The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-05-07

q great cutlery when Mr.. Bradley said
that the boy would have to go with
him. Our skipper begged hard for the
youngster, but Mr.. Bradley said thai
he would have to take him to his
friends. Mr.. Bradley was about to
lead the youngster out OF the cabin,
when Capt. Harris fell on his knees
and put his arms around the boy.
Then he looked up to Mr.. Bradley and
said:
"fYou must not take him. lam his
fatherl'
ellis fatherl' replied Mr.. Bradley.
What do you mean? Why, / knew
Capt. Wilson myself. He was atleast
ten years older than you, and was a
large man into the bargain. Come,
let me have the boyl'
NO, no. cried Capt. Harris, press.
ing the little fellow still closer to him.
I may not be his father, but / am
his
"Don't say you're his mother,
snesred Mr.. Bradley.
eyes, / am his mother!' was the re-
iAnd with that Capt. Harris pulled
aside the heavy black beard /. men.
toned. There was no doubt about
it. The captain had a woman's face,
and not a bad looking one either. Mr..
Bradley started back in astonishment
and cried:
"'You don't mean to say you are
Capt. Wilson's widow
That's exactly what Iam,' said our
skipper, rising to her feet and putting
her beard back into place. after my
husbands ship had been struck by the
steamer | was lifted on board of the
latter by two of the men. Myhusband
and child were given up for lost, al
though ] begged the people to return
and search the wreck for them. They
would have done this but the steamer
could not find the wreck in the fog,
and it was supposed that she had
foundered Immediately after we left
her. | went home to my friends. My
husband had left very little money,
and / foundthat Iwould have to work
for a living. Ididn't care to hire out
as a ho~usekeeper or do any other
drudgery of that kind. had learned
navigation thoroughly from my hus.
band and was well fitted to take
charge OF a ship. / went to a ship
owner who was an old friend of my
husband, and told him Just how things
stood. He thought that under the
circumstances / couldn't do better
than dress up as a mar and go to sea
as a captain. He found me q ship,
and I've been 1. skipper ever since.
And now no one is going to take my
boy away from me-
"Tiiat they amt, said good hearted
Mr.. Bradley, who then kissed the boy
and shook hands with us all. In five
minutes he and his men were on their
way to the big clipper, and our skip
per, with her arm around her boy,
was leaning against the taffrail wav.
ing her hand to them.
"Now, / understood the captains
liking for Mr.. Wood, our mate. She
was in love with him, and Of course
she was q little jealous of me-. The
whole mystery about Capt. Harris,as
she called herself, was accounted for.
Zone evening some weeks afterward
when we were in the Indian Ocean I
glanced through the after cabin door,
and what do you think / sawl There
sat our mate, Mr.. Wood, by the side
of our skipper. She had her beard off.
and | noticed then that she had LET
her hair grow. In Mr.. Woods lapsat
the little boy. She was looking ten.
denly at Mr.. Wood, and he was
talking to the boy as if he had made
up his mind to be very good to him
for his mothers sake. Then / knew
that it was all settled"