Page:Left to Themselves (1891).djvu/99

 West myself to-morrow, you know. Good-bye, and do take care of yourselves!" With which Mr. Hilliard was fairly dragged down the plank by the impatient ship's people, talking to the very bottom of it, and unconsciously quite a center of observation.

A moment later Philip and Gerald were waving their hands to him as the Old Province slipped along from the pier. Shall it be confessed that even Philip felt something like loneliness steal into his breast as he finally said, "Come, Gerald, let's go and take a look at our state-room."

They made themselves comfortable outside for the afternoon. There did not appear to be any considerable number of passengers. In fact, they heard one of the officers remarking that "it was the shortest list they had had during the season." A dozen not very interesting commercial travelers going back to the Provinces; as many New Yorkers bound north on special errands; some quiet Nova Scotia people—these, with four or five humble household groups that the boys soon classed as emigrants, were all the travelers on the Old Province for that trip. They soon ceased to pay