The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-10-29
THE CAPTAINS SECRET,
BY MRS. ". A. KIDDER.

1t was pretty cottage where Captain
Jonas Smith lived, standing back from
the road, and almost overshadowed by a
large oak tree, that had spread its pro-
tecting branches over the lovely Eden
land below for nearly a century.
A long row of poplars on each side of
the pebbly path leading to the front
door reared their prim and stately forms,
and shot their pointed peaks toward the
sky.
Yet a scene of sadness and loneliness,
not easily to be accounted for, took pos
session for one as soon as the gates
closed behind him with its sharp click,
and by the time the front door was
reached, it seemed as if one was entering
tomb. Curtains down; blinds closed
from the garret to cellar, and no sign of
life except the thin, vapory stream of
smoke issuing from small chimney
built in the L.
Mary Foster and myself had been Nina
Smiths schoolmates two years before, at
the - Academy, so on returning to
our native town we agreed between our
selves to call upon her on our way home.
The reverberations of the heavy knock
er filled US with dismay, as they sounded
through the length and breadth of the
house, long after we had brought the
massive lions head down three times
lightly, as we thought, upon the polished
brass plate.
After waiting fully fifteen minutes, a
tall, bent figure, crowned with a shock
of white hair, made its appearance, not
at the door, but around the corner of the
house.
"Fine ladies, in full rig" muttered
she old man, seemingly undecided what
to do On the occasion.
"Good morning, Captain Smith, cried
sweet-volced Mary. "Don't you know
US, Jane Robertson and littly Mary Fos-
ter, who used to visit Nina, and who
took such comfort listening to your sea
yarns, as you called them?"
"Oh, yes, yes. Them was happy
days, young misses. Then Nina's
mother was alive, and things went right,
and"
- Here the old man stopped short, as if
suddenly remembering that he had left
US young ladies on the doorstep too long
already.
'tIf you wouldn't mind coming in the
back way, young misses. The wife has
gone out and took the front door key
with her, for fear I'd let some tramp in,
and 'sile' the new hemp mat, and 'kid-
minister carpet. She'll be back soon.
Won't you sit down here in the kitchen'"
and the garrulous old man placed chair
for us or each side of the mammoth
cooking stove.
''Cozy room this" said Mary, trying
to put the Captain at his case. "Old-
fashioned brick oven and all. Oh,
wouldn't l like being here about Thanks
giving time"
eyes, miss; this rooms good enough
in its proper sphere to cook in; but when
my first wife was alive the whole house
wasn't too good to use; and when I got
home from long wage, the village was
alive to the fact by receiving invites to a
studding tea-party, or something of that
sort"
You don't go to sea now, do you,
Captain!" ventured to remark.
mo: and everything is as dead as a
door-Gail Even my little sunbeam can't
stay i:ere to shine on me. She's gone,
too-my Nina"
''Nirs gone!' we both exclaimed in 4
breath. "Why, We came to call on
her."
"Well, you see, she and the old wo-
that is, my present wife-didn't seem to
agree very we'll they spattel all the time.
Now, my Nina, as YOU both know, young
misses, is as sweet tempered as a south
wind, but she's got spunk, she has-took
it from me, you see; isn't responsible, and
she would have her rights; so she's
gone"
"INherc has she gone, Captaina"
ITO her Aunt Hepsy's, in Attlebor-
onsh. they've got no children, and they
-lote her, and they'll give her god
hoiae. But that amt much comfort to
me, who have home for her as good as
the best, if she could feel free in it,
which she don't, young misses, being
like woodland bird shut up in cage. "
IA H. o1a ,,o,ss ro;oo f,1tarad ond