Good-night."
While Sam and his friend were conversing on deck, another conversation
which was to have a portentous effect upon the former's destiny was
taking place in the upper corridor of the Peckham Young Ladies'
Seminary at St. Kisco.
"He's perfectly lovely," said a young lady, standing barefoot before
her door in her night-dress to a group of young ladies similarly
attired. "I've got his photograph. And I'm not just going to stand
still and see him pass. It's all very well to have the school drawn up
in line on the wharf--that's better than nothing--but I want something
more, and I'm going to have it."
"What will you do, Sally?" they all cried.
"I'm going to kiss him--there!" said she.
"Oh, Sally!"
"Yes, I will too."
"I believe she will if she says so," said one of the girls. "She won't
stop at anything. Well, Sally Watson, if you kiss him, I will to."
"And I!" "And I!" exclaimed the others; but at that moment a step was
heard on the stairs, and the Peckham young ladies sought their beds and
pretended very hard to be asleep, altho their hearts were thumping
against their ribs at the mere thought of their daring resolution.
It was at ten o'clock the next morning that the steamer came alongside
the wharf. The city was in gala dress and flags waved everywhere. The
day was observed almost as a holiday, and many schools permitted their
pupils to take part in the procession which awaited the arrival of
Captain Jinks, as Sam was now commonly known in his native land.
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