The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-22
A MARRIAGE AT SEA.
0 CLARK RUSSELL,
AUTHOR OF "THE WRECK OF THE GRosvE-
NOR" "JoHN WORDSWORTH. NATE"
MARooNED," ETC, ETC.
CHAPTER u.-Continued.


II understand, sir: and I'm OF opinion
1t was quite time the little game was
stopped"
II pleased me TO be thus candid with
this sailor. Possibly there was in me
little disturbing sense OF the need OF
justifying myself, though i believe the
most accidental moralist could not have
glanced through the skylight without
feeling that heartily deserved forgive
ness.
1t was daylight shortly before six, but
the gray of the dawn had frightened in
to sunrise before Grace awoke. The
wind had freshened, and the yacht was
lying well down TO il, swarming along,
taking buoyantly the little sea that had
risen, and filling the breeze that was
musical with tho harmonies OF the taut
rigging with the swift noise OF seething
water.
AS the misty pink flash OF the upper
limb OF the rising sun struck the sky
light and made very prism OF the little
cabin, with its mirrors and silver lamp
and. glass and brass ornamentation,
Grace opened het eyes. She opened
them straight upon me, and whilst 1
might have counted ten she continued
to stare as though she were in a trance;
then the blood flooded her pale cheeks,
her eyes grew brilliant with astonish-
ment, and she sat erect bringing her
hands TO her temples as though she
struggled to re-collect her wits.
why Grace, my darling" l cried,
"do you not know where you are?"
Yes, now l do, she answered; but
thought had gone mad when / first
awoke and looked around me"
You havo slept soundly; but then
Won are but "A child SaiQ
Whereabouts are we, HerbertW
- cannot tell for sure" / answered,
"out OF sight of land, anyhow. But
where you are, Grace, you ought TO
know"
A few caresses. and then her timid
glances began TO show like the old looks
in her. / asked il the movement of the
yacht rendered her uneasy, and after
pause, during which she considered
with grave face, she answered, no;
she felt better, she must try to stand;
and so saying, she stood up on the sway
ing deck, and, smiling with her fine eyes
fastened upon my face, poised her figure
in floating way full Of a grace far above
dancing, to my fancy. Her gaze went
to a mirror, and / easily interpreted her
thoughts, though for my part l found
her beauty improved by her roughened
hair.
There is your cabin said l. The
door is behind those curtains. Take a
peep and tell me If il pleases YOU"
There were flowers in it TO sweeten the
atmosphere, and every imaginable con-
yenience that IL was possible for u male
Imagination to hit upon in its efforts in
a direction OF this sort. She praised the
little berth and closed the door with a
smile at me that made me conjecture
should not hear much more from her
about our imprudence, the impropriety
of our conduct, what Ma m seile would
think, and what the schoolgirls would
say.
Though she was but a child, as 1 would
tell her, / too was but boy, for the
matter OF that, and her smile and the
look she had given me, and her praises
of the little berth had fitted up for her,
made me feel so boyishly joyous that,
like boy as l was, though above six
feet tall. fell a-whistling out OF my
high spirits, and then kissed tho feather
In her hat and her gloves, which lay up
on the table, afterwards springing in q
couple of bounds on deck, where l stood
roaring out for Bobby Allett.
He was youth OF about fifteen who
had been shipped by Caudel to serve as
steward or cabin-boy and to make him
self generally useful besides. As he ap-
preached / eyed him with some misgiv-
ing, though had nothing to object t.
in him before but the presence Of my
sweetheart in the cabin had. l suppose,
tempered my taste to quality OF lover
like fastidiousness, and this boy Bobby
to my mind looked dirty.
DO you mean TO wait upon me in
those clothes?" said I.
tho host I baya
he answered, staring at me with pair
OF round eyes out of IA dingy skin that
was certainly not clarified by tho num-
Der OF freckles and pimples which deco
rated him.
You can look smarter than that il
you like" said Co him. Il want break
fast right off. But tell Captain Ceudel
also that before you lay ait you must
clean yourself. polish your face, brush
your hair and shoes, and if you haven't
got clean shirt you must borrow one."
The boy went forward.
PITY" said 1, thinking aloud rather
than talking as stepped to the pinnacle
to mark the yachts course, that Cau-
del should have shipped such dingy-
skinned chap as that fellow for cabin
use"
Its all along of his own doing" said
the man at the helm.
How? you mean he won't wash him
self"
"No, sir: it's all along of smoking"
Smoking?" l exclaimed
"Yes, sir. know his father: he's a
waterman. His father told me that that
there boy Bobby saved up, and then laid
out all he'd got upon a meersham pipe
for to color 1t. He kep' all on a-smoking,
day arter day and night arter night.
But his father says to me it was no 60,
sir; stead OF his coloring the pipe, the
pipe colored him, and his veins have run
nothin' but tobacco-juice ever since"
/ burst into laugh, and went to the
rail TO look around. We might have
been In the middle Of the Atlantic Ocean,
so boundless did the spread of waters
look not a blob or film of coast on any
hand OF us broke the ilawless sweep OF
the green Channel sea. There was
steady breeze of the port beam, and the
yacht, with every cloth which she car
ried on her, was driving through it as
though she was In tow of q steamboat.