lingly read aloud:

"Fellow travellers: Please assemble at once in the ladies' cabin to
supplicate the divine mercy for a stay of the scourge on this boat, and
in concerted worship to seek spiritual preparation for whatever awaits
us in the further hours of our voyage. In the absence of Bishop
So-and-So, who is ministering to the sick, and at his request, the
meeting will be conducted by the celebrated comedians Mr. and Mrs.
Gilmore, late of Placide's Varieties, New Orleans."

The art of advertising being then in its swaddling-bands, this specimen
of it struck its hearers as really creditable. While it was being read
two or three men rose, and one, uncommonly shaggy and of towering
height, could hardly wait for the last word before he responded with the
voice of a hound on the trail: "By the Lord Harry, sis', amen! says I,
that's jest my size! I'm a Babtis' exhorteh an' I know the theatre
air the mouth o' hell, but ef you play-acto's good enough to run a
prah-meet'n, I'm bad enough to go to it. Come on, gentle_men_, the whole
k'boodle of us, come on."

Some brightly, some darkly, a good halfdozen followed him into the
cabin; but the most remained seated, staring at Ramsey from head to foot
and back again, some brightly, some darkly, while the bell persevered
behind her. She sunk to her knees in the chair. Gilmore addressed that
half of the company on his side of her: "Please assemble at once, will
you, all, in the ladies' cabin."

And his wife, on her side, repeated: "Will you all please assemble at
once in the ladies' cabin."

A few more rose, but still the many, brightly or darkly, only stared on,
the bell persisting. The kneeling Ramsey again began to read:

"Fellow travellers: Please assemble at once in the ladies' cabin to
supplicate the divine mercy for a stay of the scourge on this boat, and
in concerted worship----"

"Oh, well!" some one laughingly broke in, "if that's your game--" and
the whole company, in good-natured surrender, arose and went in. But the
"bell-ringers," as they were promptly nicknamed, passed on to further
conquests.

When at length they turned to join the assemblage the four had doubled
their number. With Ramsey was the commodore. With the actor was Watson.
With Mrs. Gilmore came old Joy, and, strange to tell, due to some magic
in the tact of the senior Courteneys, the senator, no longer making
botch work of his guile, walked with Hugh, displaying a good-natured
loquacity which he