The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-07-02
A MARRIAGE AT SEA.
w. CLARK RUSSELL,

Mr.. Barclay, good news, sir. Ihe
gales a-taking OF. :"
clasped my hands, and could have
Rugged the dripping figure Of the man 70
my breast,
was engaged to be married TO me, neyf
Was she alone with me2 No relative, no
maid, nobody of her own sex In attend
ance. hey2 To these questions the ladies'
listened with an odd expression In their
faces. particularly noticed one Of
them. she had sausage-shaped curls,
iips so thin that when they were closed
they formed fine line as though pro-
duced by the single sweep Of d camel $.
hair brush under her nose one pupil
was considerably larger than the other,
which gave her very staring knowing
look on one side Of her face; but there
was nothing In my responses to appease
hers or the captains or the others
thirst for information.
There can be no doubt, hope, Cap
tain Parsons" said /, for the second
mate had given me the shippers name,
of our promptly falling In with some
thing homeward bound that will land
Miss Bellassys and mef"
I'll signal when have a chance" he
answered, looking round the sea and
then UP aloft.
How far are we from Penzance, cap
tain2' inquired.
Why" he answered, AL Of a
hundred and fifty miles.
II that be so, then, i cried, "our
drift must have been that OF a balloon"
Will those poor creatures ever be
able to reach the English coast In that
broken boatY' exclaimed one OF the
ladies, indicating the Spitfire, that now
lay dwarfed right over the stern Of the
ship.
II they are longshoremen-and yet !
don't know, replied the captain, with a
short laugh; "a boatman will easily
handle a craft OF that sort when blue
water sailor would be all abroad. Have
you lunched, Mr.. Barclay?'
No, captain, have not; neither can
say have breakfasted."
"Oh, confound It, man, you should
have said SO before. Step this way, sir,
step this way.
At this moment door close beside
which Twas standing opened, and Grace
came out, followed by the kind lady Mrs.
Barstow
This is better then the spitnre,
Grace" said /.
''Oh, yes, Herbert" she answered.
sending glance OF her fine dark eyes
over the saloon; But Mrs Bars5ow
tells m . that the slip IS gong to N5w
Zealand"
So she is; 81 she is, cried Captain
Parsons, bursting into laugh; land, il
you chose, Mr.. Barclay and you shall ae-
company us
She looked OF lin with frightened
girlisn air.
'oh, no, Miss Bei!assys," said Mrs.
Barstow. CAPTAIN Parsons will see
that you get safely home; and ! wish
that We could count upon arriving at
Ottaga as speedily as you will reach
England.
Just then a man in a camlet Jacket
entered the saloon. He was the head
steward, and Captain Parsons immedi-
ateiy called TO him:
jenkins, here. This lady and gentle
man have not breakfasted; they have
been shipwrecked, and wish to lunch
You understand? And draw the cork OF a
quart bottle Of champagne. There is no
better sea-phgsic, Miss Bellassys f"
Our lunch consisted Of cold fowl and
ham and champagne, good enough meat
and drink, one should say, for the sea,
and almost good enough, one might add,
for pair of love-sick doves,
How is your appetite, my darling?"
Shlu i.
az think can eat little of that cold
chicken"
This is very handsome treatment,
Grace. Upon my word, il the captain
preserves this sort of behavior do not
believe we shall be in very great hurry
to quit his ship"
Is not she noble vessel ?" exclaimed
Grace, rolling her eyes over the saloon.
After the poor little Spitfire's cabin !
And how different is this motion 1t
eoothes me, after the horrid tumbling of
the last two days.
This Is very extraordinary adven-
ture, said /, eating and drinking with a
relish and an appetite not iitle height
ened by observing that Grace was max
ing very good meal. 1t may not end
so soon as we hope, either. But NO
matter, my own. We are together, and
that is everything"
She took sip Of the champagne that
the steward had filed her glass with, and
said, in a musing voice, What will TIE
people in this ship think of me'?"
What they may think need not
trouble US, said>~I., II told CAPTAIN
Parsons that we were engaged to be
married. Is there anything very extra
ordinary in young fellow taking the
girl he is engaged to out for sailin his
yacht, and being blown away and nearly
wrecked by heavy gale of wind?".
No, but they will know better" she
exclaimed, with a pout.
Well, i forgot, tits true that l told
the captain we sailed from Boulogne
But how is he to know your people don,r
live there2'
" 1t will soon be whispered about tina,
have eloped with you, Herbert" she
exclaimed
Who's to know the truth IL it isn't
divulged. my pet2" issid /.
- But it is divuiged. she answered.
l stared at her. She eyed me wistfullN
as she continued, y told Mrs. Barstow
the story. ! am not ashamed OF my con
duct, and / ought not to feel ashamed o
the truth being known"
There was logic and heroism in this
closing sentence, though it did MOI
strictly correspond with the expression
she had Just now let fall as to what tn,
people would think. / surveyed he
silently and after little exclaimed
You are in the right. Let the trutl