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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (July 29, 1899)
THE COURIER. 11 THE SUMMER UIKLOXA LINER. Leonio ie hanging ovor tbo railing, with hor oyca glued upon tbo Bhoroa of Ireland, ub if tho exhibit waB cBpocially proparoti for hor. I should not wonder if, paradoxically, it brings tbo Rhores of America noaror to her, and iimkes bcr a bit homoBick. This first glimpso of land iB apt to affect one that way if ono bus never crossed before. Our niUBical, polishod Now York theatrical manager, who hue earned tho reputation of being tho diplomat of tho Bteamor, is romark ing: "What a placo Faetnot Light would bo to advertise on!" Tho International Rubberneck Society is singing its col lego songs, with its UBual group around it, and the swell set has Anally awaken ed to tho fact of its mistakon judgment and is trying to mako amonde too late! Amends generally coino too lato in swell Bets. But hero wo are! As wo near tho end of tho trip each of us is sifted and Bhaken into our true positions tho eame on sea as on land. If I should say this to Leonio well, I can seo hor eyes Hash and hear her nBk what does a girl like mo know about truo positions. Dut ono can't go through a social soaBon or two in Now York without knowing a thing or two. Now York is a groat odu cator. And it is a foregono conclusion, if both of us did not know something about thingB in general, we would not have been allowed to take this trip with out a chaperon. Now there's tho swell set the girl with her chaperon. Of course, it was tho Kubber-neck Society that dubbed thorn tho swell sot. That girl might have been tho hollo of tho steamer. Between her airs and tho indis cretions of herself and her chaperon, particularly her chaperon they are both ignored by tho womon, and to-day only two men and those two Englishmen have the courage to promenade tho decks with them. I am calling Loonio "Leonio" in this letter, because it is so far removed from her real name. Leonio is not French, eho is Southern. Tom Baid I must b u inoi her. Ho said tho only way to get pleasure out of a trip waB to humor your traveling companion. So I am humoring her. I don't think Tom told her to humor me. As I said before, she ib Southern. Sho doos not .appear to notice that I am humoring her. Per haps she is th'nking I am a Yankee and am indebted to her a lot for that aword General Grant did not accept from Gen eral Lee at Appomattox so long ago. Anyhow, sha seems to take things for granted. Among the rest sho took the lower berth in our stateroom and left mo the upper one. As I perform mir acles twica a day in getting down and up, the only concession she makes is, she could not do it at all. She monopo lizes the whole of the little mirror in dressing, and eoftone my rockless ap pearance as we sally forth by saying: "If only I could dross and arrange my toilette as easily as you do!" Not one acquaintance have I made, from tho stateroom steward to the handsomest man on board, that sho has not immedi ately appropriated nun. more was finally but one thing left to me. It was a littlo book entitled 'Colloquial French.' I thought it would save mo a lot of trouble in rofroshing mysolf on idioms. Loonio haB beon refreshing herself all winter with real study. I got the book out from tho depths of my trunk came up humbly on dock, took my Bteamor chair down to tho most unpopular nook, away from all those jolly Rubbor-neck-ors, bundled mysolf in my rugs and be gan to study. In about two minutes, Loonio dropped tho beau of the boat tho ono man that it had been a real struggle for mo to relinquish and came to my corner. She did not like it. It was too windy and it had too much mo tion, But Bho brought her rug and chair. Thon sho Bpiod tho littlo book with an ejaculation of joy. It was juBt what sho wanted! Sho haB tho book. Humoring your traveling companion in groat discipline. This International Rubbor-nock So ciety iB a sort of byphon that conuocts tho difforont cliquoB. It waB formed tho second day out. Loonio and mysolf woro made honorary momborB. Thoy woro tho congonial follows of tho steam er, in bic)clo suits, tonniB suits, golf BiiitB, whito lltnnel suits and traveling suits, with Bongs and jokofi, and out for a good time. But thoy did not know any of tho la-McB. I mot ono of them and introduced him to Leonic; tho others accused him of not knowing us, but making tho acquaintance by 'rubber nocking and threatened thoy would mako hiB steamer life misorublo if ho did not in troduce tho rest. Ho introduced thorn all as members of tho International Rubbor-nock Society, and tho society was formed. Loonio and I woro made honorary members, with tho understand ing that wo must introduce thorn to whoovor of tho pretty girls thoy desired to moot tho list to bo headed by ono girl in particular. Sho wus pointed out. Wo promised. Sho was tbo girl with tbo chaporon, and thoy woro our neigh bors in tho dining saloon. Sho was tailor and looked oldor than hor chaporon, and was making a specialty of tho broadest English ac cent and waB drinking "high balls" to prevent seasickness. Wo did not think tho Rubbor-neckors would fancy her for long; but there was no denying that sho waB a gieat beauty, Blender and willowy, with beautiful eyes and a complexion patented againet the sunburn and tan of a sea trip and veiled for effect more than for protection. Her chaperon's complexion waB of the eame sort. They have never changed after leaving Amer ica, excepting to bo more brilliant after every trip to the statepootn. They two, this girl who could bavo beon the belle of the boat and her chap eron, who told us she was the wifo of a prominent New York man, placed their steamer chairs in a spot on the upper deck adjacent to tho portion that had been appropriated by the Rubber-neck-ors. Tho next day after our promise to bring about an introduction we weie visited by a committee of the Rubber nockors. It had been decided they did not care to meet the beautiful girl. They did not like the way she walked, it was too serpentine. They did not believe her complexion was natural. Her accent was affected. They con sidered her very rude; she had omitted to thank one of their number when he had assisted her out of a difficulty, and, too, she belonged to New York's 400! They knew she did, She said bo. And Bho was very exclusive. Sho had said this alBO. And tbo Rubber-neckers did not think thoy could stand anything so dead-elegant on shipboaH. They were out for recreation. Thoy really wanted to forget painful conventionalities. So since then the girl and hor chaperon have beon known as tbo swell set. Being without a chaperon, however, has its inconveniences. Loonio and I have had to go down to our staterooms every night at tbo hour wo aro expected to go. Tho swell sot havo gono down just whon thoy wanted to. To bo euro, thoy havo not Btayed on the dark dorks alono. Thoy havo each boon protected by an escort, and from everything but the escorts thomsolveB. Even the of ficers themselves havo not doomed it best to interfere. But tho officers have felt no hesitancy in discussing situations in a general way for tho entertainment of other passengers. We would not have known all thiBif the inevitable concert for tho bonolit of families of sea- v5BV Ui Jv iMuLMHifl fee i Ks::g m m LN . M- Seite. i arnrn i.mk airaER-.Y" 1 . .. , r. ... 1 107 0 Street, Telephone 626. 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