The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-05-31
A MEppING AND A WIDOW,

am not likely to forget that voyage
from San Francisco to Honolulu; though
full dozen years have passed since
then remember it like last night. The
three persons most nearly concerned
that is, Mrs Nellie LaSerre, the pretty
widow, Brian Stapleton and DR.. Felt
wike-had been fellow travellers all the
way from New York. Stapleton and
the doctor had been acquainted before
that; but neither of them knew Mrs. La
Serre when they set out, and it was only
when they discovered that she, like
the mselves, was bound for the Sandwich
Islands, that they obtained an introduc
tion to her. From that time the three
were inseparable, and by the time they
got ON board the steamship Madison
| they were like old friends. 1t was there
that first saw them. was the purser.
The widow was a beauty-dark eyed
oval faced, sparkling and hewitching.
Stspeton was a fine looking chap, built
like bull-square in aspect as IN char
acter. As for the doctor, he was an
inch taller than Stapleton, but weighed
at least seventy pounds less His figure
resembled the Egyptian obelisk more
than anything else | can think of; neck
and face long, head high above the ears,
long nose, pointed goatee, long, slender
fingers, reddish hair. But, assure you,
he was one of the most agreeable com
paniona that | ever came across; he
knew so much, talked so well, he was
so courteous and unassuming. / sup.
pose he was about 81. and Stapleton {
year or two younger. The widow looked
20, and I'll leave it to the ladies wha
her actual a6e may have been.
They were both in love with her; any
body could see that; and everybody els,
was making bets as to which would b,
the lucky man. But pretty soon tn,
odds got to be SO heavy on Feltwike tina
no one would accept them. Stapletor
seemed to have no show against him
! 1t was funny 10 see the difference il
| their ways Of going to work. Captain
: Bulmer (our captain) called them tn,
bear and the fox. The widow held thu
balance between them to admiration
She gave tip only once; she accepted
from the doctor little trinket that ht
carried on his watch chain-a little dia
mond-hilted bowie knife not an incl
long. She wore it afterward until on,
day, when we were about 148 degree
west, che came in TO dinner leaning or
Stapleton's arm, and we realized, with
amszement too deep for utterance, that
she had consented to marry him. Sht
was a woman all over, you see, al
widows are apt to be.
Well, we paid our bets, not without
heavy faces here and there; but l an
bound to say that the doctor, whose losi
; was by no means TO be measured IL
money, took his punishment with more
apparent composure and good nature
than anybody. | can't imagine TO thil
day why she didn't choose him insteaC
of Stapleton. Perhaps it was owing Il
the doctors inveterate habit Of scentinl
himself and all belonging to him with
musk, He seemed unable to get alonl
without it; and Mrs. LaSerre may havt
thought that if she married him HI
would scent her with 1t as well.
As luck would have it there was
clergyman aboard, the Rev. Jabez Pop
pendcks, and the opinion began to gair
ground in the ship that there ought t
be wedding then aud there. Natural.
ly, Stapleton would not require many
hints on such a matter. | suppose HI
urged it in proper shape upon the lady
| AZ dll tNtulb ilthb was DItbtuIlN IL
verybody's mouth that 1t was going t
be a go. The news was confirmed BY
the discovery that the Rev. Poppendick
had put on a clean collar, a thing tina
nothing short of wedding or the mil
lennium could have prompted him I,
do. Stapleton looked radiant, Mrs. L,
Serre had fine color, and poor Feltwik,
stood up like a man and congratulated
them both.
A wedding at sea is very pretty
thing, hut cant stop to describe 1t here
The captain opened case of champaign,
and ration Of grog was served rounC
TO the men. At dinner Stapleton stool
up and tried to make speech, bu
broke down after saying that he bat
heard Of persons going TO sea in searcl
! of treasure, but that he had pursued hi
treasure across the continent and on +
| the sea. The applause which greete
this sentiment seemed to rattle him, an,
he took his seat. The captain propose
the brides health, which was dram
4 with enthusiasm, and then, after a littl
pause, Feltwike got up and made, yer
4 quietly and neatly, the speech of tn
evening. 1t was witty, clever and cor
dial, and we all agreed that it refiecte
] credit on both his heart and his head
4 After dinner he came with me to m
!. room, where we smoked a cigar together
and then he remarked that he had
= toothache and would turnIin. fancie
% that the ache might be little furthe
l. down. accompanied him to his state
room, where we shook hands, and b
shut the door and locked 1t. SO muc
z for the doctor.
The night had come on very dark, an
10 though there was little sea on, though