The morning call., 1893-06-04


shone when l had dried myself. A square
of mirror hung near the washstand. l had
thought 10 see myself looking i'll and yell
low and wretched, and my breast swelled
at sight of my handsome, sparkling face,
so proud did my beauty make me feel for
Toms sake.
Aud yet | was now grown S o used to my
male attire that when / had clothed NY
self in my Woolwich dress as | call it-aDd
scarcely less strange than my own were
the fortunes of this bundle of APPAREL
found myself very uneasy. | missed the
freedom of my legs. | don't wonder that
women should struggle from time to time
to invent dress that gives their limbs
the liberty which men enjoy. However, l
clothed myself very carefully. and when [
had put on my hat l thought l looked the
saucer and more piquant for my hair
being cropped short. DO not call this
egotsm; it is my way of telling the story;
l who relate it am old, and my youth and
beauty are as the dust of half a century.
When l was dressed l stepped ont to be
of help. VIII was at the little wheel in
front of the house. He gave jump and
his dear face frightened up.
Hang mev' he cried "if that dress
don't bring Siepney close aboard! 1t is
but a step to the Tower, surely! And
when my tricks ~ Wen go a-ramblng
EpDing way"
Tom and the mate were at work at the
pump; Tom kissed his hand and the mate
lifted his cap. A few minutes later the
water ceas ed to flow.
"a tight little ship" cried Tom, and he
and Mr.. Bates came to me.
Dye remember her now, Bates 2" said
my sweetheart, looking at me proudly aud
with love.
Yes. And to think that l should have
bullied you on the poop, Miss tombstone.
when your cousin brought you to ask me
for a bed l beg your pardon, now,' said
the worthy fellow. and he slowly bowed
low.
Marian" said Tom, 81 wished you to
rest, but you look so brisk III allow you
to keep awake for another hour. Hold
this little wheel and keep the briggs head
just as it is. There's much for the three
of US to do, and the chielest of all there's
breakfast to get.''
tooksthe wheel and they went to work.
and first got the quarter boats sail out of
her and stretched 1t over my head as a shell
ter from the sun. This done they hoisted
in the quarter-boat; Will found the car
penter's chest, split up some wood, went
into The fOrepeak for coal and lighted the
galley fire. While this was doing Tom
and Bates searched the brig and found her
stock 81 fresh water in a considerable
quantity just under the main hatch. They
explored the forecastle, but met with
nothing to tell them whether the sto1 on
go eSnin table " as true or not. Thesail-
OTs had LEFT their blankets, but taken their
traps. They were British sailors. and the
weight of their clothes was not very likely
to imperil the safety of the boat.
The morning was brilliantly beautiful;
the breeze almost astern, the swell on the
quarter, and the brig softly and silently
rIppled onward, gently heavlug and breath
ing as she went, being lifted with the long
ocean folds flowing in the pale blue out of
northwest. found it easy TO steer The
little vessel, like 4 Thoroughbred to the
llghtest pressure of Its rein, answered to
movement of the spokeS; l held the course
as | found it dead to the lubber's mark
indeed, think it is easier to steer with
wheel than tiller
| sank into a deep reflection over what
had passed since the yester morning. Did
| feel grateful for he meTcies vOuchsafed?
.--mercies linked ike miracles, so wonder
fully and inexbreSsibly fortunate TO US
had the incidents since the outbreak
proved in their succession, down to this
our lighting upon an equipped, well-stockrd
sound and abandoned vessel. | fear l
was not grateful. | did not lift up my
heart in a single syllable of thanks. My
spirit was savage with memory spite of
cir gracious and consoliug fortune; my
passion for Tom Overmastered me. as he
felt so | felt; what was in his mind that |
cauld find in his eyes and speech instantly
fiji ed and possessed my owD mind. Had
lie knelJ in PRAYER l should have kuelt,
hut he had told Mr.. Bates that gratitude
lay dea0 in him, so it slept in me. Luck
had beflllen us; but so much had gone be-
fore which was not luck except It were OF
the devils sort that ragged when thought
of it, and felt that nothing ever could hap
pen good enough TO thank heaven for.
Will, who acted as cook this first morn
ing, prepared tolerable breakfast Coffee
had been found and marina lade; the lad
fried dish Of the Childe Har0ld's ham,
and these things with biscuit and sugar
furnished us with meal. The provisions
we had brought with US from the convict
ship had been slowed by Bates and Tom
e In the storeroom. Had we met with moth
ing on board. that stock we had come with
would have lasted a month or six weeks.
L Spied three eggs among the dead pnul-
try in the coop and told Mr.. Bates of them;
they were the last efforts of the poor, IN
happy. starved poultry. The NJ te won
dered that the rats had spared them and
the birds. He picked them up and Will
cooked and they prOvpd-ah, | laughed to
see Mr.. Bates holding his nose and throw
ing the cocks and hens overheard; such
work fitted III with the dignity of man
who was just now chief officer of one of
tile finest of the Blackwell liners.
That we might break our fast together
while one of us steered, the dishes and
cups were set upon the deck and we used
cur knees for tables. The brig went along
so quietly that You could let go the wheel
for minutes at lime, without quarter
point of DETECTION in the compass bearing.
We were hungry and thirsty; the boats
sail overhead cast a pleasant shade upon
us; the breeze blew through the little
gaDgway on either hand the house and
famed us while we breakfasted.
Mr.. Bates and Will talked much of the
convict ship, of the chance of her people
and the like. Tom sat quiet and Thought
moody. Often he fastened his eyes upon
me, but with look as though he saw
something beyond. l feared that he was
overweight and dead wearied, and /
longed to pillow his head on my arm that
might watch him sleeping. All on a sud-
den he flushed up and with hard, small,
Satire smile. While his eyes seemed to
brighten into fire as though taking light
from the contrast of the blood in his
cheeks. he cried:
"Bates-bnt what right have l to call
you Bates? | should mister you, hey ?"
'Oh. Tom, dear !" exclaimed.
why, see here now" he continued,
ana he spoke frrcely; I'm convict.
Bates. There's no getting away from
that. Do you call this liberty? Not more
than the liberty of a wretch who breaks
from hulk, who's a convict while he
swims, who's convict when he lands.
who goes to his grave convict, though
he keeps free"
L., l. l.,