The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-12-09

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half starved. do not believe she'd KEEP
down quarter of dinner for q month past
"'Hullo, Jackr said /; what's the matter
And gave the lady seat on the lounge "
my cabin. The poor little thing couldn'
sit up stmight, 30 just hoisted her feet ur
aud made her comfortable among the pillows
Captain. said he, 4 want You to marry
me TO this young lady.
Marry your said 1. What do you
mean? She's too sick to be married, man
She can't stand up. II you and she
want to be married. why don't You wait till
you get ashore. ?"
You zee, ladies', we talked out free be-
fore her, for she couldn't understand word
of English"
IF we wait till them said he, you and
I'll be going 10 her funeral instead of hei
wedding. We've got to be married, and
right away, and you have got to marry us
You zee again, ladies', we were very great
friends ont side Of the ship, and when We
We're alone together We dropped all cere-
mony."
What in thunder are you in such a
hurry for? said l. Why cant you wait
till you're ashors?' Where are the lady 3
friendsY
Her stepfather's aboard my ship he
said.
II thought so, said 1; and won't have
anything to do with it,
"He just turned and winked mo out of
the ball of his eye, and then remembered,
in Il moment of misplaced confidence, had
my own marriage.
HEM" said he, grinning like monkey,
i think they're some time justiiiable. Now,
I'm
all about it. That little girl has no relations,
nothing but step father, and she's depend
ent ON him for support. Well, the old coot's
n doctor, and crazy ut that; or, il he isn't he
il the meanest cuss OH earth. He's taken
it into his added old head to discover
II sure cure for sea- sickness, and because
just the name Of Il ship sets poor little Do
lores To casting up accounts, he's been TAX
ing her on all sorts Of long VOYAGES, and
trying his various decoctions on her. SO
want 10 marry her to get hor out of his way.
OF course I'm in love with her and oil that,
said he, looking kind of foolish, but il that
was all, Id wait till We got ashore. OF
course ! cant make him let her alone M
less she's my wife. and il he has control al
her much longer she II never See port agaiu.
do you mean to say" said /, staring u,
him in surprise, that he tries experiments
on her--giyes her things that amt medi-
cine?"
II do" said he; and mean to say that
the Inst thing he gave her was bottle OF
bedbug poison. and it most killed her"
by the flying dutchman!" said |. 81
should think II would! Where's the old cooi
now"
In irons, | told him wouldn't have
any such doinGs aboard my ship, and he
slapped my face. SO l put him in irons
and came of to you."
Well, ladies, just went over to the sofa
where the little girl was rolling her big black
eyes ut us and wondering what in thunder
We Were saying.
How old are you, my dear" / asked in
spanish.
You see, I'd been married more'n two
years, and thought Id sorter righl to be
paternal.
Eighteen, Senior Captain said she, in
the softest voice in the world.
Said l: DO you love this young man
You don't because I'll see TO ii your step
father doesn't bother you any more
~ didn't dare look around ut Jack, for
knew he'd be looking blacker'n thunder at
me Just then. And indeed he took step
toward us; but made him keep of till she
would have answered for herself.
well, she blushed very prettily, and hes
itated for u second then answered very
sweetly that if the Senior Captain didn't
mind trouble, she would marry the Senior
First Officer. That the Senior First Officer
had been her only friend; that. although
she had taken many VOYAGES and seen many
people, she had never found any one who
cared To interfere in her behalf; that she
felt very grateful to the Senior First officer,
and had now become attached to him, and
with the Senior Captains permission would
become his wife.
AS she said this, Jack got out Of sight
behind the door, put his thumb to his nose,
and twirled his fingers ut me in the most
disrespectful manner. had great mind
10 put him in irons for mutiny-but no
matter.
"Of course there was nothing TO be done
except marry them; she was over eighteen,
and at sea the Captains rs good as a parson,
you know.
so called mp the passengers and Off
GERS; and the ladies dressed her up in their
own iinery, and We had wedding in very
short order. After that the ships surgeon
prescribed IN antidote for the bed-bug poi
son.
1.-The second officer went over and took
command Of the coffee ship in Jacks place,
and sent back Doloter's trunk and clothing
At first ! thought We couldn't get along
without him, for Jack was so deeply in love
with his little sea sick girl thought he'd be
of no manner of use. But We had good
weather most OF the time, and Jack did his
duty like a man.
But il was real touching to see him 60 tC
his wife's cabin every day and bring her or
deck and fix her comfortably on q bed the
stewart made for her under an awning. And
there he'd nurse her and care for her just as
il he'd been a sister Of charity. You might
have seen then, Miss Hetty, how sailor
can love woman!
Well, she soon got better and stronger
Jack and the doctor fixed her up between
them, and healthier, ivelier, happier little
woman never set foot in San Francisco
Jack took her right to his married sister
and there she stayed between voyages til
she Ind lot of children, and her husban'
bought her II house OF her own.
What about the coffee ship? Oh. tina
made port day before rs, and the oil,
doctor had us all arrested the moment ",
touched land. So We were all hauled up il
court, and Jack had it ont with his step
father in law.
II think the court was rather against u
first; but the bed .bug poison and the slal
in the face did the business and turne,
everything in our favor. He was afterwar,
declared to be lunatic and turned over (,
his brothers keeping
whats become of Jackp" Why, h
sailed with me for several years az first Off