Stella Rosevelt : A novel
37Every day after that, during the remainder of the voyage, Archibald Sherbrooke sought the companionship of Mr. Rosevelt and his lovely young charge—for as such he regarded her.

37

They became the best of friends, and the brilliant young Englishman seemed to arouse all that was brightest and liveliest in Star’s composition, so that as her sweet, clear laugh rang out, and she replied to his jests with merry wit and repartee equal to his own, many of the passengers paused in their conversation or lifted up their eyes from their books to smile at the cheerful sight and sound.

The last day of the voyage came, and during the afternoon the two young people were pacing the upper deck, arm in arm, when Archibald Sherbrooke suddenly stopped, and pointing toward a distant city of spires and domes, said:

“Ah! we are nearing New York. A few hours more and we shall be there. Do you know, Miss Star, I shall be sorry to bid you ‘good-by?’”

The young girl’s bright face clouded at these words. A hot flush mounted for an instant to her brow, and her white lids drooped over her beautiful eyes.

“You, of course, expect friends to meet you on your arrival,” her companion continued, after a moment of silence.

“I do not know,” she answered, with a troubled look. “I did expect that some one would meet me upon the arrival of the other vessel, but now that we have had such trouble, I am afraid there will no one come for me, and I shall be obliged to go to Brooklyn alone.”

“That will not be at all difficult, since Brooklyn is only just across the river from New York. If you know the street and number where your friends live, you can easily find them,” returned the young man, encouragingly.

Star started and looked blank at his words.

“The street and number were written in my diary. That 38was lost on the vessel. I did not think, in my haste, to get it,” she said, in dismay.

38

“Whew! that makes matters rather complicated for you, then; but never mind, the captain will know what to do about it, and I feel sure that you will have no trouble. It is probable that the pilot-boat, when it returned, after leaving the pilot with us, took back the news that some of the passengers from the wrecked steamer were with us, and your friends may hope 
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