ace-bordered handkerchief, as her sire descended the gang plank,--his
exit being deprived of dignity by the sudden withdrawal of the
board,--and then placed her arm within that of the sandy-haired young
gentleman, and began walking him up and down the promenade deck.

"Isn't this delightful?" said she. "O, what can exceed the pleasure of
travelling, when one has a sympathizing friend as a companion!" And
she rather pressed the arm of her companion. She was strong-handed as
well as strong-minded.

Mr. Brown, for that was the name of the timid young gentleman with the
sandy hair and the blue cotton umbrella, was not particularly
susceptible, for he had already lost his heart to a sandy-haired young
lady, who resided in New York; and, besides, he didn't like
strong-minded women; so he asked, very unromantically, but sensibly,
if the happy parent of the lady in the blue habit had purchased her a
ticket.

"I believe--I am certain that he did not," was the reply. "Father is
so forgetful!"

"I'll do it myself then, ma'am--if you'll excuse me a moment. What
name?"

"Brown," said the lady.

"My own name!" cried the young man.

"Is it possible?" cried the blue beauty. "What a coincidence! How
striking! charming!"

She made no offer of money, and Brown invested his own funds in a
passage and supper ticket.

"You dear creature!" cried the lady, when he handed them to her, "you
are very attentive. But there was no necessity for this supper ticket.
I am the least eater in the world."

She said nothing about the cost of the tickets; and how could Brown
broach the subject?

"There's that bell, at last!" she cried, when the supper bell rang;
"do let's hurry down, Brown, for people are so rude and eager on board
steamboats, that unless you move quick you lose your chance."

Brown was hurried along by his fair friend, and she struggled through
the crowd till she headed the column and got an excellent seat at the
table. Our sandy-haired friend had exalted opinions of the delicacy of
female appetites; he had never helped ladies at a ball, or seen them
in a pantry at luncheon time, and fancied they fed as lightly as
canary birds. He was rather glad to hear Fanny make that remark about
the supper ticket on the promenade deck. But now he found she could
eat. The cold drops of perspiration stood upon his forehead as he
watched the evidences of her voracity. She was helped four times, by
the captain, to beefsteak--no miniature s