Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-11-21
'rWhy, the Mary Ann," chorused the

astonished crew.
"My lads" faltered the agonized cap
tain, after long pause. MY lads" "
He stopped and swallowed something in
his throat. 'T've been and brought
away the wrong ship" he continued,
with an effort; that's what I've done.
must have been bewitched."
well, who's having a little game
now?" inquired voice.
Somebody else'll be sacked as well as
the mate" said another.
1--WE must take her back" said the
captain, raising his voice to drown these
mutterings. "All hands stand by to
shorten sail"
The bewildered crew went to their
posts, the captain gave his orders in a
voice which had never been so subdued
and mellow since it broke at the age of
fourteen, and the Mary Ann took in sail,
and dropping her anchor waited patiently
for the turning of the tide.
The church bells in Mapping and
Rotherhithe were just striking the hour
of midday-though they were heard by
few above the noisy din of workers on
wharves and ships-as short, stout
captain and a mate with red whiskers
and pimply nose stood up in water
mans boat in the center of the river and
gazed at each other in blank astonish-
ment.
'She's gone-clean gone" murmured
the bewildered captain
"Clean as whistle" said the mate.
1.-THE new hands must ha' run away
with her."
Then the bereaved captain raised his
voice and pronounced a pathetic and
beautiful eulogy on the departed vessel,
somewhat marred by an appendix in
which he consigned the new hands, their
heirs and. descendants to every conceiv-
able misery.
"AhoyT said the waterman, who was
getting tired of the business, addressing
a grimy looking seaman hanging medi-
tatively over the side of the schooner.
"Where's the Mary Ann?'
event away at half past this morn
ing" was the reply.
Zoos here's the cap'en an the mate"
said the waterman, indicating the for
lorn couple with bob of his head.
''My eyes!' said the man. 81 s'pose
the cooks in charge then. We were to
have gone, too, but our old man hasn't
turned up"
Quickly the news spread among the
craft in the tier and many and various
were the suggestions shouted to the be-
wildered couple from the different decks.
AT last, just as the captain had ordered
the waterman to return to the shore, he
was startled by loud cry from the mate.
Look there!" he shouted.
The captain looked. Fifty or sixty
yards away a small, shamefaced look
ing schooner-so it appeared to his ex-
cited imagination-was slowly approach
ing them. A minute later shout went
up from the other craft as she took in
sail and bore slowly down upon them.
Then small boat put off to the buoy,
and the Mary Ann was slowly warped
into the place she had left ten hours be-
fore.
But while all this was going on, she
was boarded by her captain and mate.
They were met by Captain Bing, sup
ported by his mate, who had hastily
pushed off from the Smiling Jane to the
assistance of his chief. In the two
leading features before mentioned he
was not unlike the mate of the Mary
Ann, and much stress was laid upon
this fact by the unfortunate Bing in his
explanation. So much so, in fact, that
both the mates got restless; the skipper,
who was plain man, and given to
calling a spade spade, using the word
'pimply' with what seemed to them
unnecessary iteration.
1t is possible that the interview might
have lasted for hours had not Bing sud
denly changed his tactics and begun to
throw out dark hints about standing a
dinner ashore, and settling it over IL
friendly glass. The face of the Mary
AIMS captain began to clear, and as
Bing proceeded from generalities to de-
tails soft smile played over his ex-
pressive features. 1t was reflected in
the faces of the mates, who by these
means showed clearly that they under
stood the table was to be laid for four.
At this happy turn of affairs Bing
himself smiled, and a little while later
a ships boat containing four boon com
panions put off from the Mary Ann and
made for the shore. OF what afterward
ensued there is no distinct record, be-
yond what may be CLEANED from the
fact that the quartet turned up at mid
night arm in arm and affectionately re-
fused to be separated-even to enter the
ships boat, which was waiting for them.
The sailors were at first rather non
plussed, but by dint of much coaxing
and argument broke up the party, and
rowing them to their respective vessels
put them carefully to bed-True Flag.
The Freakishness of Chance.
Chance is queer word, and chance is
a Queer thing. Chance cannot ever bn