Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-02-05
Inthe meantime the elder of th lads

OOtn OF Inonl looking very frightened.
Mr.. Cobb regarded the pair with a look
Of severity, and roughly ordered them
to follow him to the cabin. When the
waits came into the presence of Captain
SprOul. that officer was In the act Of
threatening to disrate the steward, whom
he charged with being incapable and
making free with his decanters; but
directly the captain saw the pair and
heard the account of the disturbance In
the forecastle on their account, he broke
out with " I on are pair Of young loaf
ers who ought to be in jail, and shall go
there as soon as | reach Calcutta" and
here the captain rose and comm enced
boxing the elder lads ears for entering
the cabin without removing his hat, and
had just wrenched the Objectionable
headpiece from the boys head. when a
mass of tangled yellow hair fell down
| and the younger whined out:
"Please don't hurt her, sir; she's my
sister,"
Captain Sproul staggered back aghast;
"Mercy on us !" he exclaimed; "have
you no shame or reputation left, to come
masquerading among my crew in mems
clothes Who are you, and what's your
name?"
The girl colored crimson as she re-
piled. ''Helen Muir" and then related
that having no home, relatives or
friends in England, she had run away
from a boardingschool near Liverpool,
because through no letters or remit
tances having been received from her
| father for two years, her life had been
made wretched from hearing reproach-
es constantly heaped upon their name.
For the same cause her brother had
been compelled to 60 to sea, and not
wishing to be separated, they had de-
termined to work their passage out to
India and reloin their father, leaving
their clothes behind, and giving their
last money to the wife Of a ship-keeper,
who induced her husband to place them
in the hold Of the La Belle Helene
"But," said the girl, II will be no cost
to you; for [ am clever with my needle
can make pastry, and do, / think, all
that steward can"
Captain Sproul gave her searching
look, and said:
Il shall try YOU" and calling for Mr.
Cobb, desired him to enter IN the log
that John Tattamy was disrated for
drunkenness, and Helen Muir appointed
in his place. "And the boy" continued
the captain, ''wlll clean out the cabins
and assist her" 49,
The mate burst out laughing, and evil
IDENTIFY imagined that his commander
was testing: but the captain looked
sternly at him, and remarked:
"Mr. Cobb, it's an i'll time for testing
when [ give orders, as those who know
me find"
"Ay, Ay, sir" returned the other, who
quickly retired to his cabin to make the
entry.
"Now, Helen," commenced Captain
Sproul, every soul on board here has
to work, and SO must you; and your
duty is simple. Take charge of the cups
| and saucers, glass and linen, and keep
them clean. Pass my orders to the
cook, who will come for them every
morning at six o'clock sharp. Lay the
table and wait on me- The boy Will at
tend 10 Mr.. Cobb and the second officer
Now remember" the captain
looked terribly in earnest-"outslde the
cabin doors you must not stir without
| permission, nor speak to one of the
crew for any reason, or you will be
sorry for it. But if you come to me
when in any difficulty, and do your duty
without fear or favor from any one, you
will be as safe as in your fathers draw
| ing-rOOm."
Having admonished the girl with this
laconlc speech, the captain found her a
cabin, and turned his attention to get
! ting her some clothes; and fetching her
a piece dark blue serge intended for his
own use, and an old cloth jacket, he laid
them on the cabin table and commenc-
ed to fashion garment which, when
completed, resembled the dress Of q
sister Of charity.
In the course of dav or two, what
with the captains cloth and her own
| clever fingers. Helen was transformed
into a blue-eyed, sunny girl Of seven
teen, with a wonderfully pretty face and
waving mass of light hair, But it was
her innocent and engaging manner that
constituted her brightest charm; and
the cabin, Mr. Cobb declared, had never
appeared to such advantage as when
this little blonde fairy took charge of
it.
there was much amusement in the fore
castle when it was known that one Of
the strangers was girl: but the disrat-
ed steward attributed sinister motives
to the captain, whom he swore he would
expose when he got on shore; but Black,
who had been released from his hand
cuffs, said something in Italian which
made the Maltese laugh and shout "Bo-
no, bono."
Captain Sproul, however, had no
com panion but his own dignity, and
when Il month had passed, Helen, I'M
der his tuition, had much improved.
He never allowed her to be idle or have
unnecessary leisure, and in addition TO
her ordinary duties, which we're not
heavy, she wrote up the captains log
and commenced to study Norie's Navi-
cation. Ga starry evenings he would
show her the different consultations;
and from being silent and morose, must
howe boon Surnrised at his own f1uapcv