Nevada County picayune., 1891-04-02

have had very stormy voyage, as
winter voyages often are
But you've come into port on as
pleasant a day as there is in the cal
endar," Pat said, chcerfully. "a
Christmas couldn't be brighter
"But we've had a very unpleasant
voyage, said the officer, gravely.
He opened the door of the captain S
cabin. Pat entered with his hat in
his hand.
The captain, grave, bronzed
man, with iron gray hair, sat at a
table before an open book, on which
his hand lay.
Sit down" he said
THANK you, sir. It's as easy
standing" said Pat, with a bow.
You had better sit down." said
the captain. may have to talk to
YOU for some minutes. | have some
thing very particular to say if you are
the right man. Your name is--''
Pat Nolan" said Pat, beginning
to feel astonished, but then perhaps
the captain, knowing that he was to
be married that evening, wanted to
congratulate him, to offer him glass
of something, or perhaps it was the
way of the captains of ocean steam
ers to be slow and solemn, not think
ing how to keep people from their
sweethearts. SO Pat sat down, put
his hat on the floor, and not knowing
Just what to do cracked all his knuck
les one after the other as he waited.
Your name is Patrick Nolan, y
said the captain again, land you
came on board to find a young wo-
mana friend cf youIs?'
"My sweetheart promised to me.
We are to be married to-day" said
Pat.
If God wills it," said the captain.
"Ay, sir; we can do nothing wild
out that, | well know" said Pat.
The good Lord above and Father
Dunn will help me; but III do the
best | can to furder it along myself"
The captain looked down on the
pages of the book before him.
And the name of the young girl
you are asking for?" he said.
"Annie O'Brien," said Pat, begin
ming to think the captain very stupid
-"Annie O'Brien. She's the Wild
DIV 'Brien's daughter-a dacent wo-
man is the wildly, and well respected.
They are neighbors there at home
in the ould counthry.'
The captain ran his finger down
a long column of names, and stopped
at last and looked at Pat again.
ave had very unpleasant voy-
age" he said, slowly-"a very, very
unpleasant voyage"
The other gentleman was telling
me that, sir, >" said Pat, wishing that
this old gentleman would stop talking
about the weather and tell him some
thing about Annie. Bad Weather
must be a threat on the say" he
said, in order to be polite. "And
wild all thin passengers to be watch
in and carin' fer-worse than a sta
bleful of bastes!''
"Yes, said the captain, 1--WE try
to care for our passengers, but the
steerage is a little crowded. They
are often very sick"
"Yes, sir. l was that sick myself
| thought l be dyin'," " said Pat.
"Some are severely ill.," said the
captain.
This time Pat made no answer, but
stared at him with a hot flush rising
to his face.
Sometimes they are so very i'll
that they die" the captain went on.
"Delicate women, you know-little
children and delicate women"
Pat still looked at him in silence.
when said that we had very
unpleasant voyage ] meant, " said the
captain, "that we had serious sick
ness-that we had death on board.
Two steerage passengers died. One
was William O'R0urke, an old man
coming over to live with his SON."
"God rest his soul" said Pat,
crossing his forehead.
"The other, who was very Ill, was a
woman" said the captain, "a young
woman and very pretty. Mr.. Nolan,
we have to prepare for storms in this
lfe-we have to brace up and bear
them as best we can. They are very
hard to bear, l have had a great
many myself. At my age that goes