The Irish standard., 1892-12-10
NDAlKD: "a a q u BElR i

4al|Sls
~, like N old hen lighting Tor its ono
chick !. And what a place this e to ask 81:
a lady 70 stay Is. a man Of your prop !,
erty should be ashamed Of himself, Cap'n
Bligh. It's downright heathenish, if !
do say It. : 5.s 5.s. II.
Don't be an old fool, the parrot put
in casually, as if making 9 mere passing
remark. Il
Ann jumped as if she had been bitten
in sensitive part.
..Oh,'' she cried snappishly, I'D jest
like to wiring the neck of that old swearln
bird. as you've filled up full Of bad lang
widge."
Don't get angry with poor old poll,
Ann She learned those bad tricks at
sea. The sailors taught them to her.
81 don't like anything seafarin, said
Ann, with her nose in the air, ian old
Mis- Mayhem never did either. We al
ways agreed on them pints, though we
did differ some. She knew seafarin
men is ungcdly. most parts, and prodi-
gious swearers. guess she'd turn over
in her grave if she could see her darter
a-layin there on that there sofy.
The captain gave a laugh that sounded
happy and confident, and to AIMS
establishment she saw that Miss Mayhem
was smiling. too, and a little girlish
blush had stolen into her cheek. Sup
pose Ann said she softly, 1--WE were to
ask the captain to come home and live
with us. If we were to make him com
Portable and happy he might forget all
he has suffered III his lonely life, and all
the evil that has been done him by un-
kind tongues.
.:Well. Leviny Mayhem, never did
hear the beat Of that. It's just as if you
was thrown yourself at the captains
head-as if you were otferin yourself"
mo. Ann" and she raised her voice
a little so that every word might be
clearly understood, she asked me and
I'VE accepted. seeing as he thinks I'm
worth taking. though don't understand
how he can: but it's all settled between
us now. like our house better than
this one. would rather live there, and
1 SHALL D6S Gllt Captain W SOAAo tAo1IAC sHAAu
stay with us before long"
Ann had listened to this speech with
her mouth open and CONSERVATION paint
ed on her face. ':Merciful mani she ex-
claimed. I'm beat all out and don't
know whether I'm standin on my head or
heels He's axed You and you've accept
ed! Well, if there's spooks should think
Mis- Mayhem would be walking into this
room. But, of course. if you want him
and think it's proper to take him at
your time of life and his'n, with them
nervous spells of yours comm on,
when it's hot water bags in a
jiffy, and the squeak Of a mouse sets
your head to jumpin, why, I've nothing
more to say. | amt one to NEEDLE or
make. But don't hev no profane par
rots around me. and when the insurance
folks builds up my part of the house, l
want the cap'n to know that I'm cock of
the walk and has no master orderin on
my quarter deck. don't black boots,
nor lift trunks, nor run arrents, nor
stand sass from no man, / don't care
who he is If you want him in your
part of the house, Miss Mayhem, why,
take him; and may suthin bad and
black light on his head if he don't treat
YOU WE'LL Here Ann broke down in a
fit of passionate sobbing and tears.
At the end Of a few weeks Littlefield
was startled by hearing that Captain
Bligh and Vi,lie Mayhem had been mar
ried very quietly ON November morn
ing and were spending their honeymoon
at home. It would be difficult to say at
just what day and date Ann Basket was
won over to become, with the exception
of his wife, the greatest admirer and ad-
vocate Of the captain in the town. Fierce
had been her contention for the body and
soul of her mistress, the one creature she
had taken into her strong nature and
cherished like her own flesh and blood.
The captain in time won place i'll her
loyal and strong soul almost equal to
that she gave to her. Gradually the
fragile lady, under the wonderful magic
of love, began TO come back to the ways
of health, driving beside her husband,
living much in the open air, and on rare
occasions entering her neighbors' doors.
People wondered at the marvellous
tenderness and devotion so long latent
in the heart of this man, who for years
had been an enigma to all around him,
whose sole thought now was how to
make one frail woman happy, cherishing
her with his strength and watching
over her with a care more than maternal.
Life sweetened and frightened for these
two who so long had wandered on lone
~ and barren paths. The old house I'M
der the elms seems to smile ON the pass
ers as if it had renewed it's youth, and
at times the door swings open to the en-
trance Of guests, thus fulfilling that
ideal of hospitality that always lay SO
close to Miss Mayhew's heart. You may