The Vultures

urtly known at a girls' school as "poking." He was a clean-shaven man, with bony forehead, sunken cheeks, and an underhung mouth. His attitude towards the world was one of patient

red from nothing but chronic dyspepsia-h

Women will be coming on de

was deep and l

angles, "growls over

e or thirty years younger than Mr. Mangles, and looked like an Englishman, but not aggressively so. The large majority of Britons are offensively British. Germans are no bett

seemed to take up no more than his due share of room in this crowded world. There was nothing distinctive about his dress. His demeano

ld anything, or had a card in his waistcoat-pocket ready for production at a moment's notice, setting forth name and address and trade. Neither was to be suspected of a desire to repel advances, and yet both were difficult to get on with. For human confidences must be mutual. It is only to God th

other-had never, as it were, got deep

ite straight, and cut across the upper curve of the pupil. This gave a direct, stern look to dreamy eyes, which was odd. After a pause, he turned slowly, and looked down at his companion with a vagu

l be on deck soon-and my siste

slow and pleasan

oon after luncheon," said Cartoner. "She had a

" said Mr. Mangles,

f those who have no self-consciousness-who are absorbed, b

e, Netty

with a spontaneity which would h

id Mangles, lugubriously. "They al

one who has ears but hea

did not seem to be very much interested in Miss Netty Cahere. He was a man having that air of detachment from personal environments which is apt to arouse curiosit

listened with an expression of puzzled protest on her pretty face. She had wondering blue eyes and a complexion of the most delicate pink and white which never altered. She was slightly built, and carried herself in a subtly deprecating manner, as if her own

threw his ci

like smoke,

t. He had apparently not made up his mind whether to go or stay, when Miss Ca

hip, though he was very young-quite a boy. He was telling me about

evident that she had a heart full of s

Mangles, in his deepest tones. "Could spare a whole crew

remonious wave of the hand. Miss Cahere smiled rather shyl

to meals," he said, in

w. Are there many people?

few ladies. I kn

nice," said Miss Cahere, who evid

y li

his odd and somewhat disc

nd blue eyes-with a guileless and wondering admiration. He certainly was a very

ide?" she asked, after a pause; "a sai

rom whence the ship was visible. Cartoner followed her meekly, and Mr

horizon. "One can hardly see it now. When I first came on deck

t the ship withou

confidential manner-"I think sailors are very nice, don't you?

hat you were

convey the comfortable assurance that whatever she had been about to say would no

soldiers," she s

ible, and continued to gaze at th

ve enough to force him to speak? He is so silent, you know, that

ill. We were both hungry, and hurried down to a m

lanation, without mu

re in the diplomatic service,

the mark with her second shot, or else he was making a mental note of the fact that

explanation, and for her own good, he led the way to a warmer quarter. But at the corner of the deck-house a gust caught Miss Cahere, and held her there in a pretty attitude, with her two hands upraised to her ha

or in some matters she held old-fashioned notions, and was not one of the modern race o

tionate, laughing attempt to prevent his returning his cigar-case to his jacket pocket. She

throw away the other? Mr. Cartoner-is it not foolish of him? Because I once said, without re

affectionately on the old man's

t or not," she said. "And I do like

an odd smile, which was perhaps the only way in w

what I think," she

te a lady," said Mr. Man

y bread and her frocks," answered Netty, in an affectionate

ired the old man, hurriedly. "I

t her in the saloon. She is quite w

d her head with a mystic gravity. She was looking towards the

les to Cartoner, "is no doubt known to you

ed in the United States during some months, and he knew that it is po

your line of country?" sugges

thin

s-at presen

en in prison," r

aid Mr. Mangles, with his deep, curt laugh. "No, sir, m

ut?" aske

e wide world, with a gra

ery few women know-namely, that when women work for nothing, they are giving away something that nobody wants. So Jooly goes about the world lecturing on women's employment, and pointing out to the public and the administration many ways in whi

" interrupted Miss C

short sigh, and l

nd was given to the ship and his own career. He must have seen something to interest him in Netty Cahere's face-perhaps h