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

|
| in New York. The cabin passengers
had gone ashore. The steerage peo-
| pie were being carried away by their
| friends or by the boarding house
| keepers who always lie in wait for
! them. Those yet uncalled for sat
| about the decks. Wistful eyes turn
| ed slr1reward, anxious to see Il fami-
| liar face and form among all those
| strange ones.
Pat Nolan had come aboard in all
| bravery-a new blue coat flung open,
| that it might not conceal the shining
| watch chain dangling from his vest
| pocket, his hat tipped to one side in
| true Connaught fashion, with a
| mighty show of white collar and cuffs
and blue necktie, and his boots for
once polished by an ''Eyetalian. He
| threw his shoulders back and looked
| his best, for didn't 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
sake -
Pat felt as though every one who
| saw him must know his business
! there.
Standing still he looked abe ut him,
expecting to see his little Annie some
! where not far.
Sure, an wouldn't she be as anx-
! ious TO mate him as he would be to
mate herr But strange TO say he
could not see her.
81 beg pardon, SIR he said, step
! ping up TO u man who wore gold
band upon his cap, and was presum-
ably an officer-'l beg pardon, sir,
I but III Pat Nolan. Is there Il bit of
| message left for me, do you know, sir?''
Not that | am aware, > the officer
| replied.
1T was Annie O'Brien,' said Pat.
"She came over on this steamer she
! expected me to mate her. We're to
| be married, you know, sir, and shed
| lave word where she is gone-Annie
| O'Brien.'
The officer turned Il curious, startled
! gaze upon him.
"Annie O'Brien,n lie repeated. ga
Storage passenger p
SIN coorse, SIR said Pat. ''She's
comm over to marry lne, and she's a
workin' girl. We're nayther iv us
rich.''
The officer looked at him again.
! 81 know the name,n he said.
You couldn't help noticing the
| girl said Pat. ''She's II purity cray
| and golden hair and waist We could
span wild yer two hands-barrin' she
wouldn't permit We to do it-and a
foot light as a birds upon the floor
A little jewel is my Annie. You not
fail to notice her.
'.,Sit down moment, Mr.. Nolan >
said the officer II will make some
| inquiries. Wait here for me-"
"A mighty polite gentleman, though
! he's rs solemn as a funeral said Pat
to himself 81 hope he'll not delay
long"
The officer was returning.
| He looked more serious than ever.
'Mr Nolan" he said grdveiy, the
captain would like to speak to you.
| will take you 10 him
He opened the door of the captain S
cabin. Pat entered with his hat in
| his hard.
The captain, grave, bronzed man,
with iron gray hair, sat at a table be-
fore an open book, on which his hand
lay,
sit down." he said.
''Thank you, sir. It's as easy stand
ing said Pat, with a bow
You had better sit down" said the
captain. Il may have to talk to you
for some minutes. | have something
very particular to say if you are the
right man Your name isl
pat Nolan,n said Pat.
Your nameis Patrick Nolan" said
the captain again, and you came on
board to find Il young woman-a
friend of yours p
"My sweetheart promised to me.
We are to be married to-day" said
Pat.
"If God wills it, said the captain.
GAY, sir; can do nothing widout
that, | well know said Pat. The
good Lord above and Father Dunn
will help me ; but I'll do the best
can TO furder it myself"
= The captain looked down upon the
| pages of the book before MIN.
and the name of>the young girl
I you are asking for p he said:
! Annie. OBrien," said Pat, begin
ming to think the captain very stupid
Annie O1Brien. She's the. Wildly
= O'Brien's daughterva dacent woman
lis the wildly. and. well RESPECTED.
They are ,neighbors there at home in
the ould countl1rY.5i -
long column of names, and stopped at
last and looked ut Pat again
We had a very unpleasant voy,
age" he said slowiy-''a very, very
unpleasant voyage
The other gentleman was telling
me that, sir, said Pat, wishing that
this old gentlem II wouldstop talking
about the weather and tell him some
thing about Annie. Batiweatherm must
be il threat OH the say, hesaid,ip order
4 to be polite. And wild an. thin pas
a sengers te:be watchin' and carin' fel
worse than a stableful of bastes -