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evidence. Not to be outdone by the Widow, the ladies sought trinkets and bright colors. Some of them added to their supply of summer wearing apparel, for the hot weather was becoming more pronounced, but few managed to find anything they could not buy in the large department stores at home. About the only novelties were coral ornaments and marine curios. Canes of sharks' bones and whips of the silk-cotton tree were among the specialties. In a department store that would rank with those of our eastern cities, at least in the variety of stock, I found the Speaker, with Loudenslager and others. The Speaker had doffed the familiar black slouch, and had taken on a small white hat, the like of which we had never seen before, but it suited the Speaker, and that settled it.

Sherman, with ill-disguised pride, exhibited a dozen neckties of the most egregious colors, and Tawney, who was gradually acquiring the color habit, unwrapped a package that contained a lot of the loudest suspenders ever made.

The prize purchase of the day, however, was made by the handsome Olcott, who strutted out of the store in a new crash suit, for which he had paid $2.16. He was waving the receipt to prove his statement.

"Why, I never felt so comfortable in my life!" he said.

As usual, there was a crowd of divers about the ship, anxious to exhibit their skill in catching coin before it reached the bottom. Loudenslager waved them off, for they were no longer interesting.

"Look here!" he exclaimed to one sleek, black native. "We've seen so many of you that we're tired, but if you will dive under this ship, I'll give you a dollar."

It seemed an impossible undertaking, for the Bluecher was drawing thirty feet of water and was sixty-two feet across. The diver hesitated, but the dollar was a big prize,

and he said he would try. Bracing himself in his small boat and taking a long breath, he shot under water. We ran to the other side of the deck and waited. It was nearly two minutes before he appeared, but when he did, he shot out of the water as though fired from a gun.

"You earned it," said the New Jersey representative, and the diver was applauded as he caught the dollar.

The ship was now making ready for departure. I sat in the barber's chair, endeavoring to be genial to the German operator, when a burst of discord from the water's side. broke up our conversation.

"Donnervetter!" said the barber, as he rushed to a port hole. I left the chair and went to another. It was easy to locate the trouble. A native band had come in a yawl to serenade us. It was doing its best to play the "Suwanee River," probably as a compliment to the American tourists. Then they tackled "Hiawatha" and "Home Sweet Home." "How is your imagination?" I inquired of the musicloving German.

"Donnervetter!" was all he could say.

Their concert finished, the musicians besought the passengers to tell them of "Joe Walcott." They said he was born in Barbados, and they had followed his career as a prize fighter with loving interest. They thought it was due to "Joe" they should "treat his American friends right."

At sea, that evening, I fell into a discussion with Col. Busbey and Mr. White, of Waterbury, on the subject of the tariff on watches. White, who is a large manufacturer, was insisting that it was a good thing for the American working man that American watches were sold abroad cheaper than at home. He explained that only those were sold that constituted a surplus over the demand for watches in America, and that if they were not so disposed of, factories

would have to run short-handed, thus throwing a proportion of the employees out of work. I listened to White's argument, and then observed how adroit and careful the Speaker's secretary could be in such an emergency.

"You know," said the Colonel, "the Speaker never had a watch which gave him so much satisfaction as the American-made watch he bought at the Chicago Fair for seventy-five cents. He always insisted that the watch kept good time and that it demonstrated the fallacy of the argumen that the tariff upon the imported watches increased the price to the American consumer. During the last campaign, the Speaker, Mr. Sherman and myself were at the Congressional headquarters in New York City, when the Speaker found he had forgotten his watch and was unable to use it as an object lesson. The Speaker demanded another seventy-five cent watch. So, up and down Broadway we tramped, visiting all the small jewelry stores, in search of a watch of the Chicago variety. Dollar watches and ninety-five-cent watches were offered, but the Speaker would have none of them; he insisted upon a seventy-fivecent watch or nothing; at last we grew tired, and Sherman pointed the way to a place where we believed a watch could be had for seventy-five cents. The Speaker got the watch and paid the seventy-five cents, but he didn't know that Sherman handed the jeweler the difference between the seventy-five cents and the actual cost price. Nor does he know it yet."

White looked up into Busbey's face, then into mine, and drawing us both toward his stateroom, said: "That entitles you to an improved Waterbury," and we each got one.

CHAPTER V.

TRINIDAD.

Looking for the Southern Cross-The Pitch "Lake" at La Brea— A Lonesome American Enterprise-The Orinoco and the Gulf of Paria-When the English Took Trinidad-The Tariff Plays Its Part-American-made Trolley Cars-The Negro and the West Indian-Coolies Who Grow Wealthy-Mohammedan Marriages and Customs-A Queer Barber Shop-"We are Prosperous in Trinidad"-The Governor's Rich Environment-Botanical Gardens and Public Parks-The Speaker and the British Maid-Poor Bargains in the Poor Quarter-Reception at the Union ClubMcKinley and the President-A Reminder of Hamilton-On Board the Dreadnaught—“When Will You Build Two?" Said the Captain-Dinner at the Queen's Park Hotel-A Novel Menu Card The Twining of the Flags-A Sad Message From Home.

Bound for Trinidad! It was two hundred and five miles from Bridgetown to the next stop. The delightful night run gave us a chance to investigate the story of the "Southern Cross." Dr. Woodbury, of Philadelphia, produced a book which told us all about this marvelous mystery of the Southern heavens. We imagined we saw the "cross," but our imagination was sorely stretched, for immediately as five stars in the accredited position across the northern coast of Venezuela were pointed out, some other observer would discover another five, and so it was difficult to determine the real thing. In the opinion of Gummere, of Trenton, who was to participate in one of the romances of the trip, the "Southern Cross" was not so much for astronomy as for gastronomy, since prolonged vigils with the stars of the Southern seas had been especially conducive to late suppers,

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