Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-20


girl. "Only I beg Jim's pardon; didn't
mean such men as he is"
ITS all right, num-" returned Jim,
quietly. sTain't to be expected that the
likes O. one O. you young women, wi a
heart like one O them ere big J'pan Ill
lies, knows o. mems badness aboard ship
why should you9"
''But are there no captains who are
kind to their menl" asked Mrs. u,
in some perplexirV; and Miss Nellie was
heard by me to say, under her breath,
that she knew one, at least.
"Blecs you, yes'm" said Jim, There's
lots of 'em; only it hasn't been my luck
to sail with 'em. There's cap'ns sail out
o New York to day, as l hear don't al
low swearin' from men nor officers; gives
'em good grub, watch an watch, an has
'em in the cabin of Sunday for prayers.
Though" he added "where there's one O
them, tn res dozen that's either fiendS
themselves, else they're that careless as
they let the officers do just as they hap
pen to feel. I don't mind tellin' YOU
he continued, seemingly betrayed into an
unwonted confidence, that my business
ashore is mostly to run foul of cert'n
man as I'm sure t. meet sooner or later.
l know he's roun' these parts. An when
he an does meet" said Jim, rising and
striking brawny, clenched fist into the
hollow of the other hand apparently for
every thing but someremempered wrongs,
"thereii be a hard reckOnin!"
II think" said Mrs. X, rising,
with as much dignity as is consistent
with eight of FIVE feet four, that we
have heard quite enough. Come, Nellie!"
Whereupon the twain (the latter little
unwiIlingly, as l fancied) entered the
house, manifestly to the discontinue of
| the sailor.
There they CO." he said, dropping his
head and speaking in rather sad voice.
"a-thinkin' how Pm only low, revenge
| full cretter, with no teelin' morn the
ships log. But, how far would you
forgive man who has had you strung
up the main riggin' for full hour by
the two thumbs, an all for that begged
of him to send me up to stow r'yal in
gale, stead of a little chap as was
stowaway, an no more fit to 60 than
girl baby9" again asked Jim.
Before could frame suitable answer,
which should combine prudence with the
usual forms OF good advice, always prof
fered and seldom needed in such cases,
jim had taken himself off. / saw no
more of him until the following morning,
when he abruptly informed me that it
was to be his last day; no persuasions or
inducements of mine being sufficient to
turn him from his purpose.
Clad in pair OF voluminous Overalls
and a dilapidated old felt hat, was assist
ing at the turing of flower bed in front
of the house; and while awaiting the re-
turn of Jim with the wheelbarrow, was
accosted by an elegantly dressed and
g4ntlemanly-looking young man, who,
accosting me by the rather familiar title
of "old chap" demanded in a somewhat
peremptory tone, to know ''where Mrs.
x, hung out"
With an inward chuckle, 1 mildly
designated the house behind me as the
residence in question, and asked if he
wished to sac Mrs. x.
"What's that to you?" was the rather
unexpected answer, in low tone and
with manner that savored rather of
coarseness, which centrasted strongly with
the suavity of manner with which he
greeted Miss Nellie, who just then ap.
peared on the scene with both hands full
of flowers.
As the young lady blushed charming
~, and murmured her surprise at meeting
Captain Hanson, that gentleman, not at
all disconnected by this introduction to
myself, which Immediately followed, ex-
pressed, with great ease and t1uency, his
unadulterated satisfaction and surprise
at the meeting, as though it had been on
the banks of the Nile.
Completely ignoring my own presence,
as the two stood by the gate, the creaking
of the wheelbarrow was heard, and in an.
other moment master Jim came bearing
down upon us, the wheel Just grazing the
doeskin clad leg If the gallant captain
who, turning, remarked, with languid re.
, proach in his tone:
d my good fellow, pray be little
\ more
Captain Hanson, to the best of my
knowledge, has never finished his expos.
f tulation.
, With an oath, the sailor dropped the
barrow and sprang forward, exclaiming
t Il knew I'd run foul of you!' but toe
late to lay violent hands upon Captain
Hanson, who, catching a glance of the
n sailors face, muttered an lnarticulate re
e mark, and turning down the driveway
# ran like startled fawn, closely pursued
+ by the avenger, leaving Miss Nellie anG
v myself gazing blankly at each other.
''Oh, John, he'll kill him-indeed h
I Wilt said the girl, with white face anc
q clasped hands, as she watched the PAL
Y disappearing over the brow of the littl
J. hill which led to the town.
q ''YOu needn't be alarmed, young lady,
d was my confident reply. captain Han
4 son has the lead, so to speak, by at leas
O three lengths, and is gaining all TIT
n time"
b But to this day have never learned
e satisfactorily concerning the result of tn,
a race, for neither Captain Hanson or jim
,r has ever returned to tell the tale.
r When last seen, as per report of oil
e Rogers, ex mariner, now mail carrier
!" "they were headin' for Philadelphia, witt
everything set, the clipper by which
E. understood Mr.. Rogers to refer to Cap
d tain Hanson--"bein' two knots ahead, ar
n workin' to win'ard all the time"
y "For aught know, they kept on unit
II they reached the Atlantic; and it is quit
1t doubtful whether Miss Nellie, now en-
gagged to be married to the son of ou
% neighbor Jones, will soon hear the las
n joke against her runaway lover.
n But, being somewhat methodica
le man, have estimated the cash value o
If our experiment somewhat as follows:
ID Services of jim for ten days, SIS