The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-04-01


throw up my commission on boarG
this old craft and I'll establish myself
out there with you, if you wish
should do so. | have not single re,
lation at home, and you would make
me nice little household. [ can helr
you to a score # things, for [ have
not sailed the seas all these years fo1
nothing, and | have a snug little
strong-box Oh board that I've come by
honestly enough, and which | shall
leave to you when the time comes that
| must lose the number Of my mess
They looked at each other quite
astounded, as if they scarcely believed
what | said: and then the little woman
fell back on her unfailing resource
she ran, crying and blushing, to her
husband. and threw her arms round
his neck. He put his arm round her
waist, and | saw tears too i'll his eyes;
he held out his hand to me, and | no.
ticed that he was more pale than usual.
She spoke in low voice to him, in
his ear, while her thick locks of yellow
hair fell over his shoulder, and he an
Swered her in the same way. OCCASION
ally kissing her forehead, whilst she
wept without ceasing, until | got tired
Of seeing it.
$50 this doesn' suit you?' said at
last.
'But-but, captain, you are too
good, stammered the husband I
hardly know what to say to you for
your goodness, but-how can you live
with prisoners?' and then he lowered
his eyes, and a blush came over his
face.
81 don't know what you've done to
be transported in this fashion, [ re-
piled, but you can tell me or not some
day or other, if you choose to do So
You don't seem as If you had any
thing very disgraceful on your con-
science, and | am pretty sure I have
done worse things than you. Once
! for all, so long as you are committed
to my custody it is my duty to look
after you, and I shall do so, and you
must expect nothing else; for, under
orders, I'd twist your neck as | would
brace Of pigeons; but, once I throw
off the coat with the epaulets on it,
and | care neither for the admiral nor
for any one else under the sun
at is because | think it might be
dangerous for you, captain, to be
friends Of ours that [ hesitate. We
laugh because we are young: we are
happy because we love each other; but
| have very dismal half-hours when /
think Of the future and what may
happen to my poor Laura.
'As he said this he pressed his
young wife to his breast, and mur-
mured,-
81 ought to have said as much to
the captain, don't you think so, my
darling? I am sure you would have
said as much yourself ,
Il took, my pipe and turned away,
for to tell the truth [ felt as If the
tears were coming into my eyes, and
that was not a state in which man
in my position should be seen.
"'Come, come, said [, the future
will set this all right. If the tobacco
is disagreeable to the lady | will go
away.
''She looked up at me with her face
all on fire and wet with tears, like a
child that has been scolded.
"'At all events, said she, looking
up at the little clock, let us talk about
something else; and the letter therer
When she said this | felt cold
shudder pass over me, and my hair
seemed almost to stand on end.
"'Good heavens, said l, and | had
almost forgotten it! If we had got
beyond the first degree Of north lati-
tude I should have nothing to do but
to Jump overheard
Il seized hold of the ships log, and
when [ saw that we had, at least,
week before us, was in some degree
comforted, but ] still felt an underlined
fear in my heart.
"'There is no joking with the Di-
rectory on the score Of obedience !
half muttered to myself However,
I'm all right so far, but the time has
slipped away so quickly that | had
nearly forgotten all about it.
"Well, sir, there we stood, all three
of us, looking up at the letter as if we
expected it to speak to US. What
struck me the most was the sun, which
was now shining through the cabin
window, lighted up the glass Of the
clock, and made the great red seal in
the centre look like the features Of
face in the middle of fire.
lone might almost say that its
eyes were coming out Of its head I
said, to amuse them.
"'Oh, replied the young wife, 1t
looks more like the stains of blood
bah, BAH said her husband, TAX
ing her by the arm; you are fright
ening yourself, laura. It looks like
an invitation to a wedding. Come
along and go to bed. Why should
you bother yourself about the letter?'
They left the cabin and went up
on deck, whilst remained and smoked
my pipe, but | could not take my eyes
off the great seal, which seemed to
have the same power of fascination
over me that serpent is said to pos
sess. At last [ tore myself away from
it, and went up on deck to finish my
pipe. All was going well here, for
the 'Marat' had favorable wind, and
was doing her ten knots comfortably
within the hour. It was as beautiful
a night as [ have ever seen in the
tropics. The moon was just rising
above the horizon, and the calm, white
/ sea seemed to cut her in half, looking
like sheet OF snow covered with dia-
monds. [ stood looking at the scene
in silence, and the officers and sailors
of the watch were gazing over the
bulwarks at the shadow Of the cor
vette in the water. like silence, Or
der, and discipline, and I had forbid
den all noise and fires aboard after
nine o'clock. Suddenly | saw little