The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-06-09
THE Mates SHOT.

Mary Wortley was the daughter OF
Nantucket sea captains stout, weth e.
beaten fellow who had followed the Sc.
for many years. The girl WAS rosy
checked, redlipped, light footed, ana
! her eyes shone like stars.-Her form
was plump, her smile bewitching.
Many of the young men in Nantucket
had gone almost crazy about her, and
she had refused more than dozen
| offers.
Nv ait until you see Will Chase" said
the skipper to her one day. "He will
| be here in the course of the week, to &c
with me as first mate in the Cumber-
1 land" - -5 =
'Is he superior to any Of the rest? p
inquired Mary. ,.,,e r'
.Ay, ay. that he is replied the skip
| per, striking the table in front of him a
! heavy blow with his fst There isn't
better sailor living and in the wh"i-
ing line, do y ou see, there's no one can
dart a -harpoon farther"
Mary laughed misc.ievonsiy-
Excellent publications, she said.
"although I-don't see what they have
to do with love"
'Humph!' calculated the old man,
knocking the ashes from his pipe
Amt strong arm and quick eye
something to do with it? What are
you talking about %
Mary laughed again, and just then
seeing q tortoise shell cat running past
tue open doorway, she darted off in
chase. A minute later her playful laugh
was heard ringing through the house.
A few days later her merry laugh
was again heard, when Will Chase, the
captains mate--a tall young man of
commenced making love to Mary in this
strain:
'Hy, my pretty one, never saw your
like! Such craft as you isn't often
met with. Believe me, your skin is as
white as a whales tooth, and your lips
as red as piece of bunting!'
When the Cumberland set sail Mary
was aboard. Her father, who had an eye
to her marrying his mate, had persuaded
her to accompany him on his two years
voyage.
Will was not man to let such a
chance slip through his fingers. He
made love to Mary in his usual practical
manner whenever opportunity offered,
and flattered himself, because she list
ened to him kindly, that he was making
good progress. In reality, however,
she was secretly laughing at her busi
,ness-like lover.
He would speak to her in glowing
terms about the whales he had captured
from time to time, naming the quantity
of oil each had yielded him, ana de-
scribing their various pecuiiarities.-
For instance, he said that one had q
hump on his back as big as an oyster
hill, and that another had broken his
fuke (tail) by striking it too hard
against q rock, and that another, a huge
COW whale, had swollen enormously soon
after being struck.
Sometimes while the mate was endcav-
oring, as he termed it, to make headway
with Mary, a handsome young fellow
with hawk eye, black hair. clear com
plexion, would come aft from forward
to coil a rope. Mary would often blush
to encounter his admiring glance, for
there was something in the expression
of his face that she liked.
He was, in fact, the first msn she had
ever seen who could MAKE her heart
beat faster than usual.
She soon ascertalned that his name
was Hal Warland; that he was from
New LONDON, where for some years he
had studied medicine with Doctor
Williams.
why he took notion II 60 to sea-"
said the captain, lis more than I can
say. He amt lubber, for he rarns
f.ss,- but t'Ten don't see how such a
prig could fancy blue water
Seven days out, the wind blew great
guns. With bow and windlass sub
merged, and roaring cataracts of water
pouring in over her, the Cumberland
boomed along with the speed of o thun-
derbolt.
Mary was on deck, clinging to the
weather-rail, when . great sea came
tumbling over the ship, taking her off
her feet. The mate and Hal Warland
sprang Simultaneously to save her. Hal
proved himself the most active, reaching
the girl first and throwing an arm around
her waist while with his disengaged
hand he clung to the rigging.
The sea passed to leeward, and the
frightened girl, now smiling and blush
ing, thanked her preserver. aal CA
The mate frowned darkly.
''Go forward.'' he cried sternly, glanc-
ing oward Hal.
sgas--E7 #a@N