The Forrest City times., 1893-08-04
PROVIDENCE COTTAGE.
Why Captain Sol Buddle Conclud-
 ed He Wouldn't Build It.

Providence cottage Mrs. Pringle, ma am, it shall be-" said Capt. Sol Buddle firmly, as he passed his huge cup for another cup of tea, and wiped his forehead with red bandana hand kerchief.
 Well, captain" said Mrs. Pringle, in tones of amiable acquiescence, you being 2 scholard, and having book learning moreover, it isn't for me ito gainsay you"
 Mrs. Pringle, ma'am," said the captain, emphatically rapping his spec tacle case on the table, your senti- ments do you honor. When man comes to my time of life"-
 Mrs Pringle made little deprecatory movement of her pretty fat hand
 The captain smiled, well pleased "Ah. Mrs. Pringle ma'am, that's the poetry oozing out of you; you're chock- full of it. I say when man comes to my time of life
 ''Only forty-five, Capt. Buddle, softly suggested Mrs. Pringle.
 The captain bowed courteously. Not being used to the society of amiable ladies like yourself, Mrs. Pringle, l don't quite know how to undeceive you as to my years
 He paused, piece of buttered toast in his hand, and looked round Mrs. Pringle's cozy sitting-room. warm with the heat of glowing sea-coal fire. Also, his thoughts went back to the society of various nautical ladies he had known whose manners lacked the repose which distinguished Mrs. Prin- gle's.
 Mrs. Pringle also paused, teapot in hand, to cast a pensive glance at the gallant sailor opposite.
 Outside, tumultuous waves beat noisi- ly against the shingly shore, as if in- sisting that Capt Sol Buddle should be delivered up to them: inside, the only sound which broke the stiffness was a pensive new from Mrs. Pringles Per sian cat. The captain paused again, took up the cat and thoughtfully poured out some milk for it. My cat on board the Morning Star would never take his milk without spoonful of grog in it." he said, reminiscently; but he tried it too much for his strength; he was always ambitious, that cat was-too ambitious. Laid him. self out to eat up all the ships cock reaches, though he knew they'd disa- gree with him; and there was funeral soon after-his funeral. He took lot of cockroaches with him, too-as many as he could hold, poor chap" Capt. m ;rb to nf his departed favorite.
 'As to my years" he resumed, they"
 The quiet Mrs. Pringle, who was not much given to interruptions, did a most unusual thing-she interrupted the captain again-for the third time. "A man is as young as he looks." she said. And you, Capt. Buddle, don't look a day over forty five"
 The captain again bowed with nauti' cal grace. Seeing you've set your mind on it, Mrs. Pringle, we'll make il so; though, if any questions are asked, the facts will go against it."
 "No one will be so impertinent," said Mir. Pringle, as she looked pensively down at her pretty slipper. 
 The captain passed his cup for moro tea, a beverage to which he had lately taken great fancy; its novelty ap- pealed to him most strongly. In his seafaring days at this hour-like the departed cat-he had generally par taken of soothing beverage with rum in it But the widow had gradually weaned the captain from such an un' ladylike beverage as rum in the day time. and he found ever fresh delight in tea-tea with cream in it-tea by the bucket-tea containing four Jumps of sugar to each supply. At ten o'clock every night. however, the widows fair hands brewed her lodger what he was facetiously wont to call "a stiff nor wester." Then, the captain sat thoughtfully by the fire. living his voy