The Cecil Whig., 1886-01-02
Sleep, baby, sleep!
DORIS LEES FEATHER FAN.
BY FRANK II. CONVERSE.

BY FRANK II. CONVERSE.
And what shall | bring you home.
Dorry - said Ned Blair. who, with Clar-
ence Jackson, his shipmate that was to
be, was making a d-bye call on Doris
Lee. their mutual girl-friend and school
fellow.
".luSt what I was going to ask, ca
gerly prt in Clarence, though, to tell the
truth, Ned's question had but that mo-
ment suG gested his own. There had al
ways been the least suspicion of rivalry
between the two boys, and | think each
secretly desired the uppermost place i'll
pretty Doris's friendship. Both boys
were to sail on the following morning,
| for their initial voyage, in the ship City
| of New York. BlokStrop, master; hence
the farewell call. and the mutual inward
disgust OF each at finding the other pres
! cut.
New. Doris, who was a bit imagina-
| tive, had been reading. for the first time,
! Colpridg yes ancient Mariner;' and it
suddenly occurred to her that fan made
of alhaGrnss feathers would be too sweet
| for an, thing. and charmingly appropriate
! for the hot days, when she might swing
in her hammock under the veranda, with
"Ye Rhine OF We Ancient Mariner foI
light reading.
| need hardly say that. as she thus ex-
pressed herself, both boys simultaneous.
| ly declared their intention of doing THEN
utmost that her wish might be gratltied
shall surely bring you an albatross's
wing. D4riS,' Ned he'd Saii at parting
"Tll bring you pair of albatrosses ii
cfge,' enthusiastic lily exclaimed Clar
ence who was not quite familiar witt
natural history. And then Doris haC
said good bye, with a kindly wish fol
each.
Well at the time when my story reall,
begins, the ship was in the latitude o
c. p" Horn. Neither boy had said, ''al
batroSs' to the other since the voyag,
began; Yet each had KEEP a sharp look
out astcrn, as day after day the go0t
ship went speeding southwark. Comes
there were. dusky 'mole mokes," Moth
er Cary's chickens, cape hens, and cap
pigeons-most beautiful of sea birds-ir
screaming abundance: but, as yet, tn
lone aiba;loss for which they 50 anxious
|, watched Was now here visible.
\ d and Clarence, as is customary il
the better class o. American ships, occu
pied the boys roma little, closet
like den in the aftrr-end of the forwal,
hcu g.
| Vas the afternoon dog watch, an,
C.aIence lay il his oelt',, listlessly watch
ing til ough The open door how the west
ern sky was tom into strange shedding
of wonderful green's and golds, the whol
t;nged with duh red glow from tn,
setting sun.
Suddenly. Ned entered rather abruptly
ThroNiHg back his chest lid, he begar
tossing his S a-clothes aside, i'll eviden
search of some missing article.
"IIave you seen anything of my fish
ing line, Clarence - lie asked eagerly
after second hastv overhauling-apC
| Clarence knew in IA moment that fishing
line signiEed albatross.
81 haven't got it,, he wered hasti
ly, aud at the same time >pringing from
his berth, Clarence made dive iuto his
own sea chest, and, fishing line in hand,
rushed to the galley for "A bit of salt FORK
70 use as bait for the beautiful bird
which a hurried glance showed him was
Glowing in the ships wake,
Furth'r search on Ned's part proved
vain III had seen the line in his chest
nn'y he day before. ard felt vague
uspicion that Clarence could, if he
chose, tell something about its sudden
Il appearance. Bnt of this, of course,
he had no proof, and, rather moodily,
Ned returned on deck.
Clarence, in high state of excitement,
was leaning over the lee side, at the
break OF the quarter.
I've got him ~ he shouted. Lend
me Il band, some of you fellows,' But
the Sajlors-with whom Clarence was not
faroiite-sHemed to have 70 hands to
lend, Just then. y d thrust his deep in
his trouSe:s' pockets, ard turned away.
Two on three others look d grimly on.
Dot offered DO aid, even when it seemed
a lttl, uncertain which was pulling the
han aldel-Ciarelce or his captive. But,
oy catching turn around pin as he
shortened III the line, fathom 10y fathom,
Clarence succeeded in drawing the bird
icarer and nearer. V ,iniy 1t struggled
md si.liekcd. aud be@t the water with
Is powerful white wing; its capture
>,emed certain.
| IL was at this moment that Captain
| BIuksl"p, having finished his supper,
which took in the ships course, the set
| of her sails, and the cloud- -streaked hori
zon. also took in the uncomfortable situ-
alton of the albatross.
Now, Captain Blokstrop, who was one
of the old-time ship-masters, had tDge
of the sailor superstition which looks
upon the wantop destruction OF Mother
Cary's chicken or an albatross as a por-
tent of evil. Furthermore, Clarence was
no favorite with him, by reason of what
the captain called his ''shif less, so ger
ing ways, for Clarence Jackson had not
come to sea with the idea of becoming a
sailor, but only to ''have good time and
see life generally" as he expressed it.
"a fool at one end and fowl at the
other, muttered Captain Blokstrop, in
unconscious paraphrase. Walking softly
to the lee bow as he spoke, he reached
quietly over, and with opened knife cut
the tautened line Just as Clarence was
bracing himself for desperate pull.
Well, the natural consequence ensued.
The bird went one way, Clarence an
other, His head struck the deck with a
thump, while the soles of his sea-boots
were turned upward toward the darken-
ing sky. The sailors laughed under
their breath, Ned could not repress a