The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-27
SAVING THE CAPTAIN.
"'Loosha" Used to Have Much Trou'
bic With One Boarder.

+, ~
tain Clutterbuok to His Room on the
stop Landing,-what She Did for Him
ON One Eventful NigAt-Her Story.
Previously to Loosha's assumption Of
the reins Of management at No. 800
Middleclass Flats, our present domestic
treasure occupied the position of house
End parler maid at Billit's. Billit's is a
lodging house of the most approved re-
spectability, situated in the classic neigh
borhood of the British museum. At
Billit's gentlemen are "taken in" by the
month or quarter, "found" and 1done
for" and in this orbit Loosha revolved
with sharp and winking brilliancy for
the space of seven years. Loosha's
trenchant manner was formed during
this regime; her eye acquired it's gimlet-
like properties; her bosom developed its
adamantine qualities Of resistance to
wheedlements or "comeovers" on the
part of the opposite sex.
Human nature is human nature" as
Loosha's mother, Mrs. Hemman's, is
won't to say, land men but men, call
'em what you may" and, following this
example Of maternal tolerance, Loosha
glides lightly over certain episodes IN
her life at Billits, when dodgers returned
home in the small hours, as Loosha puts
it, ga bit 'appy." When such one
proved incapable of controlling his lam
guage or his boots within the proper
limits, Loosha's services were enlisted
for the dual purpose of pacifying the
backslider and getting him up stairs.
Loosha's ready presence of mind and
highstrung spirit would be invaluable,
one can understand, in moments OF emer-
gency.
There is no human doubt that but for
her Captain Clatterpen Qoosha's short
for Clutterbuck, which really is his
name) would not at this present moment
be "adroring the bereth of life." Cap
tain Clatterpen had regularly for years
laid into Billit's docks when ashore for
the needful overhauling. The captain
was grizzled, thick set, elderly, stanch
Presbyterian and an admirable seaman.
He had but one failing.
Somewhere about the small hours of
the morning a shutting sound would
be heard upon the doorstep of Billit's, a
puff of old Jamaica through the letter
slip would succeed an aimless period of
fumbling with the latch key, and the in
mates of Billit's would be startled from
their slumbers by nautical below, "Of
ship a-hoilp" says Loosha. s'Like the
fog orn of penny steamboat it sounded,
and sold your noise, Capt'in Chatter
pen, dor Mrs. Billit 'ud say, lettin down
the chain. Then in ed tumble as 'appy
as you please. There was only one way
O. gettin i'm up stairs, and that called
the candle charm. 1t was done by 'oldin
the candle very near is face till lis eyes
began to water an is whiskers smell
like singein an then droring of it little
way back, when ed stagger arter it like
pessimized suhjec'.
"One night, when q was as bad as
ever remember to a. seen i'm, lured
i'm up stairs in this way till I got i'm on
the top landin, where his bedroom was,
close to the iron ladder that run up to
the fire escape trap in the roof got
i'm into is armcheer, took off lis collar,
an raked out the fire, collared lis matches,
give i'm a soothin shake an left i'm.
Then / goes down to set Mrs. Billit's
art at rest before goin to bed myself, as
slep' on the same top landin with that
old peach. Up comes again in ten
minutes time. Lo and be'old you! Wot
does I see but lis door wide open, and,
simpularly, the roof trap, with the stars
blinkin through. Next minute ears
the capt'ins heavy footmarks jouncin
on the leads over'ed. Up the ladder !
ops and puts out my ed.
Though knowed e was there it give
me a turn to see i'm staggerin up an
down amongst the chimbley pots. Be-
fore could breathe my lips e turns an
sees me. "A 'oylr sezee. COWS the
wind, boszmY BLOWN round the COR
nerl says I, KNOWN e must be humored.
At that e gives lurch as nearly car
ried i'm over the parapet. Lay FER ed
to it, sezee; AN d'jeer! Fetch me my
night glass from the cabinp Which
you've 'ad one too many at this identical
moment, thinks !, but says to i'm coax
in'ly: go on! Wot COMFORTS there in 'av-
in it up ERE? Come down an mix for your
self, capt'in.' 'Wot do you mean, you son
Of seed cake? sezee in a tearin rage. DO
you think I'm goin to send my ship an
crew an cargo to Davy Josephs locket?
sezee, by stoppin under atches on
dirty night like this? Dirty or not
says I, you won't clean it by stoppin up
ere amongst the blacks! 'Shiver my
tops sezee, If ever card such mu-
Pnus langwidge in the ole course of
my Experience. I'll stop your grog,
YOU land to repeat is language
would be to dernean MYSELF. I'll put
you in irons or my name amt Joshua
Clatterpen.' Come an do it! says l,
Eauntin i'm an poppin down the ladder
agin.
sBreathin fire and slaughter, e sets
down on the edge of the trap 'ole, drops
is legs through an begins to come down
The ladder. "A ned wind an a neyey
Iea,' e growls; low she pitches, the
sussed old 'ulk! 'ow she rolls! dom 'er
bid dead lightsv Which shows the sort
If female lis mind was running on. An
then | jumps sky Ugh, for g misses is
lootin an come down on the landin with