He did not even know her name.  She was not a well girl, that he could see.  The roses in her cheeks were not altogether natural and her face was pale; but those red lips, and that smile when turned to him!  Well, the voyage was half over.  Another four or five days and they would be in Liverpool, where they would go their different 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 on the promenade deck.  They were taking their exercise moderately, pausing frequently to look at any trifling diversion.  Chester tipped his cap at them as they passed.  At the next meeting in the walk, the minister stopped and greeted the young man.