Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-07-10
ANNIE OBRIEN.

The C~onnaught Castle had arrived in
New York. The cabin passengers had
gone ashore. The steerage people were
being carried away by their friends or
by the boarding house keepers who al
ways lie in wait for them. Those yet
uncallcd for sat about the decks. Visit
full eyes thned shoreward, anxious to
sec a familiar face and form among all
those strange ones.
Pat Nolan had come aboard in all his
bravery-a new blue coat flung open.
tiat it might not conceal the shining
watSt Htaih dangling from his vest
pocket, his hat tipped TO o side in true
Connaught fashion, with a mighty show
of white collar and .uffs and blue neck
ne, aud his boots for once polished by
an 'Eyetalian." He threw his shoulders
back and looked his best, for "didnt he
come aboard to bring his sweetheart,
Annie O'Brien, home, and wasn't she
the purtiest girl in ten counties, and
hadn't she crossed the ocean for his
sakef'
Pat felt as though every n who saw
him must know his business there.
Standing still he looked about him, ex-
pecting to see his little Annie somewhere
not far.
"Sure, an wouldn't she be rs anxious
to mate him rs he would be to mate
herr" But strange to say he could not
see her.
He was a little tate, for there had been
delay Of the train in which he came
.T,ra-rs f-ar. N1Aa v1n., rwI,.r.. l., .~~. --l-f-
ing 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 q
bright coil Of hair would make his heart
dance, but it was never Annie's hair or
Annie's bonnet. At last he made mp his
mind that she had gone ashore; but in
that case she had left word for him, of
course-word where she had betaken
herself.
Il beg pardon, sir" he said. stepping
up to a man who wore "a gold band upon
his cap, and was presumably an officer
81 beg pardon, sir. but I'm Pat Nolan.
Is there a bit of a message left for me,
do you know, siry"
mot that I am aware" the officer re-
piled.
at was Annie OBrien," said Pat. "she
came " 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 n curious, startled
gaze upon him.
Annie O'Brien," he repeated. "a
Storage passenger
SIN coorse, sir" said Pat. "She's
comm over to marry me, and she's a
workin' girl. We're naytheriv us rich"
The officer looked at him again.
81 know the name" he said,
"You couldn't help noticing the girl
said Pat. 'She's a purity crayther, is
Annie, wild eyes like the sky and goolden
hair, and a waist We could span wild yer
two hands-barrin' she wouldn't permit
ye to do it-an1 a foot light as a birds
upon the floor. Aittle jewel is my An
nie. You'd not fail to notice her"
"Sit down a moment, Mr.. Nolan, 4"
said the officer. al viii make some in
.quiries. Wait here for me-"
"a mighty polite gentleman, though
he's as solemn as a funeral, said Pat to
himself. 81 hope hen not delay long.
I'm Wild to see Annie. Oh, the divil fly
away wild the cars hat kept me frolp
heri wonder is she cryin' her eyes ont
for not SEEM me? 1t was what She had
a right to expect-tho first one aboord."
The officer was returning.
He looked more serious than ever.
Mr.. Nolan" he said gravely, 'the
captain would like to speak TO you. /
will take You to him. We have had a
very stormy voyage, Is winter voyages
often are"
''But you've come into port on as
pleasant a day as there is in the calen-
dar," Pat said cheerfully. "a Christ
mas couldn't be brighter"
"But we have had q very unpleasant
voyage" said the officer gravely.
He opened the door Of tho captains
cabin. Pat entered with his hat in his
hand.
The captain, a grave, bronzed man,
with iron gray hair, sat at q table before
an open book, on which his hand lay.
"Sit down" he said.
"Thank you, cir. It's as easy stand
ing" said Pat, with a bow.
"You had better sit down" said the
captain. 81 may have to talk 10 you for
some minutes. have something very
particular to say e you are the right
man. Your name isn-
"Pat Nolan" said Pat, beginning to
feel astonished, but then perhaps the
captain, knowing that NE was to be mar
RED that evening, wanted to congratu-
late him, to offer him a glass Of some
thing. or perhaps it was the way Of the
captains Of ocean steamers to be slow
and solemn, not thinking how he kept
people from their s~weethearts. So Pat
sat down, put his hat on the noor, and
not knowing just what to DO cracked all
his mucklss One after the other as be
waited.
your name is Patrick Nolan, said
the captain again, "and you camo on
board 70 find q young woman-a friend
OF yoDrsg'
''3iy sweetheart promised 70 me. We
are 70 be married today" said Pat.
"n Cod wills it, said the captain.
"Ay. sir. ve can DO nothing widout
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