Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-06-11
theory rathW ANNOYED me


to do so had not the evidence gradually
become too plain to be mistaken.
There were only four Of us in the cab.
in--Dick, Miss Ellis, and her father and
myself Why we had taken passage
from Leghorn to New York in slow
sailing, marbleladen ship, instead of re-
turning home by quicker and more
fashionable route, does not pertain to the
present story. AS the only lady passen.
ger, Miss Ellis naturally was the chicf OBJ
iect of interest to my friend and myself.
Her father was old, i'll, and unable to
play whist, and was consequently an ex-
tremely uuinteresting tellow-passenger
Fortunately he kept his room pretty
closely, and we saw very little Of him.
But his daughter was the brightest and
most bewitching little woman that ever
made long seavoyage, not only endu.
rable, but delightful. She was twenty
five as she frankly confessed, and had
spent the three last years travelling with
her invalid father. She was never ill.,
tempered, never dull or dlspiritcd, and
though frank and bright in manner. new
er transgressed The limits of maidenly
propriety. She was quite aware of the
fact that she was eXtremel y pretty, and
she had an irresistible tendency toward
innocent Irritation. Had been a Young
er man, or had not Dick possessed a wife
and quantity of children at home, one
or both of us would have certainly re-
hearsed the world-old-drama of idle love.
with Mary Ellis in the leading female
role, as the critics would say.
As for Mr. Jones, he was the last man
whom any one would have deemed capa-
BILE of sentiment of any Sort lie was
old-for although he said lie was only
thirty-fve, rough weather and wild,
dissolute life, had made him much older
than bis years. His complexion was
nearly the color of mahogany when it is
thoroughly oiled, though it lacked the
polished surface which is generally asso.
ciated with that article in it's manutac-
tured state. His hair was grizzled and
unkempt, and an ugly scar, which stretch
ed Across his forehead-the memorial of
desperate fight with mutinous crew
added nothing 20 his beauty. Still his
eyes were clear and piercing, and his fig
ure athletic and manly suppose there
are women who might have fallen in
love with him. The Duchess Josiane
certainly would.
When one came to scrutinize Jones
spiritual, as distinguished from Jones
physical, it was still more difficult to un-
derstand how he could have had the
amazing selfconceit to imagine that Miss
Ellis could regard him with anything but
the barest toleration. He was bold.
quick, skili'ul sailor; man born to com
mand the refuse of humanity that mans
our merchant vessels. He was hard and
crnel to the lazy and ignorant, and, as
swearer, eclipsed any one whom have
ever heard in the deviish intensity of
his innumerable oaths He was totally
illiterate man, and his want of knowledge
of navigation made it impossible for him
to rise above subordinate station in his
profession. His conversation had GER
tain spice of shrewdness and homely
good sense, but was perpetual defiance
of Lindly Murray and all his works. His
code OF morality was summarily compre-
hended in the two rules-never to be
drunk at sea, and always to obey orders.
This was certainly a pretty sort of tel-
low to take fancy to a refined and deli
cate girl. TO do him justice, he was
brave and manly in his station; but what
right had he to look, except from an in
finite distance, at sweet Mary Ellis?
1t would have been amusing, had it
not made me indignant, to note how the
man watched for her appearance. AT
every step that sounded from !he COM
hn Loo
of expection in his face that the dullest
witness could not fail to understand.
When she did appear, he would soon
contrive to carelessly y approach her, and
would never be absent from her side, eX-
cept for few moments at time, while
the two were Oh deck. He was constant
ly bringing mattresses for her to rest
upon, and sbawls to warp around her. |
have known him to keep sailor in the
mizzen chains for hours at time, catch
ing floating bits Of sea-weed and stray
jelly-fish, for her amusement. What was
more creditable to him, he never abused
the men in her presence, and rarely swore
while she was in hearing. More than
once, at the warning touch of her hand
upon his arm, he dropped his raised hand
and suppressed the halt-uttered oath
about to be launched at some unhappy
fellow who had committed an unusually
irritating offense against the laws Of
good seamanship.
This mcth-aGd-candle business went
on for several weeks. Mary Ellis was,
or affected to be, totally unconscious of
the conquest she had made. Neither
Dick nor myself felt at liberty to remon-
strate with her in behalf Of the peace Of
mind of the second mate. did, how.
ever, venture one day to warn Mr. Jones
of the attention his conduct had attract
ed. We had grown quite friendly by
this time, and | fancied that the kindly
interest | took in his welfare would rath-
er tiatter Inn than otherwise. He listen
ed to what had to say, with his hands
thrust into his pockets, and his gaze di-
rected miles away toward the distant
horizon.
Sand so, Mr.. JONES'" ] concluded,
"you must see that this sort of thing
won't do. The lady is quite ont Of your
sphere, and either don't suspect that you
care particularly for her, or else is anus
ing herself at your expense"
He turned and looked at me silently.
oMistcr." said he. "like eDoagh you mean