The herald., 1893-11-26
mink you can beat him over to the oeu-

mink you can beat him over to the oru-
or shore?''
''Yes, SIR" answered our skipper,
1--WE can and will, or else lose the mast, -
and saw that he meant it.
just then the two boats were along
side, and the old man and the young
one exchanged expressive gestures as
their eyes met.
Rang went the signal to start, and
the fleet squared away, the Dawn and
the Foam crossing the line together
Charley ordered up more sail until we
had every stitch flying, while the Foam
did likewise. 1t was dead heat before
the wind, and the two boats led the
fleet. The respective crews had learned
the story by that time and shouted loud
ly to each other, while a broad smile
lit up the face of the captain of the
Foam. He evidently thought it good
joke, but we heard the girl sobbing be-
low, and our entire crew was willing
to help on the elopoment. If papa got
to Long Island first, we would turn
about and make Nutmeg again, Or
well, we figured up the possible cost
in the case if we put the couple ashore
and forcibly prevailed upon papa to re-
turn via the Dawn. The breeze fresh
ened, and the two boats went before it,
drawing farther apart all the while
Papa was supplied with glass, so we
got one for our man, and he skipped
up on deck every minute to look through
it, and then tumbled back to comfort
the girl. One by one the crew went in
and were introduced to the blushing
little creature, and each man as he came
out felt as l did when / first heard her
voice-it foreboded danger to the gray
haired old passenger on board the Foam.
IF we only had to tack, he'd lose his
head by the boom" suggested Charley
as he saw the white spot above the door
of the cabin.
"I-I-don't want to disobey papa, !"
sobbed the girl, when went into our
cabin, "but l am old enough to know
what is right, and papa is awfully fun
ny sometimes. He chased us 10 miles,
We were half married once this morn
ing when Henry saw him up the road,
and we had to start off again"
! assured her that the Dawn could
beat anything afioat; that she would
be safely looked after by the entire
crew.
"The captain of the Foam is a mean
fellow" said mildly, remembering his
last remark. Then came up, while
the skipper resigned the wheel to an
other and started down to make the ac-
quaintance of the pair
Alloy, therep' he shouted to me, aft
er awhile, bring down some water,
will you?" / was steward, you know.
We were astern of the Foam, but a
little to the windward, and l looked at
papa and scowled. The fact came to
me that 1 had forgotten the water and
left it by the horse and buggy. 1 Won
dered if the fellow had forgotten them
too.
II say, steward, called out Charley,
where's the water?"
A quotation apt but trite came into
my mind about water, water''-
There was sudden crash ahead of
us. The Foam iuffed suddenly, and we
saw mass of sail hanging from the
mast, which had snapped off near the
top. She had tried to carry too much
in the wind, but it might have been
fate, for our boat held an equal amount
of sail and stood like rock. The skip
per was ON deck. in moment. He
grabbed the Wheel and brought the
Dawn as near the Foam as possible. A
joyousssmile spread over hissunburned
face--the day1wassour The crew and
skipper Of the Foam wefe too busy with
the wreck I'd rioticeSds,, but thereSwas
gray head poking out of the cabin door,
at which weyelled, and the bridegroom
to be yelled, and then we passed ahead,
farther and farther, while the Foam lay
to in the wind, and before long the
Foam was astern of the whole fleet,
while we led them all. And as we
neared the buoy which marked the linn
its of the race, the Foam was mere
speck, but with the glass we fancied
that we saw papa's white head still
looking over the cabin door. We won
the race, and straight ahead we sailed
into the wide bay, and the loving pair
and the skipper and ! went ashore. AS
we walked up from the landing toward
the minister's house Charley turned to
me. "Why didn't you bring in that
water l asked for?''
II left it at Nutmeg, was my blush
ing answer, when l brought them on
board
"Oh, You lubber, - replied the skip
per in tones Of disgust. You would
try to sail with the anchor out But
notwithstanding Igave the bride away
a few minutes later and received my
reward from her sweet lips.
But the crowning act of revenge was
when we went back to where the Foam
lay, her crew having just restored or
der, and Charley went ON board to col
lect his bets, and went to deliver to
gray haired papa, who by that time was
frightfully seasick, duplicate mar
riage certificate. .-Flavel Scott Mines in
Minneapolis Tribune.