The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-27

last and looked at fat again.
"We had very unpleasant voyage, "
he said slowly-"a very, very unpleas-
ant voyage"
ssThe other gentleman was telling me
that, sir" said Pat, wishing that this old
gentleman would stop talking about the
weather and tell him something about
Annie. "Bad weather must be threat
on the say" he said, in order to be
polite. "And wild all thin passengers
to be watchin' and carin' for-worse
than stableful of bastes!"
eyes," said the captain, "we try to
care for our passengers; but the steerage
is little crowded. They are often very
sick"
eyes, sir. I was that sick myself I
thought be dyin'," said Pat.
tSome are severely ILL" said the cap
tain.
This time Pat made no answer, bat
stared at him with a hot flush rising to
his face.
"Sometimes they are so very ill that
they die" the Captain went on. "Del-
icate women, you know-little children
and delicate women"
Pat still looked at him in silence.
"When said that we had very un-
pleasant voyage I meant that"-said the
Captain-s'that we had serious illness
that we had death on board. Two
steerage passengers died. One was
William 0'Rourke, an old man coming
over to live with his son."
s:God rest his SOUL" said Pat.
"The other, who was very i'll, was a
woman" said the Captain-"a young
woman, and very pretty. Mr.. Nolan,
we have to prepare for storms in this life
we have to brace up and bear them as
we'll as we can. They are very hard to
bear. 1 have had great many myself.
At my age that goes without saying, but
you are young and full of hope. I am
very sorry to say that 1 am afraid you
are about to suffer terrible shock. 1t
is painful task to tell you. Brace up,
my lad. The other passenger was a
young woman, and her name, as we have
it written here, was Aunie O'Brien.
All the color mad gone out of Pats
face BY this time. 1t was white-lips
and all. He dropped his arms on the
table aud hid his face on them, and great
sobs shook his frame.
The captain wiped the tears from his
own eyes.
Talk does no good" he said. "Tine
only can comfort YOU"
cit seems as if I could not believe it,
captain" Pat cried, lifting his tear
swollen face. "Aunie-ny little Annie!
Are YOU sure it was Annie9"
"Thcre was but one Annie O'Brien on
our list" said the captain. "She gave
her name just before she breathed her
last. The only steerage passenger of the
name OF O'Brien ,lied on the voyage Of
fever. The doctor cared for her as well
as he knew how. The women nursed her
kindly. We buried her at sea, and the
burial service was said by Catholic
clergyman who was on board. You
might like to know that, so 1 tell you. J"
"My Annie--my Annie at the bottom
of the say" moaued poor Nolan. San
I'll uiver see her again; niver kiss her
red lips; niver feel her two arms about
me neck! An, Annie, won't live after
you'll won't live after you! Lie is too
hard to bear wild that to think of. It's
turned me to a woman, sir, I'm thinkin' :;
but it's the worst blow l iyer had in me
loife."
There was knock at the door just
then. Pat hid his tear stained face again.
"No admittance just now,' cried the
captain.
81 didn't name to come in, phase sir,'
said sweet voice; "but I'd like to
spake to yc, captain, af yell let me. I'm
waitiu' this long time till me frind
comes aboord to bring me home, and I'm
gettin' anxious, fearin' something has
happened him. What will do, sira I
know Nd one in Americay. Perhaps he
might be on boord and me not know it.
He'd be askin' for Annie O'Brien and
he'd be Pat Nolan, that I'm promised to.
Would ye---"
But the captain had flung wide the
door; and Pat was on his feet, and with
a roar like that of buffalo had flung his
arms about her.
"Glory be to God and all the ssints!"
he cried. "You're not dead at all!
You're alive! I've got you safe and
sound! They've been telling me you
were dead. God help the man that put
the thrick on me, for I'll lave but the
bones ay him."
"Quiet, there" shouted the captain.
"Down with your fists or I'll put you in
irons!" What did you mean by asking
for Annie O'Brien, steerage passenger,
when you wanted Annie Bailey, first
cabin passenger! That is the girl that
stands there. That is the name she gave
us-Annie Bailey
"Captain DEAR" cried Annie, clutch
ing her Pat by the coat tail, "captain
darlin', Pat niver knew-he did not.
Since writin' him, my mother-a wildly
married again wild MIR. Peter Bailey,
that kapes foine tavern in our town.
So long as I was a goin' from her, and
he a proposin' to her, why wouldn't shea
And he havin' money to spare, said I
should come like lady, and paid me
passage in the foinest place; and out iv
compliment to him-being my mother s
husband and so generous to mel sailed
as Annie Bailey. That is the way it
was, captain; and indade all the trouble
arose from it-for wanted Pat to fud
me seated in the illigant saloon, and re-
NAMED there waitin' for him"