New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-18
HARRY MARTINS WIFE.
BY G.. h. STUART.


lieutenant thoughtfully drawing match across
The sole of his boot he spoke, for we were snok
ing in the veranda of his mothers house at
Southsca.
"lhtn tell us true story" suggested
innoc. ntly. The Lieutenant took no heed OF my
ilupudence, but pulled away at his pipe for full 1--WE
minutes in a manner which was supposed TO assist
the deepest eaection. Presently he began:
aid ever tel you how got Harry Martins
mo! very incredulously from everybody and
from a chair in the background, | should think
Captain Martin was perfectly well able to get
wife 1or himself"
There YOU are wrong" said the Lieutenant. so
superbly that all felt abashed, and humbly
Relieve it or not" asserted the somewhat
moIIfed sailor, but can assure 1t is as true as
Ms true aS-Old Boots u
bep1nning one of his wonderful adventures and
il never failed TO convince us-outwardly at least
for no can withstand the undeniable existence OF
old bootsY Having TINS successfully closed al
nterrupting mouths, the Lieutenant graclouSly
proceeded 10 recount the following episode III the
y The Vaieria was lying in the bay of st.
Michaers one of the dulest holes we ever put INTO
in ali INV cXpericnce Harry Martin first lieu
tenant and / was second Grips our captain
"a good old sort enough only he bothered us rather
with reading out sermons ON a Sunday, for he was
"A rigid Presbyterian and was tor ever lnNelgnlng
against the eTrOs OF Rome. Rather QUEER line
Tor thOrOugbgOing sailor to take up, wasn't II
OF course | could get frequent leave when wanted
a run on shore but didn't much care about TAX
Ing il, for really there was nothing earthly TO do
i'm the place | had n bad leg at the time, l re-
member the remains .of a frighttul hack at foot
hall when we PLAYED the Excellent and beat them
into fits, in this very place, the Autumn before
so | wasn't up to much walking, and coaIdn Visit
the places beyond the town which Martin was
ALWAYS talking about and sketChlng. By and by
/ began to notice that though he spoke of the
general beauties of the island scenery, he appeared
6y his sketch-book TO haunt one spot almost eX-
,iuslvely-the convent of Santa Agata, on the top
OF hill Just behind the town. There were pictures
of Santa Agata from all points OF the compass:
II MI m IN "A
thos, pictures and II wasn't long before got out
OF him, by dint OF little chat and httle Judclous
sympathy that he was madly in love-or fanced
he was, which is Just as bad. every bit, while IL
lastS-wth one of the sisters at Santa Agata. why,
you mi glt Just as we'll have been III love win the
moon. for all the response you could get TO your
finest feelings If you centred them on Spanish
nun. And l told Martin, for l had been
through the very identical same case myself at
Vera Cruz aboard the Rapid
:" Bat, jim" said Martin quietly, looking quite
shy Jed in the taee Tor IL n h n tBeas
matters as / am; suppose there has oeen some
response II
'aYou don't mean to say you've spoken or cores
F For answer Martin pulled little packet of
letters of the breast-pocket OF his jacket ted
with piece OF Lorandnew ou9 fi2D r "lcn Tue
By degrees the whole story was told. He had seen
Dona Dolores for the first time three weeks before.
when he had strOlIed into the convent, at the
visiting hour, to buy some OF the nuns famous race
for his people at home. That was how the &C
quaintance began; by looks of admiration on me
one side and apparent appreciation OF them on the
other After this Martin confessed he was always
buying lace every visiting day, until the old gor-
goness who assisted at the laee-sellng began 10
grow suspicious and changed her companion for
another sister more of her own cahbre than pretty
little Dolores. With the latter, however, our pre-
ciOns first lieutenant was by this time on pretty
intimate speaking terms, and by means of market
woman or mue-girl or some such elllSsary managed
10 carry ON correspondence OF frequent n0tes; 4
stared in astOnshnent when ne t0ld me an ths,
but really there are no lengths that q shy man
won't 20 TO when once he's reused; VI all lovers,
I've heard girl say there's nothing 10 come up
10 a shy man when he's in earnest. Well so lar the
affair had gone and there 1t had stuck for VINO was
TO say what could be the end OF such hopeless at
tachnentI Hopeless in 50 far that there was no
chance of the girl ever being released from the CON
vent which, she now minated TO Harry Martih'
she cordially hated. She was an orphan ana mao d
lot of money, and though she had not taken the
vows as a prOlessed sister, you might Just as soon
expect a shark TO leave hold OF your leg when he
had grabbed it, as the priests ana sisters OF
santa Apafa 10 let poor Miss Dolores out OF their
clutches There was nothing TO advise Martin TO do
hut to cut the whole affair: not see the girl again.
but just keep close by the ship until we got our
sailing orders. which most OF us were hoping LOT
every day. Its thing sailors nave 10 do' All
the world over for one can't marry everybody, ana
it's astonishing TO find how III short lilIie you dot
want TO- But YOU should have seen the fury Martin
got into when | suggested THIS everyday course 10
him. He talked about honor and Christian leeiilhg
exactly a. If hadn't got either one or the othef
lIpon nv word if ne hadn't heen my senior 0ihceI,
and such All old chum, and such bg ieliow 100
should have Knocked MIN uOWn loi Nh't nc Sai"
AT the same time / solry FOR nun, Tor by TINS
time saw he was in earn tSt IN the ailair, SO Wnen
lie had Quoted down yblt sad 70 MN; " nat
do YOU say to a rescue I" lie Jumped rs II he been
shot and seized me by the hand. " DO you really
mean il, jim VIII you lend hand TO heip her
Out r Are you going 10 marry her r L asked Sc
yeTely; Tor it's all very good fun rescuing the
young LADY, ONLY goodness knows what were 10 90
with her afterwards You may be sure 81.
bichaels will be rather hot 10 hold her or US IL
our share in the matter gets Wind. lou WO! pc
able 10 marry nearer than Lisbon, ana dont eX-
actly know how you're 10 get her there, eithcf ti-
less the gives her passage, which perhaps IS
little too much 10 expect. II might interfere WIN
The efficiency Oi his INST officer"
Poor Martin stood speeches. for thou. he had
Jumped al my suggestion. and evidently lah con-
saeIed the possibility of rescuing Dolores rom her
PRISON, his plans had here evidently stopped SNORT
lie had not reflected that the English Consul would
never marry them in the teeth Of the spanish
authorities who would probably tear us TO pieces
Tor meddl ny with one Of their eve lambs. Wen.
AaIun may be a very smart officer-lndeed theIe
is no doubt about thaf-and he may have been
ted-hot lover, but he ceratinly was not much OF
Nfateglst. So while j maturing the plan, III
which was almost much interested as lie,
lset him 10 write 10 The lady and formally offer her
marriage TO be arranged for and carried ont az soon
aseNer she could be conveyed safely 10 Lisbon
eiways provided that she HERSELF could elude tle
.slahce OF the sisters, and JOIN Der lover OUTSIDE
.hc convent walls on an appointed evening. BACK
ZEN. ZEN. aef answer Though the medium OF Ola Gar,
.,en Oh The market, friendly old bag who earned
''te'dbles up to the convent every day. Inc
sseape would be difficult. but not impossible Car
FL was 10 leave certain doors and windows OF the
re-. premises unlocked, and Dolores was 10 sup
I .. s iLe time APPOINTED. But, oh were the Eng
~ shofs certain that she would not be caught
s.'f~ard, Tor she knew that il she were TN 6
h( do r. NJ "A. IN In