The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-31
CAPTAIN BILLY.
GEORGE PARSONS LATHROP.
Copyrighted 1884, by the Author--An Rights
Reserved.
A STORY Y.


A big man was Billy Rust-"Captain Billy "
His build resembled that of freighting
schooner, and if you saw him from the front his
broad chest, standing boldly out in strong mus
eular development, suggested the prov of such a
vessel bearing down upon you in rather
threatening way. But he seldom really threat
ened, and he was not inclined to pick quarreis.
He had an accommodating roominess of temper
that made him seem to be always living out-of-
doors; and the weather in that atmosphere was al
ways exhilarating, even when rough For time he
followed the divers trade. Once. being engaged
in some submarine work which required pushing,
lie arranged-since he was at distance
from home-to have a special messenger sent by
boat, to give him the earliest notice of certain
important event which there was reason to ex-
pect would occur When the messenger arrived
the Captain was under water. The workmen
above signaled to him. he responded through the
signal cord and was slowly hoisted to the air
The helmet of his diving-suit was unscrewed off
him, and the first word he uttered on being re-
leased, was "wellP
Good news" said the messenger '1ts boy
lie was born this morning"
There was a momentary silerce. Captain
Billy looked down at the stone platform on
which he was standing. Had it not been for
the grotesoue appearance impaired by his swol-
len diving suit enc might have thought ne was
struggling with new emotion but the struggle,
if there was one, was stifed under that weight
of hard rubber Presently he looked up again.
SLOWS the motherP
"Doin' first-rate" was the reply.
"All rightr' shouted Captain Billy, in lusty
accents. Lower away, boys" So, with his
helmet made fast again, he disappeared beneath
the waves
And yet some people called him hard -hearted.
But had lie not made great effort, in his way,
to meet the occasion7 He entertained, you
observe, peculiar notions of duty, and was
prompt in making up his mind as to where his
own duty lay.
This incident happened number of years
ago. The son. whose advent he received in SO
Spartan manner, grew up into a sturdy young
fellow, and acquired knowledge of the waters
along the Atlantic seaboard, which delighted his
fathers heart. Captain Rust good to the
boy and to his mother. The baby was
launched upon the sea of life with name
which, it is true, was somewhat topheavy, for
they christened him Alonzo, but this was
promptly cut down to Lon" How often his
father carried him in his massive arms, fling
ing him up towards the sky, and then plung
ing him downward again. as if to initiate him
into submarine mysteries. What pangs did
he not gladly undergo, when the little fellow,
growing with pleasure, laid hold of his parents
thick beard and pulled at it as vigorously as if
it had been the main sheet of SAIL No wonder
that after a long experience of this kind, Lon
should feel at home when rocking ON the pillows
or handling nautical cordage. While he was yet
a1ad, he began to make trips coasting-ves
sells; later he served an apprenticeship on New
York harbor- tug and finally he rose to employ
ment on pleasure yacht.
Nevertheless-must it be admitted?-Captair
Billy was not entirely satisfied with his son. He
fanced there was something effeminate about
the young man. The dreadful suspicion had
entered his mind that Lon was allured by tn.
knowledge thatther were other classes of society
than that into which he had been born, and thai
he was disposed to ally himself with those classes
which were commonly called upper" In a
word, Captain Rust feared that his son had q
trace of effeminacy in his composition and might
be willing, if opportunity offered, to merge his
sterling identity in the vague, neutral common
place of superior" people.
Now, Lon had been brought up to believe tina,
''all men are free and equal" nor had it evel
been pointed out to him that the freedom and
equality referred only to questions of political
and property rights. AS natural consequence
he believed that the and daughters of al
70 al.o ehpieo of
as companions, without trammel. He had nj
idea thatit could be descent from his high
standing as seaman on a pleasure yacht thai
he should fall in love with the daughter of the
man who owned the yacht
Hence, quite inadvertently, he fell in love
with her-poor, innocent fellow!
Ii was On board the Ripple, in which Mr.
Meadows's wealthy contractor and engineer was
making trip through the sound to Newport
Nantucket the Beverly Shore, Mount Desert
Evelyn, his daughter, was with him, and one OF
their guests was young Beeny, son and sole heil
of the great cotton Speculation Now, Beeny ap
peared to be much interested in Miss Evelyn,
and for this reason, but for no other Lon was
interested in Iseeny. Keeping keen watch on
their graceful subdued Irritation, his first
~AS'A Ntio"ASNS'o NJ AIS OWN sentiment
came from seeang the slender Beeny hel1
Evelyn over the side one day when they were
entering the yaEl to make landing The
young man held her hand in his, at the same
time lifting parassl to protect her from the
Was it mere fancy. or did Lon guess
Alright, that the spectators SON bent the para
sol down little so as to conceal his action
while he raised the elasped hand close to his
bps.
shock of jealousy ran through him, and
can imagine that his gray blue eyes flashed with
fiery spark. Beeny did not have it all his own
way after that, for, standing on the forward deck
Evelyn often talked with the sailor lad, first
about the boat and rigging the winds and sky
afterward about other things such as his father
himself and his adventures.