The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-12-30

care for our passengers, but the steer
age is little crowded. They are
often very sick.'
Eyes, sir. l was that sick myself ]
thought be dyin," said Pat.
Some are severely ill., said the
captain.
i 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. de
licate women, you know-little chill
dren and delicate women
| Pat still looked at him in silence.
when l said that we had very
unpleasant voyage l meant" said the
captain, that we had serious illness
that we had death on board. Two
steerage passengers died. One was
William o. Rourke, an old man coming
over to live with his SON."
"God rest his soul !" said Pat, cross
ing his forehead.
1.-The other, who was very i'll, was
a woman" said the captain, "a young
woman, and very pretty. Mr.. Nolan, we
have to prepare for storms in this life,
| we have to brace up and bear them as
well as we can. They are very hard
to bear. have had great many my
| self. AT my age that goes without say
| ing; but you are young and full of
hope. l am very sorry to say that /
am AFT aid you are about to suffer a
terrible shock. 1t is a painful task to
tell you. Brace up, my lad. The other
passenger was young woman, and
| her name, as we have it written here,
was Annie O'Brien."
| All the color had gone out of Pats
face by this time. 1t was white, lips
and all. He dropped his arms on the
table and laid his face on them, and
great sobs shook his frame.
The captain wiped the tears from
his own eyes.
Talk does no good" he said
thine only can comfort you"
st seems as if could not believe it,
captain" Pat cried, lifting his tear
swollen face. "Annie--my little An
ME Are we sure it was Annie p
'There was but one Annie O'Brien
on our list" said the captain. ''She
gave her name just before she breath
ed her latest. The only steerage pas
senger of the name of O'Brien died on
| the voyage of a fever. The doctor
cared for her as we'll Us he knew how.
The women nursed her kindly. We
buried her at sea, and the burial SER
| vice was said by a Catholic clergyman
! who was on board. You might like to
know that, so | tell you"
my Annie-my Annie at the bot
| tom of the say ~ moaned poor Nolan.
AN I'll niver see her again niver
kiss her red lips niver feel her two
| arms about me neck All, Annie, l
won't live after you'll won't live
| after you Life is too hard too bear
| wild that to think of. It's turned me
| to a woman, sir, I'm tkinkin'; but it's
| the worst blow liver had in me loife.n
e.. There was a knock at the door just
then. Pat hi1 his tear-stained face
again.
"No admittance just now cried the
captain.
Il didn't name to come in, phase,
SIR" said a sweet voice, but I'd like
| to spake to We, captain, at yell let me.
I'm waitin' this long time till me frind
comes aboord to bring me home. and
I'm gettin' anxious, fearin' something
has happened him. What will | do,
sir? 1t know no one in Americay.
Perhaps he might be on boord and me
not know it. He'd be askin' for An
ME O'Brien, and he'd be Pat Nolan,
that Pm promised to. Would ye'-
But the captain had flung wide the
door, and Pat was on his feet, and
with roar like that of Il buffalo had
flung his arms about her.
''Glorv be to God and all the saints,''
he cried. You're not dea,. at ali
You're alive. I've got you safe and
sound They've been tellin' me you
We're dead. God help the man that
put the thrick o.. me, for I'll lave but
! the bones av him -
'Quiet, there - shouted the cap
tain. down with your fists, or I'll
put you in irons. What did you
mean by asking for Annie O'Brien,
steeraSe passenger, when you want
ed Annie Bailey, Il first cabin passen-
ger? That is the girl that stands
there That is the name she gave us,
Annie Bailey;
Captain, dear cried An@ie,
clutching her Pat by the coat tails,
| captain, darlin', Pat niver knew
he did not. Since writin' him, my
mother-a widdy-married again wild
Mr.. Peter Bailey, that kapes a foine
tavern i'll our town. SO long us | was
goin' from her, and he proposin' to
her, why wouldn't she? And he,
havin' money to spare, said | should
come like Il lady, and paid me passage
in the !oIneSt place; and out iv com
| pliment to him-being my iii theirs
husband and so generous to mel
sailed us Annie Bailey. That is the
way it was, captain, ; ana indade all
the trouble rose from it-for [ wanted
Pat to ind lie sated in the iliigant sa
loon. and remained there wa tin for
him.
You'll excuse me, sir" said Pat,
he, Of hot
been through"
"All right, my man. the captain
answered and Ii II Pat threw his arm
about his Annie and led her away,
the happiest fellow alive.