had hesitated--and that was enough to give him encouragement."Now, do come," he urged."You don't know how nice it is.And they say I'm mighty good company.""No, thanks." Susan nodded a pleasant dismissal.
The clerk lingered."Can't I help you in some way? Wouldn't you like me to get you something?""No--nothing."
"Going to visit in Cincinnati? I know the town from A to Izzard.
It's a lot of fun over the Rhine.I've had mighty good times there--the kind a pretty, lively girl like you would take to.""When do we get to Cincinnati?"
"About eight--maybe half-past seven.Depends on the landings we have to make, and the freight.""Then I'll not have much time for sleep," said Susan."Good night." And no more realizing the coldness of her manner than the reason for his hanging about, she faced him, hand on the door to close it.
"You ain't a bit friendly," wheedled he.
"I'm sorry you think so.Good night--and thank you." And he could not but withdraw his form from the door.She closed it and forgot him.And she did not dream she had passed through one of those perilous adventures incident to a female traveling alone--adventures that even in the telling frighten ladies whose nervousness for their safety seems to increase in direct proportion to the degree of tranquillity their charms create in the male bosom.She decided it would be unwise regularly to undress; the boat might catch fire or blow up or something.She took off skirt, hat and ties, loosened her waist, and lay upon the lower of the two plain, hard little berths.The throb of the engines, the beat of the huge paddles, made the whole boat tremble and shiver.Faintly up from below came the sound of quarrels over crap-shooting, of banjos and singing--from the roustabouts amusing themselves between landings.She thought she would not be able to sleep in these novel and exciting surroundings.She had hardly composed herself before she lost consciousness, to sleep on and on dreamlessly, without motion.
