The morning call., 1893-02-23
A HAPPY VOYAGE,

The cottage that I have inhabited these
six years looks down on the one quiet creek
In a harbor full Of business. The vessels
that enter beneath Battery Point move up
past the gray walls and green quay-doors OF
the port to the jetties where their eargoes
lie All day long can see them faring up
and down past the mouth Of my creek; and
all the year round l listen to the sounds OF
them-the dropping or lifting OF anchors,
the wh-b-ingi of sireD-whistle cutting the
air Ike twanged bow. the concertina that
plays at night, the rush Of the clay cargo
shot from the jetty into the ladlng ship.
But all this is too far remote to Vex me-
Only one vessel lies beneath my terrace;
and she has lain there for a dozen years.
After many voyages she was purchased by
the Board Of Guardians In our district, dis
masted, and anchored up here to serve as
an hospital ship in case the cholera
visited US She has never had a sick man
on board from that day 10 the present. But
once upon a time three people spent very
happy night on her deck, as you shall hear.
She is called The Cleaner.
think ! was never so much annoyed in
nv life as on the day when Annie, my only
servant, gave me a months warning"
That was four years age, and she gave up
cooking for me 10 marry young watch
maker down at the town, youth OF no
mark, save for a curious distortion OF the
left eyebrow, due to much gazing through
circular q ass into the bowels OF watches,
frantic assortment OF religious convictions.
habit of playing the fiddle in hours OF ease
and an absurd name-IuUal Cain BOUaday.
Lnoticed that Annie softened it TO "Iubey."
OF course ! tried TO dissuade her, but my
arguments were those Of a Wifeless man
aid very weak She listened to them with
r,noh ratfanpa nd want If tn hDV har we'd
ing frock. She was plain girl, without a
scintilla of humor. and had just that sense Of
an omelet that is V0uchsafed 10 one woman
in generation.
So She and Tubal Cain were married at
the end Of the month and disappeared on
their honeymoon, no one quite knew
whittier. They went on the last day OF
April.
At half past s in the evening of May
had just finished my seventh miserable
dinner. My windows were open TO the
evening, and the scent of the CONSCIOUSNESS
below the terrace hung heavily underneath
the veranda and stole into the room where
| sat before the white cloth, 10 the lamp
light. l had taken q cigarette and was
reaching for the matchbox when CHANGED
TO look up, and paused to marvel 1T siDgu-
lar beauty in the atmosphere outside.
It seemed a final atOnement OF sky and
earth in one sheet of vivid blue. OF form l
could see nothing; the heavens, the waters
of the creek below. the woods on the oppo-
site shore were simply iDdistinguishable-
blotted out in this one color III you can
recall certain advertisements of Mr.. Reckitt,
and can imagine one Of these transparent,
with soft light glowing behind IL, you Will
be as near as | can help You to guess the
exact color And but for a solitary star
and the red lamp of a steamer lying of the
creeks mouth, this blue covered the whole
armament and face Of the earth.
Il -rf~r md nod rtf1f mn nm
the veranda. In minute or so sound
made me return. fetch a cap from the hall.
and descend the terrace softly.
Ny feet trod on bluebells and red-robins,
and now and then crushed the fragrance
oct of low-lving spike of gorse. l knew
the flowers were there, though in this curl
Gus light [ could only see them by peering
closely. At the foot of tho terrace pulled up
and leaned over the oak fence that guarded
the abrupt drop into the creek.
There was a light just underneath. It
came from the deck Of the hospital ship,
and showed me two figures standing there
a woman leaning against the bulwarks and
q man beside her. The man had a fiddle
under his chin and was playing annie
Laurie" rather slowly and with deal of
sweetness.
When the melody ceased. craned still
further over the oak fence and called down:
"Tubal CainP'
The pair gave a start. and there was
some whispering before the answer came
up to me.
'Is that you, sir?"
: ITO be sure" said l. "What are you
two about On board The Cleaner ?"
Some more whispering followed, and then
Tubal Cain spoke again:
ut doesn't matter now, sir. We've lived
aboard here for week. and to-night's the
end OF our hOneymooning. II it's no lib
erty, SIT, Annie's wishful that you should
Join US"
Somehow, the invitation, coming through
this mysterious atmosphere. seem ed at once
natural an0 happy. The fiddle began again
again as | stepped awav from the fence and
went down to get my boat out. In three
minutes was afloat and a stroke OF two
bought me to the ships ladder. Annie
and Tubal Cain stood at the top to welcome
me.
But II l had felt no incongruity In paying
this respectful visit to my eX-cOok and heI
lover, l own that her appearance made me
stare. For. If you please, she was dressed
out as lady, in gown of pale blue satin
trimmed with swansdOwn-a low-nec ed
gown, too, though she had flung a white
shawl over her shoulders. Imagine this and
the food Of blue light around US, and you
will hardly wonder that, hallway up the
ladder, l paused to take breath. Tubal
Gain was dressed as usual, and tuekiDg his
fiddle under his arm, led ME up to shake
hands with his bride as If she were queen
i cannot say if she blushed. Certainly she
received me with dignity; and then, invert-
Ing bucket that lay on the deck, seated
herself; while Tubal Cain and sat down
on the deck fac ne her, with our backs
against the bulwarkS.
'1t's Just this, SIR" explained the bride.
groom. laying his fiddle across his lap and