The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-01-28
PIE TO THE TEST.

PUT TO THE TEST.
Captain Morton is a fine man,
mother. How good, how kind he has i
,een to Won ever since we came aboard |
he Ship"
THAT is true, Mabel, but at my time |
n life, l can easily guess the cause OF
he interest he takes in your old bed
ridden mother.
And Mrs. Barton looked significantly
1T her young daughter. who was beau
.iful, graceful girl of seventeen, with
gentle dove-like eyes and brown hair.
Mabel, blushing, assured her mother
that she was mistaken.
He feels very sorry for you." she
added, land would do just as much for
you if I were not here"
The old lady's eyebrows went up I'M
der her nightcap.
al like him much better than l do
Mr.. Tomtit," continued Mabel earnestly.
MIR. Tomtit, my dear, is man of
fortune, having five hundred and fifty
thousand dollars of his own, and to in
herit twice as much from his father
when he dies. The captain of this ship,
on the contrary, has no fortune-does
not even own share in this vessel.
Granted he is good man. Well, so is
Tomtit. Ny dear, it will be the hap
piest moment of my life to see you take
kindly to Tomtit.
There is nothing to take to-" an
swered Mabel. Il mean there is moth
ing about him to claim attention or in
terest."
Nothing about MIR. Tomtit? l can
assure YOU he is a man that women like.
T.. I - 20
comfortably settled. Tomtit admires
you; there can be no doubt about that.
Try, on your part, 10 encourage Tom
tit"
Mabel cOntrived to change the sub
ject. She had never liked Mr.. Tomtit.
Ever since this person had made the ac-
quaintance of Mrs. Barton and daugh-
ter, few months previously, in Sidney,
Australia, where the two had resided
for wears, the mother had sounded his
praises in the ear of her child. In fact
It almost seemed to her that she heard
little else.
1t was Tonltit here, and Tomtit there
until she became heartily tired of the
name.
Still, she would not say anything Il
hurt the feelings of her widowed mother,
who had been an invalid ever since her
husband died.
Mrs. Barton and her daughter were
now passengers aboard the homeward-
bound ship, Radcliff, of Now York,
Captain Henry Morton, master
This Morton was gOod-loOking stall
wart young fellow, as frank as the open
day.
There was a marked contrast between
his personal appearance and that OF
Tomfit.
The latter was small, slender, and
elegant, always fashionably dressed, in
a shining tall hat, etc, and carrying a
slender little cane, with which he light
ly tapped the deck when walking to and
AS Mrs. Barton had said, he was gen
orally liked by young women. many OF
whom would have been pleased to be
come his wife.
Mabel, however, was an exception.
at is no use," she would say to her
self. Il can never like Eomtit. never
see his round smooth face, with its two
fiat black eyes, without feeling of alb
hOrrence and repugnanee rising within
me-"
1t had so happened that Mr.. Tomtit,
having business in New York, was a
fellow-passenge with Mabel and hel
mother.
He was very attentive to the young
girl, but thus far she had given him but
little encouragement.
He scarcely ever spoke to her mother,
and when he enquired after her health
Mabel could perceive, in spite of all his
efforts to seem otherwise, that he wa;
not at all interested in her case.
1t was indeed melancholy one. A
week after sailing, Mrs. Barton hac
been struck with partial paralysis Of
both limbs, so that she could no Longer
walk.
The young captain of the ship haG
been constant in his efforts to do every
thing for her comfort.
A son could not have been more kinC
than he in his treatment of the old lady
Mabel liked him much.
In her own heart she felt a startling
conviction that she loved him.
But her mother. as shown, wanted
her to have Tomtit.
She had always been an obedien
child.
Now her mothers sad condition car
ried great weight with her wishes re
garding Tonltft.
She begged and pleaded with hel
daughter, and at last won her consent
to try and encourage the young man.
The result was that in a few week
young Tomtit, dropping gracefully OF
one knee. proposed.
Il will try" was Mabers answer t.
his appeal, with the undcrstandin;
that, if change my mind, you will no
be angry"
Not in the least. he answered, smil
ing, laying all this to the natural coy
ness of a maiden.
linen something was said about mar
ried life, mothers-in-law, etc, in the
course of which young Tomtit made ;
''clean breast of it. )" and acknowledge
that he did not approve of a mothe
living with the married couple.
You will ike my nother,' said Ma
bel.
'-Well-well-yes but really now vol
will give in to me in this, dear Mis-,
Barton. Your mother has relations,
believe. in New York. She can live
with them. Young folks like to see al
little as possible of the old people you
know" he added, laughing.
Mabel shuddered inwardly. When
she told her mother, the latter made
light of it.
lit is the way with the young" she
said Il shall live with my sister.
Don't fail to tell him that, my DEAR
But Captain Morton would not have
acted SOL
..Hush! You must not speak of him
now. Captain Morton's kindness to
me has all been on your account, no;
mine"
"You are much mistaken, mother
A few hours later a terrific gale struck
the ship.
The wind howled and shrieked, huri.
ing the craft almost on her beam-ends,
while the foam and the spray were
Whirled in great white sheets TO her top
sail yards.
There was to leeward an island, to
wards which she was driven in spite O
all the efforts of the captain to keep he
away from it
There was no help for 1.-THE vesse
was doomed to strikei
When she was close-to the rocks Of
the island shore, Morton gave order
for the masts to be cut down.
This was done! The three mast,
toppled over with crash, and were cu
clear.
Axe in hand. his sleeves rolled NJ
over his brawny arms, his huge muscu-
lar chest heaving with his exertions, the
young captain seemed to do the work Of
three men.