Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-10-19
Selrttt0 Storp.
THE SECOND NATE.

do not remember when il was that
the second mate first began to show his
demonstrative admiration for our pretty
fellow passenger. 1t was Dick Halliday
who called my attention to it as a capital
joke while We were yet in the Mediterra.
nean-a fortnight or so after we had sailed
from Leghorn. We two We're leaning on
the quarier-rail just before dusk, when
Miss Ellis came on deck. There's the
candle" said Dick, land presently your
see the moth Ia the course Of the next
five minutes Mr.. Jones our second mate.
lounged over from the opposite side OF
the deck, aud catered into an animated
conversation with the young lady on the
Interesting topic Of sharks. At least we
Judged 50 by her questions. which were
pu, in such clear. sweet voice, thai the
wind, 10th 10 part with the musical tones.
indiScreetly carried them withis our
hearing. Hes sort OF deaths head
moth in point of beauty continued my
TREND; "but he's neither too ugly nor too
Old TO suffer an uncomfortable singeing.'
/ had hsli.formed idea tha, rather
liked the second mate. and very certain
conviction that ! particularly admired
pretty Mary Ellis. As l disliked to see
the man make a fool OF himself, or the
giIl appear in the diSc,editable character
Of cOquetle. Dicks moth and candle
theory annoyed me. therefore took the
liberty of totally diSbelieving it, and
should have continued to do so had not
the evidence gradually become too plain
to be mistaken.
There were only four of US 10 the cabin
Dick. Miss Ellis. her father and myself.
Why We had taken passage from Leghorn
10 New York in slow.sailing marble
ladsn ship. instead of returning home By
4 quicker and more fashionable route,
does not pertain to the present story. As
the only LADY passenger. Miss Ellis nat
urally was the chief object Of interest 10
my friend and myself Her father was
old, III and unable TO play whist. and was
consequently an extremely uninteresIing
passenger. Fortunately he kept his room
pretty closely. aud Se saw very little of
him. But his daughter was the brightest
and most bewitching. little woman that
ever made a long sea voyage no. only
enduraOle, but delightful. Sac was
twenty-five. as she frankly confessed, and
had spent the last three years in travelling
With be invalid father. She was never
ill-tempered. never dull or dispirited. and
though frank and bright in manner. never
transgresSed the limits of m2idenly pro
priety. She was quite aware OF the fact
that she was extremely pretty. and she
had an irresistible tendency toward inno-
cent Irritation. Had been young man,
or had Dick not possessed wife and 4
quantity OF children at home. one or both
OF US would certainly have rehearsed 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-
ble of sentiment of any sort. He was
old-for although he said he was only
thirty five, rough weather and wild,
dissClute liie had made him much older
than his 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 its manufactured
state. His hair was grizzled aud unkempt.
and an ugly scar, which stretched across
his forehead-the memorial offs desperate
fight with a mutinous crew-added moth,
ing to his beauty. Still, his eyes were
clear and piercing. and his figure athletic
and manly. suppose there are women
who might possibly have fallen in love
with him. The Duchess Josiane certainly
would.
When Que came TO scrutinize Jones
spiritual. as distinguished from Jones
physical, it was still more difficult to un'
dersland how be could have h al the
amazing self-conceit to imagine th at Miss
Ellis could regard him with anything but
the barest federation. He was q bold,
quck, skilliul sailor; man born 10 com.
mand the rest Of humanity that mans our