The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-03-24

poor lass, but believe she still hoped
and prayed for her sailor sweethe art,
and all along kept on telling the cap
tain, that he would live to sec her
and VIII Randall bride and bride
groom yet; but about a fortnight af-
ter this, Paul comes in, in great taking,
and shows the captain a bottle, which
he said had been picked up on the
Cornish coast, no doubt having drifted
In; and in it was a paper, saying, the
Spitfre couldn't live the night through
and praying, that whoever found the
bottle would, for Heavens sake, send
1t on to Captain Meredith of Cawsand
with the last prayers of poor Will
liam
This was dated back, and was
about square with the day when Spit
fire was said to have gone down; and
so now there seemed no hope at all,
and so poor Ellen seemed to think at
last, for she got paler and weaker
every day, and moved about like one
who had nothing to live for. To
make matters worse, the captain had
got into debt and difficulties got big
ger and bigger. Well, one day all on
a sudden, the doctor goes to him and
offers to marry Ellen out of hand,
promising to discharge all the cap
tain's obligations, and stating his long
and strong attachment had induced
him to make the proposal. The Cap
tain, as you may believe, didn't much
fancy Paul for a son-in-law, but at
last he relented, and, pressed by his
debts and troubles, urged Ellen to
accept him. The poor lass refused,
for a long time, but when she found
her fathers welfare and liberty de-
pended on it, and besiees. had lost all
hope of ever seeing VIII Randall
again, at last she consented"
But you don't mean to say that
they were married at last ?" L inter
rupted.
'In two or three months they were,
and pretty couple they must have
made; she with her tall figure and
pale face, and he with his red head
and bow-legs stumbling along by her
side. They were married at Millorook
church Con the hill, sir, and VIII
Randall's old master read the service
They said Ellen didn't cry or
faint, or have any nonsense of that
kind, but went through her share
quietly and calmly enough, while the
doctor seemed all abroad. Now it
seems this very evening, just about
dark, when the captain had gone out
to smoke his pipe, that Paul, who
had gone up stairs, heard terribly
loud scream, and rushing back into
the room where he had left Ellen,
finds her tainted dead away ON the
floor, and William Randall himself
kneeling by her side
William used to say afterwards,
that he never could forget Paul's face
when they saw one another for the
, first time; he used TO dream of it, he
said; he had many and many time
seen the faces Of strong men who had
been struck down in the heat and
passion of battle, or who had died
violent deaths in other ways; but
, Paul's face, he said, reminded him OF
picture he had once seen, when
quite little lad, of the devil, which he
remembered had frightened him then,
| but which he had forgotten till THEN
) eyes met that night. When Paul re-
covered his surprise he said not a
word about the marriage; but when
William said he had but just left
Plymouth and hadn't seen a soul in
the village yet, he suddenly seemed
/ delighted at meeting him again, and
insisted on their drinking together
= He led Ellen into another room
where, he told Will, his mother would
) attend to her, and shortly after re-
turned with two glasses of stiff grog
+ which he put on the table between
them Now, Bill, old mate, says he
e wen drink to your return home, he
= says, "But what about Nelly, my
D poor girl p says VIII. "Never mind
= her." says Paul, mother will soor
t bring her round, and meanwhile, let's
y drink the grog; but first of all lets
r shut the door and be snug, eh?' Sc
y Paul shuts the door, and coming
Q back to the table, says, "Now, Bill,
t he says, "here's your jolly good health
: and no heeltapsl !" and they boil
t emptied their glasses. civilian,
r says Paul after a while, show do you
S feel" "Quite well, Paul, my hearty
a thank ye," says VIII. "Do your
4 says Paul, "Will Randall" says