The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1886-05-26
SELECTED.
THE OLD MAID CAPTAIN.

THE OLD MAID CAPTAIN.
Il have been going to sea these twenty
five years said the >tcWar'lr>> of an
American coastWi~c steamer, one after
noon recently. a. Size sat sewing in the
cosy ladies cabin of the vessel Ia which
She belonged land yet was never
wrecked, nor has a ship have been on
lost 50 much "a Il spar while ] WAS aboard.
Yes, my life has been very common
place one There has been no romance
in any way connected with it-->top.
though, did play very small part in II
romance once That happened fully
twenty years ago. and now ii >eem~ like
IL dream; sometimes wonder if il wasn't
after all Il dream 1t sreii~ stranger 10
me now than ii did even then. Tie
worthy stcwar,le>S paused and a tar-aWaN
look in her eyes showed thai She MAS i'll
dul.in9 in rctro~pcciion
"When | WIS Young | went uu sailing
vessels instead of steamboats,, continued
the stcWardeSs "Ahuut tWrun wears
ago-that wa, when | was Young i,isH-
ed some friends in the country after "A
voyage. and then came Ia New York Ia
find Il ship The .gent | went to told me
that could 20 II. ~trWardeN> on ship
bound 10 Australia. The skipper. said
br i. a rood man. but hes n regular old
maid said that | didn't mind old
mni,, and 81 il was settled that was to
90 with thc old maid captain The
np>t day went aboard and reported Ia
my new captain. who was called Harris
The captain WAS : ort and rather slightly
built. with mild grav eyes. but with II fnl
heavy black beard He seemed about
thirty-tlyc Years old His hands were
small and ,lclicatc. and his voice Wa
bioh and iust a tribe shrill. and he walk
cd M and down the deck with II mincing
sort of yait Thinks /: Captain Harris.
Won wasn't II skipper. you'd have made
n first rate single woman regularly de
epi>cd linn until the first storm came on
Then he went ON deck ana handled the
ship III such way nat e""id not hnl
adAlli that he was the peN' ma, l@a'"f
had ever sailed under men ! pe@all 10
THINK better Oh iHe old 'l'al' 'al'''lIl'
never saw 'aplalll 50 c"hsllcTal' Oh hl>
men II one Oh lheil WIS lllt loa>l pll
sick, the Caplalh would 20 M" the lore
castle ana attend 10 MN IL I'ii,t'ilN as
any hurst Anu Wieh me "talicr Wiz
bad he would not allow the mates To MAKE
the men 90 any Nork ''i'' wash I'allA
necessary ne Nhl'N u>eu 10 uldNc luil
81 the captain ptlllhd MS bach lof h'lhe
50 considerable Oh MS men, nut somehow
Thought IL was @ood 'ral' III MN. ne
gan to watch tine apttiil cl"N'lN ana
soon lnadc up my lhlhd lilat lhefr was
some mystery ABOUT lllal man once ON
Il pleasant evening ! came ON deck ana
saw the 'aptaln LOOKING Ill ilr req sull>e'
WITH tears III MS eyes Al alloiher ilile'
wien thou@ll ne was oh u''h, ! went
INTO inc after caplll Tor something /
found INN there W hat Il" you lhillk ne
was DONG; Why he WaN sewing ana
crying lhlo the paf@all' h'H are fl2hi
i'll calling yen the old maui captain,
thinks
Inc mate, Mr.. Wood, WAS "A tall. fine
looking donn.caster about lhirly-dNc
years old The Captain seemed To Ink,
him. but Thought how he must envy hi>
size and strength The Captain. though
was much the smaller man of the two.
The mate. somehow. seemed 10 take Il
fnucy 10 mc-fnr. n SAT- wa, Young
in thosc DAYS He was always running
INTO the cabin ON some pretp\t Ia talk Il
me But | never encouraged him. Yor
sec was engaged Ia he the mate of IN
other mate. and that mate. poor fellow
was LOST AT ga a Few wears affcrWard
| Although the captain didn't seem to car,
much about me. he didn't fancy the mate,
taking "A liking to me. That used To pul
zlr me one pleas 1T evening when
went on deck | saw the Captain, Who
stood aft. looking admirimgly AT the mate
who WAS sitting at the starboard gang
way. When the Captain saw me come 81
deck he uaVe me a sort of suspicious look
and When the mate came up to me and he
gan 10 make himself agreeable although
a. | said before. | had not given him any
encouragement. | glanced again ut tn,
I aptain and the was nm angry snap it
4 his eyes. He did not like tu see the MAJ
ana me together. That was plain, Bn
why should he object 10 il H. long H. h,
didn't >ccIl To care for me himself:
tried to hit on some reason for this hut
soon gave the whole thing up a. II mystic
ry too deep for me to attempt To solve
lone morning when we were in th,
South Pacific some one cried ont tia
there was n small boat with several PEG
/ pie in it in sight on the lee bow w
bore away for the boat which in >hor
time was alongside the ship. Five mcl
and Il little boy climbed up from the boa
To our deck and WE gave them warn
welcome The little 10Y couldn't hay
been day over eight years old lie wa
Il bright-looking little fellow, with Ion!
curly hair, captain Harris took to Inn
at once. lie carried the little fellow int
the after cabin and put MN IN his oMl
birth, ana took nm something |" cal
while the rescued men were telling u
how they came To he III the open boat