The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-02
CHAPTER XVI.
SHE ATTENDS CHURCH SERVICE AND WIT

NESSES A TRAGEDY.
AT lunch that day the doctor congratulated
| himself warmly upon the success of the
| ducking punis 81 never doubted"
said he, 'that ii would answer in the case Of
| female coDviets. Two buckets they told me
| sufficed for The most clamorOus of the foul
mouths. But had my misgvings as to its
| efficacy with male prisoners. l am satisfied
soaked into repentance. | spoke to him IN
| the prison little while since. and he
| hunbly begged my pardon ana promised
| never to use another oath again"
IT'S a gOOsefieshing discipline" said Can
tain Barrett; but they Il make joke of 1t
| in the tropics"
as this box arrangement your only pun
isEment, Ellice?" said the subatern.
I'VE nave thin water Cruel" answered
the doctor; ~ know a man who became
sincerely religious after two days of thin
water Cruel Then there are the irons
which l have struck off, with or without
the addition of handouts. Then there is
! the prison. Separation works whOlesOmely.
Loneliness is good physlc. for the felon
| mind. Finally, there's black list Ia which
l enter the offenders name for submission
to his Excellency, the Governor, at the end
Of the voyage"
The subject was then changed. To this
| brief talk l listened greedily, forgetting
Wits hint that | should carry deaf face.
! met the doctors eyes, but my duties dis
the cuddy while the meal lasted.
That afternoon, while | was rubbing the
shining length OF cuddy table. the doctor
| came from his cabin; he looked at me a
| moment or two and then approached. There
was a sort of kindness in his manner; he
even put on q grave, condescending smile
when he adore ssed me. 1t was seldom that
| DR.. Russell Ellice smiled.
az am glad to believe" said he, THAT
was mistaken in you. One of the appren-
lo 7 understand lie fol "
connected, has, | hear, some knowledge of
you. But, young man. you should have
| chosen any vessel sooner than oDyict ship
| to hide yourself in
| cast my eyes down.
II observe that you take a great interest
| in all conversation that relates to convicts.
/ am willing to believe you honest; you
| will, therefore, give me truthfully your
reason for the interest yeu take in the pris-
| oneTs ?"
ut is a curiosity more than interest, sir.
have often read and heard about convict
ships; L cannot help feeling curious and lis
tening and looking about me-"
| He stared at me searchiDgly and seemed
| satisfied. But ! noticed with some alarm
| that he observed my face with unusual at
tention, taking the ineaments. so to speak.
one by one; he then glanced down me
| afterward let his eyes rest upon my hands,
and all this in silence which might have
| filled an Interval OF nearly a minute.
w Hab - yum H6'4 HC hbhCd
This was forcing my hand. but then | was
a woman; and no woman is expected TO tell
the truth when she is asked her age.
81 am IT, sir"
You do not seem to have been i'll used. 4"
| said he, again gravely smiling. "a plumper,
healthier young fellow | never met. What
made you run away?'
Il wished TO go 10 HOBART Town"
Would not your friends have equipped
and sent you out resnectably had you made
| known your wshes?"
MY stepfather is no friend of mine. sir. +"
| l answered.
He asked me what l meant to do when l
arrived in Tasmania, and after putin &
many questions, most Of which / answered,
! he babe me tell him what my religion was,
| in what churches ! had worst iped. and
| then began TO lecture me. indeed to ser
monte me, as though l had been a convict
under him. | listened with hung head
and composed face, but ! could not draw
| the time he addressed me his dark, scrutin-
| iZing eyes seemed to search into my very
| conscience; and then. again, l feared his
perception as medical man. IN
Next day was Sunday. The 6ou,s in sent
| word forward and the instructiHns reached
US aft that the whole of the ships company
were to attend divine service on the poop 1t
| 10 o'clock. 1t was again bright and beau
| tful day. When | went on derk in the
early morning was in time to behold a
1 IsOSt glorious pm anu SILVER sunrise, our
| c0ppered foTefOot had eleven the first of the
warm parallels, and already the fying-fish
were darling from the frOth of the curl of
| the bow wave. The ship was heaped with
! cleaning spaces OF canvas to her trucks and
was leaning over to the pressure OF the cor
| dial breath of the northeast tradewind
| She was sailing fast. The sea was smooth,
| and the splitting Of the narrow band OF
| passing brine was like the sound of satin
torn by the hand; and salinlIke was the
| long CLEAN OF the water. with few small
| sea birds swiftly wiDRing along il in chase
The routine, l observed, was the same as
| on other days The convict deck washers,
| superinlended by the captain of the deck.
| helped the watch to wash down. as usual
| the cooks were admitted past the sentry.
| and speedily cloud Of black smoke was
| blowing from the prisoners galley chim-
ney. When the decks had been swabbed.
the convicts in divisions were turned up to
wash themselves, and at o'clock they went
| to breakfast.
1t was while the messmen were standing
in compact row beyond the mainhatch
door waiting for their cans of cocoa that l
saw Tom. He was one of the messmen. |
found an excuse TO pass him thrice that
might greet him with my eyes aud observe
him. | saw passion aud grief and love
in his face when our gaze met
though neither of us burst venture
on more than passing look. 1t
| half broke my heart that | should be so
close to him and yet unable to speak. While
| he waited with tile rest could, indeed, have
made shift 10 pass him a fourth time, but
the strain was so terrible that 1 feared my
self. / felt a swelling within me as of
| hysteria. an ungovernable madness to rush
| TO him. TO fling my arms about his neck, TO
hold him TO me. So passed INTO the cuddy.
and a little Later the body of prisoners went
below and, saving the sentries, the Enclosure
was empty.
After tie cuddy breakfast was over, while
| taking some dirty dishes forward, Imet Will
near the galley. He said softly. 81 was on
| the poop watching you when you walked up
and down past Butler to look at him. Old
| woman, these are risks and you mustn't run
| 'em. There are eyes aboard here sharper
than that chaps bayouet"
'Pll run no risks and alps well so far,
Will"
"What about that letter you were telling
me OF? dread to hear of your attempting
| to give II TO your sweetheart"
| looked at him with smile. lie asked
| me if / slept comfortable. if his clothes
| fitted me, If had seen the prisoner boxed
| up and washed down yesterday, and so on.
You'll be up on tie poop for prayers at
| four BELLS" said he. 'Lord!' he added,
bursting into nervous laugh, ito think of
| only two in this ship knowing what you
arei To think of you, young man as habit
| is bringing me to fancy you, being the real
and original Marian OF the milk and butter
cup holiday timesl What would mother
say TO see you as you stand here now, as
complete shellback to the eye as that
| second mate there, with big basket of dirty
| dishes alongside OF You lugged all the way
| from The cuddy by your own little hands ?
And all for love-Rll for Lowell By glory
But the woman that could make me dress
up as girl and follow her to sea in con-
| Wet ship would have to sink down straight
| from heaven. This earth couldn't manu-
facture her." He rounded on his heel and
| went off.
| Some time before 10 O'clock the ships
bell was rung; presently Mr.. Balls silver
| pipe sang in shrill whstlings through the
| ship. Mr. Stiles had ordered me below to
"elean myself" as he called it, and on my
return / followed him and Frank on to the
poop. The scene WAS one Of extraordinary