Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1846-07-16

That's suspicious looking sail on oul
quarter said l 10 the captain. pointing
where. far up to windward, a white speck
was discernable.
DO you think so?' he replied earnest.
ly, Il will get my glass then-and, stay
You had better, Danforth, accompany
me into the tops
We had sailed from Smyrna few days
before. and were now running with a
fair wind for Gibraltar, where we expect
ed to arrive before the week was out
Our ship was beautiful little craft of
three hundred tons. carrying few brass
pieces, as was then not uncommon, but
having a crew by no means proportional
to her armament. She was strong new
vessel, but not one OF extraordinary speed:
on which account we were more anxious
than we should otherwise have been at
the sight of this suspicious sail.
Captain Powell was the sole owner of
this beautiful craft; but he had other
causes of alarm more potent, for his
young and lovely wife, TO whom he had
been united scarcely fortnight, was a
passenger; and with her was her father
and his family, our late consul at Smyrna.
returning TO America after an absence of
many years. An interesting group was
this little circle. There was the venera.
BILE parent a gray. headed, noble looking
old man-,he elder daughter, Mrs. Pow
ell, spirited and beautiful woman-and
two younger sisters, both at that period
of life when the girl is budding into
womanhood. Mary. the elder of the
single sisters, was a most lovely creature.
with the blue eyes and light golden hair
which one sees in Raphael's Madonnas;
while the captains bride, not less beauii-
ful, had the dark eyes and tresses of the
sunny south. The younges. of the sisters
partook Of the style and beauty pertaining
| to Mrs. Powell; and the three together
were known even i'm the East, from
whence they came as the Sister Graces.'
And certainly never did Ionia, in her
palmiest days, furnish three such models.
Mary's was one of the most exquisilely
formed natures that ever lived out of the
realms of poesy. There brea,hed around
her daily presence all the purity and
| loneliness that enshrnes Shakspeare's
Imogen in our hearts. Her love was a
treasure that king might have been
proud to win; her commonest smile a
prize for which knigh, of olden chivalry
would have periled his life. All this
wealth of hear. was given TO my bosom
friend, Frederick Merton. lieutenan, in
our navy, who had obtained a furlough
and was returning in our vessel. it being
arranged tina, his nuptials were to be Gel
ebrated when we arrived in the United
States.
The period of which l write witnessed
almost daily depredstions by the Moorish
corsairs. which were then the terror Of
the Mediterranean: period about two
wears in advance of that when Somers and
Decatur, by their gallant conduct before
Tripoli, laid the foundation of our naval
glory. American vessels were par,icu-
larly subject to the rapacily of the piratical
cruisers, and many Of our countrymen,
who had been captured by the Turks,
were langushing in hopeless slavery -
The knowledge Of this made us par,icu
larly anxious TO arrive al Gibraltar speed
lily; and the favorable breeze which had
prevailed for the last few days seemed to
be in answer to our hopes. But now a
sort of instructive fear seized me that the
vessel in sight was Tripoltan cruiser,
and as looked into the captains counte
nance, TO read his thoughts on the subject,
| I Of
views.
We assembled to the top in silence
when my companion took long look
through the glass. When he had done
this he handed me the instrument, though
without speaking word. The telescope
did not exactly suit my vision: therefore
adjusted the slide. and placed the glass
again TO my eye.
.Well'' said the captain, as | removed
the instrument, and looked him foil in the
face.
shook my head hopelessly.
She's an Algerine, you ,hink' he ask
ed, with slight culver Of the lip which
might well be excused in consideration
of the precious freight he had on board.
He spoke. too, as if his own conviction
agreed with mine, though he would fam
cling to hope, and half expected ! would
hold out some.
She has the rig of that class said.
and evidently in chase. 1t may not be
as we think / added quickly, observing
the deathly pallor tina, came over my
companions face. AT any rate, we had
better not alarm the ladies'
Certainly not said the captain anxi-
ously. But should like to have Fred
erick's opinion on this craft. Could you
no, 60 down and send him up here with
out creating suspicion on the part of m y
wife or Mary!
| looked down on the deck. Frederick
was standing on the quarter, with sister
on either arm, and just at this moment
the whole three looked aloft. and Mrs.
Powell smilingIy beckoned to her husband
| to descend.
i will answer the summons said,
and thus there will be no Suspicion
But pang shot through my heart to
think how soon that light and happy
smile might be changed TO agony and
despair.