The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-14
e THE CAPTAINgr,
He Is a Sailor and Fireman aud Has
Most Marvellous Wit.

| hO5E 1dhTN04OOS WIZ
From. the NetO York Tribune.
He is the skipper Of catboat and a mem
Der of the village fire department He al
ways wears two uniforms, to be prepared
for an emergency. When he goes to q fire
he wears his yachting dress; when he is in
command OF his gallant ship, the Anna, he
still wears his fire department uniform.
| The uniform which marks him az the skip
| per OF the Anna 10 a straw het-e must
| wonderful straw hat, OF sunburned yellow,
| with a rusty ribbon around 1t and piece
| Of Irvine, a peak-halyard. so to speak, run
| ming from it to a button-hole Of his coat.
| That is all there Ia to the Uniform of the
| commander. But as to the uniform of the
| fireman that is a different thing. He wears
| it on his left breast: It is shield-shaped, it
is Of tin, aud on it are red letters designat-
ing the name Of his engine company. That
| is all there is OF it, but 1t ls quite enough.
| He il a thin man with a mustache that may
| be gray from salt incrustation, or wind
burn," or old age. At any rate it is gray
and IL it Is not handsome 1t is at least a
| mustache. AS for the rest Of his face his
cheek, il you speak of him as the COM
| mander OF a vessel, is weather beaten; IL as
the member of the fire departments, burned
| you might almost say scorched. His name
| perhaps it is Maltravers; perhaps It is De
| Courcey; perhaps 1t is only Smith or Jones.
DuE WndLeVeF ~ Is ne Is HTbL, last ana ali the
time 1.-THE captain
The captain is a wit His wit does not
| cut or even sparkle. 1t isn't that kind of
| wit It's too dignifed. Itcomes on slowly,
| 90 preserve the nautical connection OF this
sketch, With full spread of canvas, but
| making little Roadway. 1t does not come
about, or tack or reef, or do anything else
| that O racing yacht Ia command OF a young
aud ambitious captain might be expected to
do. HIS wit just runs slowly before the
wind, comes into collision with you in a
| dull, heavy fashion, swigs clear and drifts
away until the sails fill again.
1t Is a most remarkable aud mysterious
| wit, expressed at regular intervals and In
| long drawl. You have to take il sail gen.
orally to NEE. 1t, for if you are bowling
| along you will cross the bows; there will
| not be any collision; you will not feel tue
bump of Its square blows and-you will not
| feel that you have been cruising in the
same waters with the captains wit.
The wind ia blowing freshly up the sound.
The sky is as clear as the hollow of blue
bell. The water has that dark sparkle (,
which is neither green, nor blue nor black
| the fash Of a largely tinted jewel. The
breeze throws thin waters off the crests Of
| the waves and losses them lightly against
your cheek, cool and damp aud refreshing,
| like the spray OF violet water. There ia not
| q mark 10 the sweep OF the sky. There is
sound, save the dancing reflection of the
| Annals sail. There is only clearness in the
| air, and the wind comes up between the
green shores with fresheoing force.
Captain" says the young woman from
| Baltimore, the young woman with a soft
| voice and the slightest southern accent, lis
a squat oomingW
| The captain, without tho Qlivsr of a
muscle, with no CLEAN in his watery eve,
with no play around the corner Of hIs mouth,
| looks up at his peak, glances down the
sound, off to the coast, up to the peak again
and then takes tighter hold Of his tiller.
For a moment he is thoughtful, and then he
breaks the trying silence.
YES, miss :" he says, in his fea rfully long
| drawl "there is"
sop cries tho Baltimore girl, "I'm so
glad. From VIII direction is it oomingW
The captain looks up and studies the top
| of his mast.
''Its coming" be says, with agonizing
deliberntion, "from my house. My baby
| amt missed a chance to squau in three
months"
Then the Baltimore girl gives a little
laugh, a pretty enough laugh TO win aay
mans approval, and says: Captain. what
fine seilor you are, to be snrei"
II was raised on the water" says the cap
tain solemnly.
THAT Is a handsome badge you have.
captain" says the young woman from Phil
adelphia. MAY look at itP'
The captain gives startled glance, I'M
pins the clasp slowly. hands over his fire de-
partment uniform iu panied, doubtful
way, aud anxiously watches her turn il
| over In her hand.
tits handsome, she says.
"l's pretty likely" he answers, with par
donAble pride.
"And do YOU go to firesl"
always when Pm ashore"
Captain" with the most marked admit
ration for his greatness, did you ever put
out a fret"
"No-o-o," with his magnificent drawl.
"WhyW
Always git there too late.''
Then comes q long pause, In which the
uniform is returned TO the member Of the
fire department
and never started fire either :" says
the captain after silence on his part for
Eve minutes.
How is that caDtainP'
al mean never since I was married, )" be
| replies. "5he-my wife-does that" and a
faint smile cracks his dry cheeks.
The wind is strong enough now to make
the boat leap like race horse. She occa-
sionally takes dive and throws bucketful
| of water on the deck. Every one is getting
wet The young woman from New York
gets fairly drenched over the shoulders and
| head. Perhaps 1t is because she has pretty
hair; perhaps 1t is because no woman likes
to have her hair soaked in salt water: but
however that may DO, she unfastens her
hair and 1t tumbles about her shoulders, q
mass of dark brown, with threads OF ii
blown across her cheek aud throat, and
drops glistening where the water in the
dark curls is struck by the sIanting sun.
"How do l look captains" she asks, put
ting her elbows on her knoes and laying a
hand on each cheek 80 that she can lean for
ward and look into his face with dark, fash.
ing and tantalizing eyes.
"Look like the gypsies that camps In the
woods back of our house )" he says, carefully
measuring his words.
They're pretty, aren't they! asks the
smart young man" from nowhare.
"Well." answers the captain-freman eau
tiously, they're wild" you know"
Then the young woman thinks that her
hair is dry and put it up again.
what do you think OF it now, captainq ~
she asks.
No answer.
"What do you think OF my hair now,
ceptainr she repeats.
The captain looks up and glances at his
host.
"You done pretty WELL" he says
"You like il thenp
10, y-e-s, like it. I amt hazard to
| rOloapa y