reel Providential! I do
believe ole Verity 'ad a 'and in it."

Which shows that Captain Coke confused Providence with David Verity,
and goes far to prove how ill-fitted he was to theorize on the ways of
Providence.

CHAPTER III

WHEREIN THE "ANDROMEDA" NEARS THE END OF HER VOYAGE

"Five bells, miss! It'll soon be daylight. If you wants to see the
Cross, now's your time!"

Iris had been called from dreamless sleep by a thundering rat-tat on
her cabin door. In reply to her half-awaked cry of "All right," the
hoarse voice of a sailor told her that the Southern Cross had just
risen above the horizon. She had a drowsy recollection of someone
saying that the famous constellation would make its appearance at seven
bells, not at five, and the difference of an hour, when the time
happens to be 2:30 instead of 8:30 a.m. is a matter of some importance.
But, perhaps that was a mistake; at any rate, here was the messenger,
and she resolutely screwed her knuckles into her eyes and began to
dress. In a few minutes she was on deck. A long coat, a Tam o'
Shanter, and a pair of list slippers will go far in the way of costume
at night in the tropics, and the _Andromeda's_ seventeenth day at sea
had brought the equator very near. At dinner on the previous
evening--in honor of the owner's niece fashionable hours were observed
for meals--Mr. Watts mentioned, by chance, that the Cross had been very
distinct during the middle watch, or, in other words, between midnight
and 4 a.m. Iris at once expressed a wish to see it, and Captain Coke
offered a suggestion.

"Mr. Hozier takes the middle watch to-night," said he. "We can ax 'im
to send a man to pound on your door as soon as it rises. Then you must
run up to the bridge, an' 'e'll tell you all about it."

If Iris was conscious of a slight feeling of surprise, she did not show
it. Hitherto, the burly skipper of the _Andromeda_ had made it so
clearly understood that none of the ship's company save himself was to
enjoy the society of Miss Iris Yorke, that she had exchanged very few
words with the one man whose manners and education obviously entitled
him to meet her on an equal plane. Even at meals, he was often absent,
for the captain and chief officer of a tramp steamer are not altruists
where eating is concerned. She often visited the bridge, her favorite
perch being the shady side of the wheel-house, but talking to the
officer of the watch was strictly forbidden.