The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-10-18
finishing .he rum, "the strange part has

| 'sN@'y S'SA onOs OASO~A0S1 W0S WI y
much cast down At this, but poor Ellen
particularly ; however, for many months
she kept brave heart, always telling
the captain; that she knew William
would return, and they would be hap.
lpy yet; and dye see, 20 one liked to
tell tho poor thing different, although
but very few thought they'd ever zee
him again. At any rate it was clear
DR.. Paul didn't, for after a while he be-
gan to pay his addresses. to her, and
this time more in earnest than, before ;
but it was no use. Ellen would have
nothing to say to him at ALL &
|: IL Now, about two years after they had
pressed poor: Will, whom it was getting
on toward the winter timo-there had
been a good, deal Of dirty weather
about, and several vessels had been, lost
on the coast-there was a report that
several crews had been paid off, and
then Ellen made up her mind more
than ever that William would return !;
when, one day a neighbor comes in and
says he has heard thatsa vessel like the
Spitfrc-that was the one William
went out in had gone down OF the
Scillys, aud it was feared all hards had
perished; he had it, he said, from. a par
ty who was told so by Paul. who had
learned it when he went over to Dav-
cnport the day before on. some matter
Of business. ''..". .=.., = ~ II
This was bad news for the poor lass,
but l believe she still hoped and prayed
for her sailor sweetheart, and all along
kept telling the captain that he'would
live to see her and Will Randall bride
and bridegroom yet; but about fort
night after this Paul comes in, in great
hurry, aud shows the captain bottle
which he said had been picked up on
the Cornish coast, no! doubt having
drifted in; and in it was a paper say
ing that the, Spitdre couldn't live the
night through, and praying that who
ever found the bottle would, for Hea-
ven's sake, send it on to Capt. Mere
dith, of Cawsand, with the last prayers
of poor William Randall:
This was dated back about the time
when the Spit6re was said to have gone
down; aud SO now there seemed to be
no hope at all, and SO poor Ellen seem
ed 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 things worse, the captain hid
got into debt, apd. difficulties got bigger
and bigger. Well, one day, all on a
sudden, the doctor goes to him and Of
fers to marry him out of hand, promls-
ing to discharge all the captains obi
cations, and stating his long and strong
attachment had Induced him to make
the proposal. The captain, 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, urg-
ed Ellen to accept him. The poor lass
refused, for a long time, but when she
found her fathers welfare and liberty
depended on it, and besides, had lost all
hope of seeing Will Randall again, at
last she consented. ..3;,,f
"But YOU don't mean to say that
they were married ?" I interrupted.
In two or three months they were,
and a pretty couple they must have
made; she with her tall figure and pale
face, and he with his red head and bow
legs shambllng along by her side. They
were married at Mlllbrook Church Con
the hill, sir,) and, Will Randalls old
master read the service. They said El-
len didn't cry or faint, Or have any nom
sense of any kind, but went through
her share calmly and quietly 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 a terribly loud
scream, and rushing back into the room
where he had lett Ellen, finds her faint
ed away dead on the floor, and William
Randall himself kneeling by her side!
William used 10 say afterwards that
he never could forget Pauls face when
they saw one another for the first time j;
be used to dream Of it, he said; he had
many and many time seen the faces or
strong men who had been struck down
in the heat and passion of battle, or
who had violent deaths. in other ways;
but Paul's face, he said, reminded him
only of picture he had seen, when
quite lad. of the devil, which he re-
.nembered had frightened him then, but
which he had forgotten till their eyes.
met that light. When Paul recovered
his surprise he said not a.word about
the marriage; but when William said
he had just left Plymouth and hadn't
seen a soul l. in the village yet, he sud
denly seemed delighted at meeting him
again, and insisted on their drinking
together. "'., 1907. ~ "a 49,.
de led Ellen into another room,
where, he told will, his mother would
attend to her, and shortly after return
ed with two glasses Of stiff gros, which
he put on the table between them.
."Now, Bill; old mate," says ne, "we'll:
drink to- your return home." "But
what about Nelly, my poor girl? 7" says
viii. "Never mind her, says Paul,
:"mother will soon bring her round, aud
meanwhile, let's drink the grog; but
first Of all let's shut the door and be
snug, seh ?'e' So Paul shuts the door,
and coming back to- the table, says
."Now,, Bill, here's your jolly good
health, and no :heeltaps?'' and they
both e1mptieed u their glass. "William,"'
sayisI Paul after awhile, chow do you
feel P" "n'"Quite we'll, Paul, my hearty,
thank ye,", says Will. "Do YOUR
says Paul, grinning; '"then you wont
for long, Will Randall - says he, getting
white and trembling; we've had long
account TO- settle, and now it's DONE"
"What dye mean" asks Will in sur
prise, as you may be sure, five never
injured you y 'a*"Yes, you have {" says
Panl.. "Didn't you stepin between me,
and the girl 1 had set my heart on !
Didn't the neigbbors jeer and mock
me and drive me almost MAD And
didn't | swear to be even with you,
como what might And l am 1 am!
When you were pressed" says he, get:
ting worse, II put the gang on you! |
brought the a ccount which made them
think you were dead! and, now you
have returned alive, to 6nd the woman
you loved the wife Of the man you both