The morning call., 1893-02-19

| snip, chose to make sure OF my OBJECT III
leaving home by putting myself into the
| same vessel with Tom. Your telling your
father would only lead to this: he and your
| mother would tease me TO death with repre-
sensations of my folly without causing
| me swerve hairs breadth In my resolu-
ton. And they might do me this mischief :
| with the best intentions in the world they
might inform your captain that l mean TO
| dress up as boy and hide myself IN his
| forepeak. No. not word to father Or
mother, win. This is quite my business
and our secret"
All the while was talking / was pacing
the room, occasionally stopping to gesticu-
late or to approach him close and grasp him
by the arm Now he got up and began 10
walk about too. rolling to and fro as though
the floor had been a ships quarterdeck,
while he sw0Te that / had too much spirit
for woman, that my scheme was too
daring, that if | knew what a forepeak was
like In heavy head sea with the prospect
of fortnight If blackness along with the
risk of dying Of hunger and thirst. without
| possibility of escape unless | was liberated,
I'd quit the scheme as hopeless.
But all this | had expected. had never
dreamt he would Immediately fall Ia my
plans. He said he raised objections for my
sake, net for bis own. To he sure he would
get into very serious trouble II it was dis
covered he had helped me to smuggle my
self into the ship. He was willing to take
all risks to do me service and make me
happy. but wasn't it his duty TO keep me,
his cuusin-a handsome. well-nnrtured, nm
young woman-out Of the black and hlthy
forepeak of a merchantmen, and preserve
me- from what might follow discovery?
| let him talk and feigned 10 sympathlze
with his generous. sympathetic dread OF
the consequence OF my scheme. Yet some
time before we sat down TO the tea and toast
l rang for. had worked him by entreaty,
sometimes by tears, by eager impassioned
| representations of possibilities of my plan
! into partly quiescent mood. lie Kissed
me, held my hand. called me his sister, de-
| clared he would help me if he dared; |
| must give him time TO think; he'd 60 on
board his ship and take a look round and
talk over the matter with me again. We
| arranged Il meeting for the day after next.
| and he left me after solemnly promising to
keep my plan and our conversation secret.
| sat alone all that evening thinking of
this long talk. One objection Of his, per-
! haps, sunk little with me when | was by
| myself musng; he had figured me arrly-
| ing at Hobart Town where | was without
| friend. and he had imagined Tom being sent
! up country to a part where the only house
for miles might be the person to whom the
! Government handed him. But | resolutely
| said TO myself, | must take my chance; this
| may not happen; In any case shall be IN
the country where my sweetheart Is.
Partly To please myself and partly to con-
| vince ny cousin | went TO large outitters
| shop in the MinoIies next morning and rep
| resenting that | wished to make q present
| of a suit Of clothes to young sailor friend
| | asked the sh0pman TO show me number
| of sizes in pilot coats and cloth trousers. l
| said that / was about the height ana breadth
| of the young man for whom wished TO buy
| the clothes. The shopman measured me
| round my chest, took the length OF my arms
| and Of my figure and then made up parcel
| OF the clothing that came nearest to the
| measurements. A lad walked behind me 10
my house with this bundle, and sat in the
| hail while took the clothes to my bedroom
| and secretly put them on.
The first suit tried fitted me AS though
| cut for shape; though the material was
| stout, it buttOned loosely over me and gave
| me the chest of plump lad. The trousers
| had the tlowing-out of the tarpaulius of
| those DAYS; the swell of the cloth at the ex-
| tremites mnde my feet look ridiculously
| small, and | saw that | should require stout
| boots if my feet were not TO betray me.
| | stood In front of the glass and was per-
| feetly well satisfied with the figure | made.
| have already said that nv beauty inclined
| toward cOarseness, and / counted upon this
| as q , erfecting touch for the masquerade
| when should have had my hair crnDped
| close. | kept what needed, and paid the lad,
| who took away the remainder of the clothes.
| NV purchase comprised cap, waiStc0at,
| coat and trousers and large red pocket
| handkerchief. flannel shirt. and loose silk
neckerchef such as seamen wear in sailors
/
exr erment desired TO make.
Some time on the following day before the
| hour at which | expected VIII | dressed
| myself In the sailor clothes, but my hair
| was so thick and plentiful that | was
! scarcely bic to coil II all away upon tie top
of my head so as to secrete the bulk Of 1t
under my sailor lads cap. After fashion
! | succeeded; | held up glass and observed
that with the cap on the back OF my head
| might very well pass for mans az little
II. HI
my temples and eyebrows and cheeks to
| give my face look of sunbnrn.
| On the staircase | met my maid. She
started and cried out and stared, not in the
! least degree recognizing me.
! What pretty girl are you?" said /.
maid or mistress? A fine woman looked
out of her bedroom window Just now and
seeing your hall door open | made bold to
enter. Where is shep l can't find her.
| spoke at length. purposey to try an ex-
| pertinent with my voice on an accustomed
| ear, but seemingly my attire had changed
my voice completely as 1t had trans
| formed my figure
| "How dare you enter this house ?" she ex-
| claimed. and then she began to screech out:
| .'Mfss tombstone, here's a strange man in
the house Mr.. Stamford" and she ran
| downstairs calling Mr.. Stamford.
| sprang and caught her when she was on
my rarlor landing, and twisting her around.
] exclaimed:
Don't you know meP Pm your mistress:
/ | wish to play joke on my cousin. Lookl
| Do you know mef" and | thrust my face
| into hers.
She uttered variety OF explanations
such as "Well. / neverp' and Who'd ha'
| thought p" and "LOr', what handsome
| young chan you make to be sure. miss"
and eiggled and blushed and eyed me from
| top to toe with establishment
Would you know me after looking a
bt?" said |.
mo. miss. There never was no artfuller
| makeup in stage play"
| Don't you recognize my voice? ?"
cit sounded like your figure looks" said
| she.
"Wel." said ]. when Mr.. viii john
| stone arrives open the door, show him In as
though yoa supposed | was in the room.
! and then shut the door smartly upon him"
| While waited for my cousin practiced
| some walking. got in front Of the long
| glass and advanced toward it, and marked
| such points Of my gait as / considered sug-
| gestive and suspicious. l found my steps
| too short, but after practicing a little /
| guessed IL would not be very difficult to
walk like man. l looked short in my
| clothes and appeared 10 have dwindled six
| or eight inches. so greatly is stature height
ened TO the eye by the long robes OF my
| sex.
While was rehearsing as young sailor
man in front of the glass, heard Wits
| knock downstairs. | placed myself in front
of the window as though / was stranger
waiting The door Of the room was opened
and shut by my maid according to my
orders, and on turning saw Will.
''0h, beg pardon" said he, II thought
Miss tombstone was here"
She'll be here shortly" said /.
He stared hard and oddly, as though he
prieked his ears on my speaking, but GER
tainly he no more recognized me than my
maid had. ! continued to look out of the
window and spoke with my back to him.
"a pleasant day." said |.
LAY, IFS nice weather." he answered.
you're of my calling, see. Been long
| ashore?
''Pve not been TO sea vet" answered.
| half turning my head his way to talk to him.
MY cousin Maran's kindly taken me by