The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-06-01
misce1lanen11s.
LOVE AND MONTY.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.
Tom Tarbox knew how to read and
write, after fashion. How he came
by those accomplishments no one was
quite sure; it was a mystery even to
himself.
Besides this he knew all about a
ship-not because he had studied
navigation in any college whatever,
but because, beginning as cabin-bOy,
he slowly fought his way up to the
honorable post of captain.
Captain and owner" he was proud
to say, "of the Sally Tarbox."
Sally was his wife's name, and his
wife had been a plump, good-lratured,
sailors daughter, who wore hoop
rings in her little brown ears, and was
rather too fond of scarlet ribbons and
blue-bead necklaces to be model Of
gentility
When they were married she felt
quite content with her little front
room in a riverward street, and indeed
was more than satisfied with the
glories which two green, papier-mache
parrots and bunch of white coral, to
say nothing of live parrot in a pew
ter cage, and tea-tray, straight from
China, with Chinese lady in the out
of-door costume upon it, lent to the
establishment.
But that was when Tom Tarbox was
''before the mast" and she had left
him long ago, and Captain Tarbox's
| daughter had other notions.
They lived in another quarter of the
city now, and in their parlor were Or
naments which put the parrots to the
blush, and people said Captain Tar
| box was immensely rich, and would
leave his daughter an heiress of the
first magnitude when he left the world
at all.
Pretty, and an heiress, she had
plenty who called themselves friends,
of course. She was belle in the cir
Gle to which her wealth had introduce
ed her, and perhaps her head was IL
little turned by the fattery she re-
ceived. A good girl at heart, she was
yet easily blinded by show and glitter,
and very apt to judge people by their
coats and the houses in which they
dwelt, and indeed, had dropped more
than one good soul who, in the hum
bier days of her life, had not been held
so lightly.
Moreover, she had grown to be not
quite so well pleased when, following
in her fathers wake on his return
from any voyage, she saw that hand
some, sunburned mate of his, Jack
| Thompson.
She had known Jack almost all her
life, and once she had been very fond
of him. She liked him still, and knew
that he was manly and handsome and
we'll educated. She knew, too, that
wherever he went his first thought
was to find some dainty gift for her on
| his homecoming.
Wonderfully carved fans, and ivory
bracelets, and curious earrings, and
mysterious work-boXes, and birds of
rare plumage, and shells of delicate
tints and beautiful shapes, had Jack
Thompson bestowed on her. And
there had been a time when she had
believed that her fathers wish might
come to pass, and Jack Thompson be-
come her husband, but with the ele-
CANT house in the fashionable square
had arisen other ideas.
So, during one of her fathers long
est voyages, she permitted Augustus
! Vandewater, Esq, who had. by slow
degrees, become the her beau ideal of
manly perfection, to slip an engage
and gave him permission to TASK
| Pe'Pto, III WIZ iiOoo "ppiO'Su
Consequently, when Captain Tar
box arrived grand news awaited him
news that made him quicker his face
and wrinkle his brows and growl i'll
dignantly:
why didn't you ask me first % said
the captain. ''That puppy Lord
love you! What do you women see
in a fellow like that? They ain men,
according to my reckoning-onlyg gals,
in wrong clothes Him -
He adores Inc, papa, +" said Kitty,
melting into tears. And should die
if you were cruel. Do consent, papa ~
'And how about Jack Thompson -
asked the captain.
At this Kitty curled her lip.
ut was not Jacks affair."" she sur
missed.
Jack loves you better than his
life," said the captain. 1--WE as much
as give him to understand that I'll
have no objections. Why, if | was a
girl, I'd have Jack Thompson before
any other fellow on earth. I'd trust
my daughter in that mans hands as |
would a ship. As for this fellow, the
only use you could make of him in the
time of storm would be to throw him
overheard to tighten the ship, and by
the Lord, Harry, his weight wouldn' t
make much difference. Poor Jack
Think it over, now, Kitty"
But Kitty was firm, and she was the
captains pet, and though the old man
gave his consent very reluctantly, still
Thompson heard the news with sad
heart, and sailed away to sea again
with the captain.
rHhic tho cont irlfS aS
but short one. He returned quite
unexpectedly one day, with something
unpleasant evidently upon his mind.
He made no explanation to his daugh-
ter at first, but sat with his hat on, in
a very disconsolate mood. He was
we'll enough, he said, when Kitty ask
ed him.
And after this statement he groaned
and said:
Poor lass p
Perhaps" thought Kitty, sit is all
about my engagement. Jack was
such favorite -
She was so sure of this that she felt
nervous about mentioning the fact
that Augustus Vandewater was anxi-
Gus that she should name the day.
but she did at last, and was surprised
to receive for answer:
1.-The sooner the better, lass-the
sooner the better. Yes, yes, I'll talk
to the young fellow when he comes. "
And as the young fellow" arrived
almost ON the moment, the captain
shook hands with him warmly enough,
and they sat down together very ami
cably.
The weather was discussed, also
other ordinary topics which are spok-
en- of as matter of course when peo-