The Dickinson press., 1884-05-03
A FAVOR OF FORTUNE.

Jason Hall, q quaint, old, castellated
structure of the time of Queen Elizabeth
situated upon the coast of Essex and
overlooking the English channel, was
the seat of Admiral Sir Thomas Strout,
a rough, robust old British sailor, who
Aourished during the early part of the
last andt he beginning Of the present CEN
turtles. Originally the place had been
called an abbey. The admiral had Civ
en- it its present name in honor of the
old Jason frigate, on board which he
had served as post-captain when it was
the flagship of England's sailor-king,
William w., then admiral and duke of
Clarence.
In 1882, the time of which we write,
Sir Thomas, grown old aud battered in
the service, had been honorably retired
upon full pay. He was never so happy
as when he could induce old shipmates
to share his hospitality.
Admirals of the Red, the White or
the Blue were all gladly entertained by
Sir Thomas. Post captains were al
ways welcome; and even q commander,
if his wal record was good, might find
favor in his sight. But lower than that
he did not like to go. In fact, he was
an aristocrat of the first water-the very
safest of the salt; and he would sooner
have admitted to social equality the
boat SWANS and the gunners of the old
school than to have admitted q leuten-
ant of the new.
The only near relative which the old
admiral had was a granddaughter, whom
he came very neal to worshiping. He
was extreme in almost everything. His
wife had died when quite young, leav-
ing only one child, a beautiful girl, who
the proud father was won't to declare
was the handsomest and the best and
the most intelligent girl in the kingdom.
She, rather late in life-ler father
having kept the generalrun o lovers at
q distance became the wife of an earl
but the earl was so poor that when he
died, only five years after his marriage,
he did not leave behind him the where
with to pay his debts; the result being
that Lady Irene, the admiral's daughter,
came home to her father, bringing
withher an infant daughter-the little
Lady Emeline.
At the time of the opening of oul
story Sir Thomas daughter had been
dead several years, and the Lady Enc
: line had grown to a beautiful maiden OF
10, with a character that lacked noth-
ing to make it lovely and lavable. And
she had q lover-a young lieutenant OF
the royal navy-named George Ayling.
He had come first to Jason Hall, hav-
ing been sent with a message to the old
admiral by the board OF admiralty. On
that occasion he had to remain all night,
and Sir Thomas had detailed Lady
Emeline to entertain him. He was q
brave, loyal, t%ruehearted man; 26 years
:. of age; tall and strong and handsome
so handsome and so genial and SO pure
minded that his beautiful young hostess
fell in love with him during that first
visit.
He was attached to the naval depart.
ment at Whitehall, being on the staff Of
one of the Lords Commissioners. His
father was only a merchant, but n Of
the most wealthy in London. In fact
few men had more influence at court
than had the elder Ayling, he having
been o lifelong friend and a devoted
helper of the present king, andhe never
obtruded himself. The only favor he
asked had been in behalf of his son.
Lieutenant Ayling had fallen desper
inlove with Lady Emeline, and at length
hetold her of it, and he told her 80 heart
lily and SO ardently and SO lovingly thai
she could not keep back her own confes.
sion, but said: ooh, George!my love
my heart is all your own now"
But when he talked of speaking will
her grandfather she trembled. Sht
knew the old admiral's whims and incon,
~sistencies, and she feared he would op
pose their union.
"Fortune favors the brave" sale
George l%aughingly, "Faint heart nevel
won fair lady. I shall beard the tigei
in his den. Surely he cannot eat me.
And on a certain afternoon, when til,
lieutenant had brought down o packe
from the naval office, and had seen ant
spoken with his darling. he approached
the old admiral in his sanctorum ant
told of his love for the beautiful Enc
line, and boldly asked the vereran TO
her hand.
What a shock was that for the British
admiral! At first he could not credi
the evidence of his senses. It couldn no
be possible that he heard Alright. AM
the ardent lover stated his case a secont
time-stated it so that there could b.
no mistake, And her the wrathful tor
rent burst forth.
What! A l%ieutenant! son of a Lon
don merchant a mere nobody! who hat
never smelt powder who had never seel
a fleetpu in line of battle! marry witt
his granddaughter-the daughter of al
earl! And so he went on to the close
and the close was this: Get out Q
my house, sir! And don't you dare t
\ speak with Lady Emeline again
:, You! You! You! marry with tn
granddaughter and heiress of Admira
Sir Thomas Strout! By heaven, if sh
should do such a thing as listen to you
tale of love, I would-would-I don
, know what I should do; but, if sh
should marry with you, I'd cast her o.
on the instant! Now go! I think yo
have your answer!"
The young and gentlemanly lieuten
ant was Nthunderstruck-utterly as
founded. He gazed upon the foamini
old tiger as he might have gazed upo
a South Sea Islander gone mad.
MUall si1. d,ro11 Loar mo- Wh