The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1863-12-18

- HOW DeauJll I'll now ueucaVe II IL
too grand present, Captain Walworth"
As if anything could be too handsome
for you," said the Captain in his softest
growl. "But I'm glad you like it. You
haven't too much that you like about you,
am sure Hannah"
She. lifted her fair face, and the dark
blue eyes were full of tears. ~ have only
my Children" she said. "They are the
only bright spots in my hard work-a-day
life"
"It's what I came to speak Of" said the
Captain, g what I've tried to speak of days
and days; but somehow couldn't. Sit
down and let me talk to you, Hannah Tur-
ner. I'm in sea 1 don't know much
about, and may run aground any minute.
think I'm not boasting when / say I'm
good seamen, but, though can navigate
ship, l don't understand making love to
a woman"
Hannah Turner started, and drew back
little, looking half frightened.
Yes, I'm going to make love tonight,
Hannah" said the Captain. ''I'm going
to go back bit, and tell you something
you never knew. When you were girl,
and good deal younger than l am now,
Ifell in love with you. You never guessed
it. / was sure of that for l hadn't the
faculty of showing what I felt. But |
said to myself. I'll win her if live
was only first mate then, and had my way
to make, and your father seemed to be rich
man, though he left nothing behind him.
[ didn't dare to speak then, and waited.
You were so very young, l never thought
of losing you as / did, when l sailed for
England. / came back from that voyage
as hopeful as a man could be. had made
money! should be master of my own
ship now-and | thought dared to try
for what pined for at last. 1t was just
such nigit as this, in the middle Of Oc-
tober, when 1 left the vessel to go to your
house, and ask you to be my wife; and l
couldn't help saying your name over and
over to myself as walked along. spoke
out loud once or twice, | was so full Of you,
and the Lord only knows what made me
so vain but | thought you'd have me-
Hannah, as surely as expect to live un-
til the hands of that clock come around
again. When came to your fathers
house, it was lighted from garret to cellar
and | head music and saw people dancing
through the curtain, and l felt sorry, Han
nah, for [ wanted to see you alone. But
| went in, and found your father standing
near the door, and he shook hands with
me, and said, I I, laa 10 svv-- yovv5 t~l
worth. I'm glad you came tonight. This
is our Hannah's wedding-party. She was
married an hour ago to Captain Turner.
l shan't forget those words if | live hun
dred years. l don't know how | got away
but l did it somehow, and found my way
back to where the ship lay, and stood there
looking over into the water. meant t
drown myself, but God saved me from
that sin, and made up my mind after I
while to try and bear it, You had INT jilteC
me. 1t was all my own vanity, and Ton
Turner though boy to me, was more ;
match for you than could have been
But thoug ght my heart was broken, anC
it would have been, Hannah, if hadn'
been so tough and salt. didn't go nea
you again, and | made voyage to th
West Indies before long, and kept ava,
good while. AS the years went on,
heard enough to know that young Ton
Turner was good to you, and that he wa
master Of the Olive Branch. When you
first boy died L heard of tread its dealt
in paper, Hannah-and | amt ashamet
to own that the tears stood in my eyes
partly because it seemed as if l could Sc
you crying over it, and partly because it
name was William, like mind, and | won
dered whether you thought of me whe
: you called it so-though maybe that wa
vanity, too, for there are may Will. in til
world After that | was off for three goo
years, and when | came back the first new
heard was that the Olive Branch wa
| lost, with poor Tom Turner in it. An
you were all alone and poor, Hannah, an
| came to see you. Why shouldn't l
You never guessed I'd had any thought
/ but those Of friend, and l believe yo
t were pleased to see me. I've come off an
| on ever since, and | love you better now
t l do believe, than did even at the frs
. Can you love me little, HannahY Wi
r you be my wife 7"
5 She looked up at him sadly, with th
: great tears rolling down her cheeks, an
1 put uer lltllS udnu upOu LID %iLh'
4 81 respect and like no living frien
}. more than do you, Captain Walworth,
+ she said, "but never loved and neve
e can love any man save one--the husban
f l have lost"
5 II know that, Hannah" said the cal
tain; i've seen it in your eyes this man
a day. l don't expect love-only like III
and let me love YOU"
!, Glove some one elsc," she said. "Yo
. could make wife very happy; you shoul
have one who could make you happy
; return"
"You are the only one, Hannah" sal
2 the Captain. "l'm rich; could free yo
q from all this hard work. | don't as
q much, only to see you near me always.
. amt Tom Turner, and know it; but
handsomer and younger man would n
love you half so dearly as 1 do, Hanna
d Look here, my dear, amt this a reason
1T do what | ask?" He put his arm arour
n her waist, and drew her into the roo
ell where the childrens cribs were. ''Loc
at them, Hannah" he continued, g
J" pretty and SO helpless, and only your lit
III needle hetWeen them and starvation. ar