Litchfield enquirer., 1880-05-13

the scaffold. To see Molly an instant alon
 was the best he dared hope. By token O
 that harsh voice, issuing from the kitchen, tn, master was at home but Molly was nowher, to be seen. Having hastily gathered together his few personal effects and pad his bill fol entertainment, Misgill looked around stonily Was this the last
 '.Molly?" he ventured at length
 Amaundering off ag'in!'~ cried Ballen with furious oath. '1'l squeeze that gals brains through her ears, but I'll break her oi these tricks''
 Misgill ground his teeth with rage and pain, thinking 'l'll not be here to protect her. ' But, at the same moment, ray of hope shot into his heart. Where could Molly be but at Jenny's' And there, indeed, she was. Mis-. gill startled her with an off-hand goodbye.
 ''What Cap'n! A-going away?'
 Good Lord, Molly how long would you have me"
 Forever" Molly broke in, promptly. ~fs
 Come, must be off," he muttered, get ting suddenly hoarse. Molly do you remem- Der how you served me the day brought you that Chiny shawl?"
 Don't thought" .-...a ...-
 serve me so ag'in, dear. That was the first, thisll be the last tine''
 She wanted no urging but threw her arms around his neck, and, unexpectedly, began to cry, like the child she was, on his shoulder.
 You've been so good to me Cap'n. Pa hasn't ventured to lift a hand to me since you've been in the house. There's no telling what he will do, now; and-and don't want to go with the n Sc uth Ameriky people. 1 want-to go with you!"
 Don't, Don't, my dear! Dry your pretty eyes. Would to the Lord you was my own little gal Molly" ...'....,
 Take me with you, Cap'n!"
 ''lt can't be, Molly. It can't be, Leastwse there's only one mortal way an Pm too old an you're too young for that!"
 most hopeful words, and looking eagerly into his face. Why, you're crying, too Capn Misgill!" .-
 'l know what it is," said Jenny, who had been standing by, patiently waiting her adieu. ''lt's to marry the Cop'n, Molly"
 "ro-marry the Cap'n" echoed Molly, laughing aloud, with the tears still on her cheek. Why, of course! Your mother mar ried at fourteen, Jenny"
 But not to an old gray beard like me !" re. turned Misgill, putting Molly away from him with a rough decision. You'd repent of it bitter enough before you was twenty.'
 No, wouldn't" contradicted Molly ''Pd think of pa.''
 Mention of Ballen had brought those evil looks and threats sharply before Misgill's mind. Could he leave the dear girl, whose every glance and every tone were sunshine and music to him, to the dreadful alternatives of submitting to Ballen's tender mercies, or desperately running into Heaven only knew what dangers2
 'Molly!'' he said, huskily, ''think well on 1t, my dear Don't make up your mind too nasty. I'll go an find my old friend, Porteous. Expect me back in an hour, at most. l must be aboard in two."
 Within the specified time he returned, and with him Porteous, whose jolly, rolling eyes beaned anticipation of wedding liquids.
 ''Where's the minister ?" said Molly, look ing impatiently from one to the other. ''l thought you'd bring one."
 Whereupon Porteous roared with triumph "Hooray Hooray! Changed her mind, has she, Cap'n! Never see man so sorter tim rous as Thad, all on sudden Parsons wait in outside"
 Then he ran to wave his hat at the opening of the tent and thus conj jured, the Reverend Edward Grass-so Porteous introduced him entered. For the same reason that he had been posted without, some suspicious black bottles had been left in his keeping
 Porteous apoogized for his incongruous presence by telling that although he had been d Chaplain in the British Navy he was just back from the American River dggin's-dead broke.
 But Le kin tie the nuptual," Porteous. de clared, jest as tights if his heels kicked his cOat-tails, an his neck was done up in pill lowcase.
 But for Porteous, the wedding would have been dumb affair. The bridegroom was so- Der even to solemnity; the bride was silent from intense excitement; Jenny awed, and the Reverend Edward unconscionably stupid Porteous leered very tenderly at Jenny, and whispered, He's us stan up, too I'm a widower this twenty year." And the cere- mony over, in view of Molly shining eyes and flushed cheeks, he assured everybody pres ent that she was a fine gal" and ''sech spirits as hers wasn't made to be bottled up by a cruel dad" But his triumph was greatest when ne had filled everybody's cup and raised hls own, to cry, Here's to the Thaddeus Mis- gill! Forty years Iust'u an rolPn in the har- Dor of old bachhood now conv'yed through the Golden Gate of Matrimony by the stanch little steam-tug Molly. Drink hearty"
 No doubt Porteous fibbed, saying forty years. Fifty would have been nearer the truth But he Set the example of drinking deep, and looked to see if the Captain had done the same. Assuredly, the Captains mug was empty: but, to tell the truth, Molly had slyly poured it's contents out on the floor, her new-nlade husband meekly consenting there to.
 Jenny having thoughtfully provided a few indispensable changes of raiment from her own scanty store, for the bride, she had no sooner brought them out in neat bundle, than Molly screamed with sudden recollec- tion.
 'l never never can leave all the beautiful things the Cap'n has given me. The '.r
 ''Never you mind them, dear" said Misgl ''Let Jenny here git lem an keep em."
 The two girls shed some tears at parting. The two men gripped each others hand as men only can and do. The Barnacle sailed away that very afternoon, and San Francisco saw no more of Molly for full five years.
 The girl came back splendid woman; to be known and honored among Misgills friends as Captain Molly" She were her title gay ly; but, with becoming modesty, left it to her husband to tell how she had won it.
 "'Twas off the Horn in the blackest kind of weather" so Misgil would begin, with a beaming glance in his wifes direction, "that the worst crew poor devil of a Cap'n ever put up with, showed signs of.mutiny. Half on lem was hobbled one way or mother, an all was vicious dogs. My first mate, though,
 
 would wink, as if to imply that he was none too soft customer himself. ''The poor wretch es was badly fed an half froze, no doubt about it. But if they didn't jump clean out of their boots to his orders Parks would, play ten-pins with 'em, bowling 'em down so twas mortal wonder any ever got up ag'in. Some didn't. We'd had two funerals two successive days. No chucking fellows overheard careless when Molly was around. She would read the ser vice over 'em out of a Church of England prayer-book she'd found lying about som'ers. 1 learned her to road myself on our wedding trip. She didn't know from zed when we was married. But arterward she studied nav lgation an could calc'late our course as well as me. We'll she sad that if I didn't put stop to Parks's brnt llities she would. An Molly had way cfk .eping her word. This time she didn't.
 "Ope night, when Parks was on deck, the boys, some of 'em got up an made bash of him. When looked inter the faces of them chaps there was more murder there. didn't expect to live another blasted twenty -four