Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-03-16
MisCellaMenms.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.

saifor-man clapped eye to- said bluff
Captain Marlin, as, seated in his snug
cabin, took from rack a big, old
fashioned ships spy-glass, or telescope,
bearing silver plate with inscription
The English government presented
my old father. captain of the clipper ship
Martha Washington, with that glass for
saving British crew at the risk of his
own vessel It's tho most precious thing
| have on earth, except my wife and my
ship--and it saved me from dying by the
rope on the gallows" The captain took
the instrument from me aud patted it
lovingly as he nursed it in his arms
"Give US the yarn, Cap"
"Well, don't mind maybe you can
make story out of it,"
Il was board ship with father until
he died--,nother had gone three years
before had no relations aud few
friends. thought I'd try land cruise :,
so packs this old glass with my little
duunage and hoofs off the Yankee States
up near the Canada line | got work
with farmer. | knew nothing of farm
ing, but was tall. stout, strong and will
lug, just twcnty-one. and hearty as live
oak. | was on that farm at Round Lake
for over year. and folks got to like me
very well. There was one liked more
than well, that was Jean, the adopted
daughter of an old Frenchman, named
Bazine, who with his wife and nephew
lived in a very lonely old house down on
the lake shore. Jean was as trim built
little craft as ever carried tidy rigging
/ made chase after first sight of her, and
sometimes she showed signs of surreD-
der. She was lightning for work, and
old Monsieur and Misses Bazine didn't
encourage any one that they thought
might take her away. Besides, they
wanted their sullen, round -shoaldered,
bad-eycd nephew, Peter Carter, to marry
her
mo one knew anything Of old Bazine,
except that he came there several years
before. He would answer no questions.
He must have been rich once, for he had
great sideboard covered with heavy,
old-fashioned silver plate. But he was
miserly now and cranky in his ways of
farming and in all things else. The peo-
pie were sure he had lots Of money hid
den in tho house, for be often paid for
goods in foreign gold coin.
"Jean and | got to meeting in the
early evenings, and | was certain she
cared for me. But one night, after all
day in the harvest field--we used to have
whiskey then--what I had drank went to
my head-my legs we're steady, but felt
the liquor and showed it. The stubbo orn
in me walked up aud | walked right to
Bazine's house and asked to see Jean.
"The old man raved and tore and gave
me good cursing paid him back in
the same.
Finally Jean put in an appearance,
coming to the house, and also for being
half, or more, drunk. What she said
riled me, and | turned on my heel and
left.
II felt pretty bad that night. was
mad still, and yet ashamed Of myself
was up at first crack Of dawn, and as
soon as it was sun-up, | goes with this
old spy-glass to rock from which
conld see Bazine's house and all its sur
roundings, about u mile away. This
was the only point about from which
such sight could be obtained | had
discovered it by accident, and | used tt
lay there in the early evening and watch
through the glass for Jean to come ou
of the house and make for our meeting
place.
II watched to see her come out that
morn, at milking time, intending t.
hurry over and try to square matters
with her, for / had concluded to leave
and go to sea again for while. Blu
she didn't come out, the reason, as
found long after, that when | left thu
night before, old Bazine had abused mi
until she stood up for me, then be turnot
on her and struck her, and she had lef
the house at once and gone to frien'
two miles away. saw some thing
through the glass that morning, bu
thought nothing of them at the time
When my boss showed up at breakfas
demanded my wages-going to leav
at once-would give no reason. | wa
paid, and hurried away feeling mad a
myself and all creation. walked t
the town, took the stage, went to th
railroad and rushed for New York
where I shipped at once on a packt
bound for California, and we sailed th
same evening. This was in '49, miu
you
I'VE went round the Horn and mad
port all safe. Then | got the gold fcv'
and struck of for the mines. -Four yea
| I worked, and at the end was only abo'