The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-09-21
PUT TO THE TEST.

flow good, how kind he has been to you
ever since we came aboard the shipr'
That is true, Mabel but at my time OF
life, can easily guess the cause OF the
Interest he takes in your old bed-rid!en
mother"
And Mrs. Barton looked significantly
ut her young daughter, who was = beau
ti:ul, cracetul girl of seventeen, with gen.
tie d-v--like eyes and brown hair.
Mabel, blushing, assured her mother
that she WAS mistaken.
"He feels very sorry for you," she
added, and would do just As much for
you IL | wero not here"
The old lady's eyebrows went up under
her nixhtcap.
81 like him much better than 1 do Mr..
Tomtit," continued Mabel, earnestly.
"Nr. Tomtit, my dear, il a man of for
tune, having five hundred and fifty thou
sand dollars Of his own, and TO inherit
twice - 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
a good man. Well, so Is Tomtit. Ny
dear, IL will be the happiest moment of
my life TO see you take kindly to Tom
tit"
There IS nothing to take to-" an
Ewered Mabel. Il mean there Is nothing
about him to claim attention or inter
estI-'
Nothing about Mr.. Tomtit, can as
sure you he is man that women like. 1t
IS natural should wish to see you COM
fortSbly settled. Tomtit admires you;
there can be no doubt about that Try,
on your part, TO encourage Tomtit"
Mabel contrived TO change the sub
feet. She had never liked Mr. Tomtit
Ever since this person had made the ac-
quAintsnce OF Mrs. Barton and daughter
q few months previously in Sidney, Aus
tralia, where the two had resided for
years, the nietLer had sounded his praises
in the ear ef her child. In fact, It almost
seemed 10 her that she heard little else.
IL was Tomtit here, snd ToAtit there,
until one became heartily tired OF the
name.
Still, she would not say anything to
hurt the feelings OF her widowed mother,
wEo had been an invalid ever since her
husband died
Mrs. Barton and her daughter werp
now passengers aboard the homeward-
bound ship, Redcliff, Of New York, Cap
tain Henry Morton. master
This Morton WAS a SoOd-loOking. stall
wArt young fellow, as frank as the open
day.
There was marked contrast between
hlN pCEToAaA allcHEdnrt InsAI OF
tit.
The latter WAS small, slender and ele-
giant. always fashionSbly dressed, in a
shiny tall hat, etc, and carrying y slen-
der little cSnc, with which be lightly
tapped the deck when walking 10 and
fro.
A. Mrs. Barton had said, he was gener-
ally liSed by young women, many OF
whom would have been pleased to become
hrs wife.
Mabel, however, was an exception.
1T !, 40 Usc," 4" she would say TO herself
al can never Ike Tomtit. never sse his
round, smooth face, with IFS two fiat
eyss, without = feeling Of adherence and
repuC1ance rising within ms"
II had 80 happened that Mr.. Tomtit,
having business in New York, WAS a fell
low passenger with Mabel and her
mother
IL was very attentive to the young
girl, b.. thus far she had given hia but
Little encouragement
lie scarcely ever spoke to her mother
md when hc inquired after her health,
Mabel could perceive, in spite OF all his
efforts to seem otherwise, that he WAS not
Interested in her case.
Ii WAS Indeed a melancholy one. A week
after sailing, Mrs. Barton had been
limbs, 40 that she could no longer walk
The young captain OF the ship had been
constant in his efforts to do everything
for her comfort.
A son could not have been more kind
than he in his treatment Of the old
lady.
Mabel liked him much.
In her own heart she felt startling
conviction that she loved him.
But her mother, as shown, wanted her
TO have Tomtit.
She had always been an obedient child.
Now her mothers sad condition carried
great weight with her wishes regarding
TomtIt.
She begged and pleaded with her
daughter, and at last won her consent TO
try and encourage the young man
The result was that in a few weeks
young Tomtit, dropping gracefully on
one knee, proposed.
Il will try" was Mabers answer to his
appeal, with the understanding that, II
| change my mind, you viii not be
angry"
''Not in the least. - he answered, srniI-
Ing, Laying all this To the natural coyncss
Of = maiden.
Then something WAS said about married
life, mothers-in-lAw, etc, in the course Of
breast OF it" and acknowledged that he
did not approve Of a mother living with
the married couple.
''You would like my mother" said
Mabel
'Well-well-yes; but really now you
viii give into me in this, dear Miss Bar
ton. Your mother has relations. I be
lieve, in New York. She can live with
them Young folks like to see rs little
us possible OF the old people, you know"
he added, laughing.
Mabel shuddered inwardly. When she
told her mother, the latter made light OF
it.
at is the way with the young" she
said, ''I shall live with my sister. Don't
fail to tell him that, my dear"
But Captain Morton would not have
acted So"
"Hushi You must not speak OF him
now. Captain Morton's kindness to me
has all been on your account, not mine"
"You are much mistaken, mother"
A few hours later a terrific gale struck
the ship
The wind howled and shrieked, hurl-
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 of
al the efforts of the captain TO keep her
away from Il.
There was no help for 1.-THE vessel
was doomed to strikel
When she was close to the rocks Of the
island shore, Morton gave orders for the
uiastS 20 be cut down