, 1885-01-04
MY sTOWAWAY.


one uoucue1 mo on tue shoulder saying,
beg pardon, sir, and ON Strengthening up
saw in the dim light a man whom at first !
took TO DO one OF the steerago passengers
thought he wanted to get past me, for the
room was rather restricted in the passage
between the aft wheel-houss aud the stern,
and / moved aside. The man looked hur
riedly TO one side and then the other and up
preaching said In a whisper, am starving,
STRIP
Why don't you go and get something to
eat, then Don't they give you plenty for
wardT
Il suppose they do, sir, but Pm a stowa.
way. l got on at Liverpool What little !
took with me is gone, and for two days I've
had nothing"
Come with me. I'll take you to the stew
ard; he'll fix you all right"
"Oh, no, no, no. he cried, trembling with
excitement. III you speak to any OF the
officers or crew Pm lost. | assure you, sir,
Pm an honest man, | am indeed, sir. It's
the old story-nothing but starvation at
home, so my only nance seemed to be TO get
this way to America. II Im caught / shall
get dreadful usage and will be taken back
and put in jail"
"oh, you're mistaken. The officers are all
courteous gentlemen"
yes, TO you cabin passengers they are.
But to a stowaway-that's Il different mat
ter. II you can't help me, sir, please don't
inform on me-
"How can help you but by speaking "a
the captain or purserfp
Get me a msrsel to eat
where were you hidf'
"Right here, sir, in this place." and he put
his hand on the square deck edifice beside us.
This seemed to be n sort OF spare wheel
house, 10 be used IL anything went wrong
with the one in front. 1t had a couple of
doors on each side and there we're windows
ali round it At present it was piled full OF
those cane folding steamer chairs and other
odds and ends.
Il crawl in between the chairs and the wall
and get under hat piece Of tarpaulin by
the end here
well, you're sure OF being caught, for the
first fine day all these chairs will be taken
out and the deck steward can't miss you"
The nan sighed rs | said this and said the
chances wero much against him. Then,
starting up, he cried; Poverty Is the great
crime. II l had stolen some one else's money
l would have been able to take cabin passage
instead Of"
"If you weren't caught
well, IL l were caught what thenl l
would DO well fed and taken care of"
"oh, they'd take care of you"
The waste food in this great ship would
feed 100 hungry wretches like me. Does my
presence keep the steamer back a moment of
timei No.. Well, who Is harmed by my try
ing TO better myself in a new world No one.
l am begging for a crust from the lavish
plenty all because l am struggling to be hon.
est 1t Is only when l become a thief that l
am out of danger Of starvation-caught or
free"
There, there, now, don't speak so loud or
you'll have some one here. You hang round
and I'll bring you some provender. What
would you like to havei Poached eggs on
toast, some turkey or"
Tho wretch sank down at my feet as 1 said
this, and recognizing the cruelty OF 1t | hur-
ried down into the saloon and hunted up a
steward who had not yet turned in.
Steward" I said, could you get me a few
sandwiches or anything to cat at this late
hourf'
"Yessir, certainly, sir; beef or am, sirf'
"Both, and n cup OF coffee, please"
"Well, sir, Pm afraid there's no coffee, sir,
but l could make you a pot OF tea in a mo-
ment, sir"
IAN right, and bring them to my room,
please"
"Yessir."
In a very short time there was that faint
steward rap at the stateroom door and q
most appetizing tray-load was placed at my
service. .
When the waiter was safely gone 1 hur-
ried up the companion way with much the
air of a man who is stealing fowls, and l
found my s%towaway just in the position |
had left him.
"Now pitch in,p l said. an stand guard
forward here, and II you hear me cough
strike for cover. III explain the tray matter
II its found.n
He simply said Thank you, sir" and I
went forward When / came back the tray
had boon swept clean and the teapot omptied.
My stowaway vas making for his den when
l said, "How about Tomorrow"
He answered; "rhisn do me for a couple
of days.r
Nonsense, IN nave a square meal for
you here in the corner of this wheelhouse,
so that you can get at it without trouble.
I'll leave it about this time tomorrow
night
"You won't tell any ono, any ono at all,
STRIP
No. At least, I'll think over the ma tier,
and II / see a way out I'll let you know
God bless you sir
l turned the incident over in my mind q
good deal hat night, and l almost made a
resolution to take Cupples into my confidence.
Rodger cupples, a lawyer of San Francisco,
sat next me at tho table. and with tho
freedom of wild westerners we were already
well acquainted, although only a few days
out Then thought of putting a suppositi-
tous case to the captain-he was a thorough
gentleman-and II he spoke generously about
tho supposititious case l would spring the real
one on him Tho ~stowaway had impressed
me by his language as being a man worth
doing something for.
Next day | was glad to soc that it was
rainy. There would be nc demand for ship
chairs that day. felt that real sunshiny
weather would certainly unearth, or unchair,
my %stowaway. l met Cupples ON deck and
VIZ walked a few rounds together.
At last Cupples, who had been telling me
some stories of court trials in San Francisco.
said, Lets sit down and wrap up This
decks too wet to walk ON
IAN the seats aro damp l said.
I'm get out my steamer chair. Steward, /"
he cried to the deck steward who was show
ing a mop back and forth, get me my chair.
There's a tag on it. Berth %"
No, no" cried hastily; "let's go into tho
cabin. It's raining"
"Only a drirzlc. Won't hurt you at sea,
you know
By this time the deck steward was hauling
down chairs trying to find No. 80, which l
ieit sure "Ouiu Akely 10 near the Dottom- 1
could not control my anxiety as the steward
got nearer and nearer the tarpaulin. At
last l cried;
Steward, never mind thai chair; take the
first two that CONF handy
Cupples looked astonished and. as we sat
down, l said.
Il have something to tell you, and / trust
to your honor to say nothing about it to
Every smoker should try Little