The Opelousas courier., 1891-08-08
THE PRECIOUS FRELGHT
A sToRY OF OLD NEW YORK.

was as quiet and peaceful as the laz,
white clouds drifting up from the sea OIL
that perfect May morning, now all wa
hustle and clamor, every stalwart bur
CHER and buxom vrow in the primitiv
town having an opinion and claiming tn,
hoor-or the street, rather.
Boomi Boom Beoma
Dame Winkhoven said it was The
QnnkeFs, and proceeded to take in hel
wash" at a lively rate.
Jacob Groot's boy Flip, whose knowl-
edge of warfare was most profound (al
of his spare moments having been spent
in the neighborhood of the crumulire
Fort Amsterdam, gave it as his opinion
that old lizard Kiss. the disrnantlsd
stone piece on the southwest bastion,
must have been cast in the same mold as
the guns which were laundering in the
Narrows; but as he had not had an OPP
p~ortunity to hear lizard KISS since the
Indian massacre of 1913, four years
previous, he was told to hold his ton
que.
Flipdidn't cry, he even didn't pout,
but turning to Hogbrook, the cobbler,
who was Strengthening the bent crotch
of his musket rest, he said: II know
you all hate me because I'm always
right, and you think boys ought TO be
wrong until they grow up to be men.
"But | don't hate you, Flip" whis-
pefed Elsie Beekman.
"No, because you re little answere,3
the boy, as the two turned down the
Here STRAIT. After a pause he added:
~ shouldn't wonder if this is a new
Governor, Elsie, to rule over us IL place
Of De Heer Kieft, who you know is to
be sent home to the States General. But
let them think it is the Quakers if they
wish
clip, dear" said the girl, laying
her hand on his shoulder, e'if this is q
new Governor from Holland, perhaps he
has let my cousin Pieter come with
him2''
ssCousinl I didn't know you had q
cousin, Elsie
Eyes, but it is SO long since we left
our old home in Utrecht and [ was 90
young that ! can scarcely recall hin
his face. He used to love me Sc much,
father says, and would let me play all
day with Velvet"
.sPlay with Velvet2 What is thatan
"Oh, | cannot tell you Flip, because
you wouldn't understand, for there is
nothing like velvet in this wild country.
| can just remember her beautHnl big
eyes and funny whiskers. How much
! would like to see Cousin Peter and
Velvet again
They now stood beneath the Merry
Mount or northwest bastion.
s'Look, Elsien' cried the boy. aThere
are four ships. Oh, how beautiful
And there flies the flag of the Neither
lands. ] am right. See they are an
choring but what is thisp'
Speeding over the choppy waves,
straight toward them, came a black long
boat, in which sat a single figure.
Nearer and nearer it drew, and the chill
dren could see that the rover was pull
ing for dear life. Elsie and Flip ran
down to the waters edge and waved
their hands, just as the figure in the boat
happened to turn to see if the craft was
headed Alright. Then they heard a loud,
long drawn out cry:
bravo for Pieter Vanderspiegell"
etOh, Flip, exclaimed the girl, sit
is Cousin Pleterl It is Cousin Pieter!n
A few more strokes and the boats
prov was on the beach, and Elsie was in
the arms Of q youth Of eighteen, whose
large red face was the very home Of
good humor.
Flip saw at N that the stranger
was to be a dangerous rival for EIsie's
affections. He glared at Cousin Pieter
as though he would have eaten him.
and was rewarded BY a sschuckn under
the chin, which familiarity he resented
by turning his back on the pair.
ABut why do you look SO excited,
Cousin Pieter? And what have you got
il that box?' asked Elsie, as the Young
fellow, after soiemnly winking half d
dozen times, splashed into the water and
drew from the boat a small green box
with a brass handle.
stThat big black Ship PETER an
swered, lis the Great Gerrit, with De
Heer Petrus S~tuyvesant, Director Gen.
eral of the New Netherlands, on board.
oh, he's a hot 'nn-hard as his old sill
yer Leg / hid in the cargo Of cloth on
Christmas day, when she left the Texel-
for | found Utrecht dreadfulIy lonely
without little Elsie-and iii consequence
am TO receive d hundred Iashes with a
ropes end in front of your stadt Hugs
when they catch mel
Poor eousint' said the child. q
will kiss the new Governor and ask
him not to punish you.
Ha, ha, haln laughed Peter. stKiss
De Heer Petrus stuyvesantl Why,
Elsie, he ISM q man, he's 8 unicorn
AT this rsnark Flip, Who was quite
ready to quarrel with the interloper,
TUNED quickly. II call that treason to
the Prince Of Orange, he said.
"WeIl, little Waxy,p retorted PETER
tFlip's lace was certainly very whitel,
you are notsone Of the Prince Of Or
ange's body guard, are yona
am too loyal to say what yea have
said-and I hate youl' answered Flip,
az be again turned his back on them.
DO not quarrel with Flip, please
said Elsie for he is SO kind 60 me.
Then I will like him, Tor your sake.
But asput tbs box; Elsie 4 orVelvet