The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-02-02


uiueS. If he committed himself beyond
bearing in this society. however, added
the Captain, with sternness that struck
me as being little forced, he was to
be relegated to the outer darkness of
the Storage. There was much good
fellowship in the second saloon, where
the moist-eyed man speedily found
marked favor; and sooner or later, as
[ noted during occasional visits to that
bower of iollity, most of the
Honolulu folks had whispered
condolences of an apparently satisfac-
tory nature with him, in regard to the
idiosyncrasy of the customs inquisitors
on the San Francisco quay. These
condolences had uniform sequel in
the shape of copious libations, not at
the expense of the moist-eyed gentle
man.
For myself, I observed with unfeigned
sorrow and no little amaze all those
evidences of a fallen nature on the part
of man by whose simple and touching
manifestation of purer and better
spirit | had been so much touched at
the outset of the voyage. But as |
grieved because of the feet, or rather
stomach, of clay, and very porous clay
at that, which disligured the golden
head, | found one consolation, in that
recognized this man with the moist-eye
as type. He became to me more and
more identified with the Bret Harte
character Pacific slope man with
the chronic crave to see them ''put up"
with the callous disregard of high prin-
fciple, with the propensity to grisly
-otehs; and yet withal, with the strange
holy streak of exquisite genuine tender
ness. At the end of the voyage |
thought him more like ''Kentuck" than
| had done at the beginning.
As the ''Tasmanian" steamed by
Alcatraz Island it was an open
secret among a good many of
the passengers that the moist-eyed
gentleman was to scramble on to the
wharf by the first cable and give n
quiet, significant intimation to Colonel
O'Driscol' and the ''boys" that in
certain specific instances perfunctory
inspection would be highly appreciated
and not be quite barren of compliment
tary recognition. As he stood in read
mess for the acrobatic feat, | noticed
his vest pocket considerably bulged by
quite a little packet of letters, which l
had reason to believe all bore super
scription to Colonel O'Driscol." The
moment came, and we saw him slip off
the cat-head down the hawser on to the
jetty with an agility that was much adj
mired by all spectators; some believ-
ing that he was thus urgent that
he might clasp to his bosom the little
wife to whom he had hurried back,
others commencing his alertness to eX-
ecute the genial and delicate commits
sions he had undertaken. He dsap-
peared into the interior of the shed and
we saw him no more
Half an hour elapsed before the
gang plank was practicable, and then
the passengers streamed down into the
she'd. The baggage began to be rapid
~ dumped. happened to be near the
little American Jew-with- -dash-of-the
Cockney, He asked a Customs officer
where he should find Colonel O'Dris-
col "Yonder he is - replied the
man steadily, pointing to tall man
with a gold-lace cap who was standing
behind an inclosed desk with his back
to us, busted with some papers on q
nail on the wall. The Jew approached
and touched the tall man on the elbow.
Colonel O'Driscol, STRIP he uttered
in a confidential tone.
The Colonel remained engrossed
among his documents.
Colonel ODriscol, sir!" repeated
the jew, in a tone that had little ring
of perhaps not unjustiiable perempto-
rncss.
"At your service, SIR said the Col
onel, as he turned sharply round; and
from under the wiser of the gold-lace
cap there beamed upon the jew from
under their long brown lashes pair of
moist blue eyes. The jew gave one
gulp of wild establishment, then stag
| gered back, and sat down in silence on
the floor of the shed. He was too much
discounted even to swear.
Very few witnessed this little scene.
most people being engrossed in the
work of getting their baggage together.
The Colonel sat down and bent his
head over his desk. Presently little
Mrs Lorne came jauntily sailing up to
the desk.
Colonel O'Driscoln' she sweetly
said
"At your service, madam replied
the Colonel, raising his head.
Mrs. Lorne gave a little shrek; but
she was a woman, and a woman is al
ways nimbler in a tight place than a
man. She rallied with surprising
quickness, and spoke with low empha-
sis.
Colonel" said she, "there is lady
in the case, and know that you are a
gentleman"
Eyes, madam" responded the Colo
mel, with a gallant bow" and / don't
90 back on my word-to dy'-the
last three words with S deliber-
ate information. Here Ger, Just
open this lady's grip-sac. and then
chalk her baggage, and call a porter for
trrer. Good morning, Mrs. Lorne !
concluded the gallant officer with inef-
fable sweetness and grace.
Mrs. Lorne didn't hang around much.
The same afternoon / noticed the
American jew and the Australian jew
eler, each tramping around the city in
the close society of gentleman in
uniform. 1t appeared they were look
ne for bail, in default of which they
would have to ''gQ across the bay.
sIEiii - in blank diSnair of hail had