Nevada County picayune., 1891-04-02
ANNIE O'BRIEN.

III ANth L Olh llt bbpiil l'tioo' II VI
had gone ashore. The steerage peo-
pie were being carried away by their
friends or by the boarding house
keepers who always lie in wait for
them. Those yet uncalled for sat
about the decks. Wistful eyes turn
eel shoreward, anxious to see a famil-
lar face and form among all those
strange ones.
Pat Nolan had come aboard in all
his brayery-a new blue coat flung
open, that it might not conceal the
shining watch chain dangling from
his vest pocket, his hat tipped to one
side in true Connaught fashion, with
a mighty show of white collar and
cuffs and blue necktie, and his boots
for once polished by an "Eyetalian. ="
He threw his shoulders back and
| looked his best, for didn't he come
aboard to bring his sweetheart, An
nie O. brien, home, and wasn't she
the purtiest girl in ten counties, and
hadn't she crossed the ocean for his
sake :"
Pat felt as though every one who
saw him must know his business
there.
Standing still he looked about him,
expecting to see his little Annie
somewhere not far.
"Sure, an wouldn't she be as anx-
ious to mate him as he would be to
mate herr" But strange to say he
could not see her.
! He was little late, for there had
been a delay of the train in which
he came down from the place where
he was working as coachman and
gardener. But surely Annie would
never have gone ashore without him.
He walked about for full ten minutes,
looking everywhere but still missing
the face he wanted.
Every now and then a gay ribbon
or a bright coil of hair would make
his heart dance, but it was never
Annie's hair or Annie's bonnet. At
last he made up his mind that she had
gone ashore; but in thai case she had
left word for him, of cours word
( where she had betakcn herself.
II beg pardon, sir, )" he said, step
/ ping up to a man who wore gold
band upon his cap, and was presum-
ably an officer; II beg pardon, sir,
/ but | am Pat Nolan. Is there a bit
of message left for me, do you know,
sir?"
"Not that am aware" +" the officer
replied.
lit was Annie O'Brien, said Pat.
"Shc came over on this steamer
she expected me to mate her. We're
to be married, you know, sir, and
she'd lave word where she is gone
Annie O'Brien.' -
The officer turned curious,
startled gaze upon him.
annie O Brien," he repeated.
"A steerage passenger"
In coorsc, f." sir, said Pat. "She
is comm over to marry me, and
she's workin' girl. We're nayther
ov us rich.
The officer looked at him again.
II know the name" he sasd.
You couldn't hel p noticing the
Girl" said Pat. "She's pretty
crayther, is Annie, wild eyes like the
sky and goolden hair, and a waist ye
could span wild yer two hands-bar-
rim she wouldn't permit ye to do it
and a toot light as a birds upon
the floor. A little jewel is my Annie,
You'd not fail to notice her"
"Sit down a moment, Mr.. Nolan, .
SAID the officer, II will make some
inquiries. Wait here for me.
"A mighty polite gentleman,
though he's as solemn as funeral, "
said Pat to himself. Il hope he'll
not delay long. I'm wild to see
Annie. Oh, the divil fly away wild
the cars that kept ms tro.l hen /
wonder is she cryin' her eyes out for
not seein' me? 1t was what she had
a right to eXpect--the first one
ahoord."
The officer was returning.
lie looked more serious than ever.
mir. Nolan" he said, grayely
"thc captain would like to speak to
Al -