Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-13

! scarcely imaginable in these days. un
snuffed flashlights fiaring on the tall !,
narrow chimney piece and on the tables;
men mahogany checked with weather,
some wearing their own hair in tails,
some with wigs, with here three-cor-
nered hat cooked over its owner s nose,
there round tarpaulin perched on nine
hairs, with fathom of ribbon down the
back; most of the people smoking long
clay pipes and arguing with drunken ami
nation, with now and again the added
huliabal0o of one who would set up his
throat for a song; the women in eolOrs
which made one think of 7efockery
shepherdess, and visions of copper-nosed
salts looming out in postures of wrang-
ling at the tables in smoke-obscured cor
ners.
York took chair near the door and
called to the drawer for glass of spirits
After a little the landlady came to him
and SAID that she had knocked at Mr..
Worksop' : door and asked if he would
object to bedfellow; and that his an
swer was the gentleman was welcome if
so be he would contrive to ride with an
up-and-down cable; by which she I'M
derstood Mr.. Worksop to mean that he
expected the gentleman to keep to his
side of the bed. York thanked her, and
said he should be glad to go to rest at
once
81 shall be quitting your house before
you re up, " said he, 'and will pay you
for the bed now, if you please.
% As you will, sir, said she; cit will
be shilling
He gave her the money.
.eThere will be no difficulty,'' ne ex-
claimed in letting myself out in the
morning? l do not wish to disturb the
house by a stiff wrestle with harsh bolts
and difficult locks -
STThat II be your door, sir, - said she,
pointing to the street entrance at the end
of the passage. 'fThere is but one bolt,
and it shoots easily We fear nothing
but the foreign invader at Deal, sir. The
latch will fall when you pull the door
after you.
He thanked her, took his bundle, and
followed her up stairs. She knocked at
a little door painted stone-colour leaning
as with age in its frame. voice an
swered, s'Come in, - in a muffled hurTi-
cane note.
It's the gent, Mr.. Worksop, as is to
lie with you, - responded the landlady;
and then putting the rushlight into
York 5 hand, she bid him good night,
with a pleasant wish that he would fad
his sweetheart happy and in gay health
next morning.
The latch of the door appeared to be
damned; York struggled with it for some
time, but could not succeed in lifting it
Meanwhile, he heard Mr. WoFksop, who
was manifestly seafaring man, calling
from the bed several varieties of sea-bles-
sings upon the eyes and limbs of his dis
turber, until, losing all patience, he
bawled out in the tones of gale of wind:
Put your shoulder to the latch and
heaye it up! Thunder and blood! ain t
it plain that prising' s your only tack?''
York did as he was told, and by so
doing lifted the crazy old door off its
latch and entered
He found himself in little room, with
he ceiling bat very few inches above
his head. The apartment was almost
entirely filed by large black funereal
fOur-pOster, undraped, and furnished
with a perfect Atlantic Ocean of blanket,
mattress and coverlet. On the left side
of this immense bed lay man, of whom
nothing more was visible than curious
ly elongated face, as though his counte-
nance had been stretched ,lengthening the
hneaments out of all proportion to their
breadth. This odd face was crowned with
a large red handkerchief, so twisted over
the head as to serve as a nightcap. The
clothes of a nautical man of that age lay
heaped upon chair under the very little
window which gave light and ventilation
to the room.
''Sorry to break in upon your rest
Mr. Worksop - exclaimed York; H'but
needs must, you know. But for your
kindness, my bed tonight might have
been on the cold ground, fear. Deals
amazingly full, certainly"
Every welcome, very welcome, -
growled Mr.. Worksop in a somewhat
softened voice, staring over the edge of
the bedclothes with small windy deepset
eyes at the long hair and tall figure of the
young fellow. ''The:e's room enough;
only be so good as to bear hand and
tumble aboard for l don t feel up to the
knocker tonight, and there's been row
enough going on down stairs since I've
lain here to make dead man get up and
shoulder his coffin for cruise arter
peace. -
York fell to undressing as expeditiously
as possible.
What s your calling, may 1 ask?'
inquired Mr.. Worksop, rumbling out the
question with his mouth half covered
with the bedclothes.
81 sailor, - was the answer.
'sWhat ship, sir?'
'tWel / was second mate of the Cecilia,
but sickened at Valparaiso of some pesti-
lence there, and was left behind by the
master. l was down six months
with the malady and nearly dead man.
Then the captain of the brig Jane offered
to carry me home on condition of my
helping him in the navigation of the
vessel mean taking observations
and keeping the reckoning, and
the like; for he had lost
his chief made; and his second, who was
the ships carpenter, couldn't read or
write We brought up in the Downs this
evening; and as my sweetheart lives
within few hours walk of this place,
came ashore, meaning to start for her
home at dawn Tomorrow. Small chance
of my disturbing you, Mr.. Worksop;
YOU II find me cat-like and won 4 know