Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1881-11-03

face-kisses just sticking out all over IT!
But wasn't she the sickeSt little mortal
that ever set foot on deck? tell you
she was all green and yellow, and looked
half starved. | do not believe she'd kept
down quarter of dinner for month
past.
"Hullo, Jack ?" said | whats the
matter p And | gave the lady seat on
the lounge in my cabin. The poor little
thing couldn't sit upright, 50 Ijust hoist
ed her feet up and made her comfortable
among the pillows.
"'Captain" said he, Il want You to
marry me to this lady
! MARRY You ?" said l. "What do you
mean? She is too sick To be married, man!
She can't stand up. If you and she want
to be married, why don't you wait till
you get ashore 2"
you see ladies, we talked ont free be-
fore her. for she couldn't understand n
word of English.
1T we wait till then, SAID he, you
and I'll be going to her funeral Instead
of her wedding. We've got To be mar
ried, and right away, and you have got
! to marry us.
"You see again, ladies, We Were very
great friends outside of the ship, and
when we were alone together We dropped
all ceremoney,"
".'What in the thunder are in such
hurry for?' said |. Why can'tyo wait
till you're ashore Where are the
friends 2
Her step-father is aboard my ship,
he said.
:" I thought so, said 1; Il won't have
anything to do with it.
He just turned and winked to me out
of the ball of his eye, and then remem-
bered in a moment of misplaced conf
dence, / had told some little circum-
stances iii regard to my own marriage.
Hem !" said he, grinning like a
monkey. 4 think they're some times
iustifable. Now just look here, Cap;
listen and I'll tell you all about it. That
little girl has no relations, nothing but
step-father, and she's depending on him
for support Well the old coot's n doctor,
and crazy at that. He has taken into
his added old head to discover sure
cure for sea-sicAness, and just because
the name of a ship sets poor little
Dolores to casting up accounts, he's been
taking her on all sorts of long voyages,
and trying his various decoctions on her.
So want to marry her to get her out of
his way. Of course I'm in love with her
and all that, said he looking kind of
foolish, but if that was all, I'd wait till
we get ashore OF conrse / can't make
him let her alone unless she Is my wife,
and if he has control of her much longer
she'll never see port again.
'Do you mean to say" said l, staring
at him i'll surprise, ''that he tries expert
ments on her-gives her things that amt
medicine?"
81 do" said he "and mean to say
that the last thing he gave her was a
bottle of bedbug poison, and it most
killed her"
"By the Flying Dutchman y said l,
4 should think it would Where's the
old coot now p
'In irons, l told him l wouldn't have
any such doings aboard my ship and he
slapped my face. So put him in irons,
and came off to you.
Well, ladies, just went over to the
sofa where the little girl was rolling her
big black eyes at us and wondering what
in thunder we were saying,
"How old are you, my dear, l asked
in Spanish.
"You see, I'd been married morn two
years, and thought I'd a sorter right to
be pateln !.
Eighteen, Senior Captain, said she
in the softest voice in the world.
"Said / DO you love this young man
and want to marry him ? You needn't if
you don't, because I'll see to ityour step
| father doesn't bother you any more.
Il didn't dare look around at Jack,
for I knew he'd be looking blacker'n
thunder at me just then. And indeed he
took a step towards us but / made him
keep off till she should have answered for
| herself.
''Wen she blushed very prettily, and
| hesitated for q second, then answered
very sweetly that if the senior captain
! didn't mind trouble, she would marry the
senor first officer. That the senior first
officer had been her only friend and
although she had taken many voyages
and seen many people, she had never
| found any one who cared to interfere III
her behalf; that she felt very grateful to
the senior first officer, and had now be-
come attached to him, and with the
senor captains permission would become
his wife"
GAS she said this, Jack got out OF sight
| behind the door, put his thumb to his
nose and twirled his fingers at me i'll the
most disrespectful manner. L had great
mind to put him in irons for mutiny-
but no matter,
"Of course there was nothing to be
done except marry them; she was over
18, and at sea the captains as good as a
parson, you know.
$50 called up the passengers and
officers and the ladies dressed up IN
their best finery, and we had wedding
in very short order. After that the ship
surgeon prescribed an antidote for the
bed-bug poison. :.
'The second officer went over and took
command of the coffee ship i'll Jacks
place, and sent back Doloter's trunk and
clothing. At first | thought we could
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 man.
But it was real touching to see him go
to his wifes cabin every day and bring
her on deck and fix her comfortably on
p Lo5 +lo c+oUord made for her under an