The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-07-20


you, sir, that though we put weights in
that coffin, it stood up on end and fol.
lowed us until midnight. I never saw
such sight before hope never to
again. There it was right after us, and
the sailors watched it with pale faces,
no one daring to say word to the cap
tain, who swore If any one but looked at
him.
"We all made as if the girl had
fallen overheard for the sake of the poor
creatures who were left. They coniec-
tured everything. as folks will who go
wild with grief. But l think her
brother understood, though he was sick
with brain fever all the rest of the voy-
age. Her mother, poor creature, came
near dying herself, and am sure her
heart must have been nearly broken.
1t was hard to see that fine-looking old
grandfather tottering round wringing
his hands and shaking his gray old
| head, while the tears run and run-may
1 never see the like againl
"Next voyage we shipped green hand.
I never suspected till we'd been out
three days that it was the German girls
brother. Then knew he meant mis-
chief. told him knew him, but he
begged so hard kept his secret. How
often since I've wished L hadn't, though
it might have been no better for him. ]
was sure there was going to be more
trouble, and it came soon. He didn't
know the ropes and think the captain
suspected who it was and kept on his
guard, for he was mighty careful not to
anger him. But ono day his tenn
per gave way, and if it hadn't
bin as it was L shouldn't much
blamed him neither, for I like
good seamanship as well as the next
man, and the German lad was as
contrary as mule. The 1irst thing we
knew the captain struck the man, and
the next they were struggling together
on the deck. Well, sir, we saw blood.
The captain had got at his knife and
run the poor fellow through The heart
He never spoke after that, and none of
us could say anything, because the cap.
tain killed him in elf.defense. l was
that horror struck that / vowed I'd
never step foot in that ship again and
never again I did, although Captain
Tim offered me double wages. Sir, t
was a God. cursed ship after that, Mis-
fortune went with it every voyage, and
seemed to strike everybody but the
captain. That always seemed strange
to ne. He lost men and the own RS
lost money, but he always came off scot
free.
"Well, sir, I am coming to the
queerest part Of my story. l was once
inspecting an insane asylum with q
friend of mine from the old country.
He wished to see case of raving in
sanity, he ing about to write book in
which he wanted to describe something
of the sort. We had several cases,
when the keeper said, pointing to q
double cell:
"'There ia the worst subject in this
or any other establishment. He is an
old sea-captain, whose madness is SO
alarming at about midnight that, in
spite Of all our precautions, we expect
every morning to find him corpse. We
are obliged to keep him in this closet.
the walls Of which are lined that he may
not dash his brains out. He has been
here nearly q year, and imagines that he
is pursued by girl, and held under
water by her till his breath leaves his
body
"Well, the door was unlocked, and
there, despite the hideously ALTERED and
haggard face, l saw my old captain
Tim Tullive !"
"Then." said I, speaking for the first
time, cat last God had smitten him."
"Well, 1 suppose that's not for us to
say" continued the narrator, 6" for l
haven't come quite to the end of my
story"
"Some three years after the little
German beauty threw herself over in
the way 1 have told you, l was of
duty in q foreign harbor, and strolling
into street found a little shop pre-.
sided over by woman who was the liv-
ing image of poor little Gretchen-I
believe | haven't spoken her name be,
fore. l went in, and she stared at me,
and / stared at her. felt myself grow
pale, but she flushed rosy red, which
put me more in mind of Gretchen than
ever. SO said to her in German, to
make sure, that she reminded me of 6
lass had once known.
"Oh! she cried. Il was sure
couldn't be mistaken-you were so kind
to me onc4, when was on board that
dreadful Chester Bell
"Then,' 1 said, completely aston
ished, aud catching my breath, it il
really Gretchen i
eyes, indeed, am really Gretchen
and my husband is not yet at home he
has gone to look after our bit of land
but sit down, he will be back in mo
ment no, no, come in here, dinner
will be ready before great while
81 followed, like one in dream, ant
found myself in neat, pretty littl,
parlor, looking out on a garden crowded
with flowers, and beyond that the
shingjy beach, and further the deel
sea. In a corner at one side of the tin,
fireplace stood a wicker-cradle wherein
slept lovely child.
"'That's my little Gretchen sh
said, with happy and proud smile.
"'I've got three nice children, tn
eldest quite lad
"Ihen, please tell me, for l an
nearly dying of curiosity l said, 'hoy
comes it you are here and not at tn
bottom of the seaT
"Oh, that was an awful night" sh
; said, o shadow crossing her face. 8
threw myself over because Hans, VIII
was cruelty jealous, wouldn't believe m
word, for, you see the captain was Yer
wicked and I had found him out, an
] Hans would not listen, which drov
me desperate, and did nj
: care il I died. But the poo
I fellow had suffered; for. though
> hated the captain, was too easy