nt ways
forever. He must keep away from her that long, seeing there was danger.
No more playing with the fire that burns so deep. And all this which he
seemed to feel and fear, might be undreamed of by her and very likely
was. A girl like that would not take seriously a "steamer friendship."
She was only doing what all young people do on such trips, making
pleasant acquaintances with whom to pass away the monotonous days.
"Sure, sure," said he, as if to clinch the argument, but nevertheless,
deep within his soul there was an undercurrent of protest against such
final conclusions.

Chester tried to seek refuge in Elder Malby, but as he was not to be
found, he opened up a conversation with the missionary for Scandinavia.
The missionary was but a boy, it seemed to Chester. The going from home
and the sea-sickness had had their effects, and the young fellow was
glad to have some one to talk to. He came from Arizona, he told Chester;
had lived on a ranch all his life; had never been twenty miles away from
home before,--and now all this at once! It was "tough."

"But I'm feeling fine now," he said. "Do you know, I've had a peculiar
experience. All the way across the United States from home, something
seemed to say to me, 'You can't stand this. You'll go crazy. You'd
better go back home.' Of course, I was terribly homesick, and I guess
that was the trouble. The cowardly part of me was trying to scare the
better part. But all the time I seemed to hear 'You'll go crazy' until
once or twice I thought I would.

"Well, it was the same in New York, and the same when we came aboard. I
didn't care much one way or other while sea-sick, but when I got over
it, there was the same taunting voice. At last I got downright angry and
said, 'All right, I'm going right on and fill my mission, _and go
crazy!_' From that moment I have ceased to be bothered, and am now
feeling fine."

"Good for you," said Chester. "You'll win out. I wish I was sure about
myself." He went no further in explanation, however.

Ship board etiquette does not require formal introductions before
extended conversations may be carried on. The New England school ma'am
and the German professor were in a deep discussion ten minutes after
they had met for the first time. Many on the ship were going especially
"to do Europe," so there were themes for conversation in common.

As it happened, Chester was alone again that afternoon and he met the
minister and his daughter o