The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-07-26

tain, land your Jack is as safe at sea as
on land, for that matter But, you see,
something has happened. I've been
precious fool and gone and heaved anchor
just when I'd no business to do it. I've
sprung leak in gale, and wreck has
come of it. To tell the truth, plain
enough for a marine to understand it, I've
been specializing without knowing what
was about, and I've lost every penny I
possessed. I'm as poor today as Jobs tur-
key, and naturally I'm glad to see Lizzie
settled, for | shan't have cent to give
her, and I'm not young enough 60 make
another fortune"
Here the captain arose.
Settle the day between you, he said,
"1'll leave you together" and he rushed
out of the room.
Lizzie sank upon a sofa and burst into
tears. Melton Melton, Esq, stood near
her, with peculiar expression upon his
face.
It's very distressing" he said. '''Pon
my word, / sympathize with you. I-ah
I couldn't trouble you to talk about that
little matter at SO distressing moment.
L ami believe delicacy requires me to-
ah-depart-au revoirl''
And Melton Melton, ESQ.,, vanished
chuckle and Lizzie waited his return,
quite in vain
In week the captain and his daughter
had gone back to the old second floor in
the riverward street, and there, with the
painted furniture, the plaster parrots, the
bunch of white coral and other belong
i1gs which had been the pride of the late
Mrs. Hacket's heart, began a new life.
And thither, despite Lizzie's hopes, Mel
ton Melton Esq, did not come to offer his
fortune to the impoverished heiress.
Lizzie waited for a long, long while, and
then plucked up pride enough to inclose
Melton's ring in very contemptuous
note and send it back to him, and after
that, instead of pining away. she took
heart OF grace and resolved to despise
those BUTTERFLIES of fashion who had court
ed her society in the elegant establishment
over which she had once presided, and
who never found their way to the river
ward street and the humble rooms upon
the second floor
But thither once again Tom Hadaway
came often, coming in after those long
voyages with curious gifts from foreign
lands, showing always that kindness and
gallantry which a true sailor always shows
to women who are worthy of it and show
ing more than this-a true and constant
love which it might have been any wom-
ans pride to win.
And Lizzie, separated from the throng
of fashions votaries whose glitter had
blinded her, saw Tom Hadaways worth,
grew to be very, very fond of him, and at
last gave him her heart and hand, feeling
that all her Universities had been blessings
in disguise having brought her to this
happy end
They were married very quietly in the
morning, and in the evening Captain
Hacket proposed "a walk and some ice
cream ;" and the young couple assented.
The captain seemed in very merry mood
and full of some important secret. He
trudged ahead, followed by the happy pair
through one of the riverward streets to
those elegant quarters of the city which
it had once beef Bessie's lot to inhabit
and finally stopped before the very house
which had been theirs Tt was brilliantly
lighted from roof to cellar.
They're having party, it seems, !" said
the captain. ''Ah, now if we only lived
here, Ell? Different quarters from what
we've left, Ell? Oh, Lord love you! It's
enough to make man envious. "
No matter, papa said Lizzie 1--WE
are very happy now. don't care to
change for one. Where are you going?"
For the captain was ascending the stoop.
H." said the captain. Come along'
Lizzie and Tom stood confounded. It
entered Toms mind that having had
something to drink future prosperity to
the young couple in, the old gentleman
might have taken glass too much.
II beg you to consider, captain he be-
gan.
But the captain roared:
'SYou lubber, don't disobey ordersl We
are expected here.'
And at that moment the door opened
and in the hall were ranged all tho old
servants smiling and courtesying well
come.
''What does it mean?" cried Lizzie
sWhat can it mean?" cried Tom
1T means that I haven't been ruined
THAT'S all, " said the captain. 'sThis is
my house and has never belonged to any
one else. And, what's more, Tom Hada-
way, the Betsy Hacket belongs to me still,
and there wasn't word of truth in what
told you about being hired to navigate
her out of compassion by the new owner
I've played trick, for Lizzie's sake, ON
more than one know of. I reckoned that
landlubber had an eye to Lizzie's fortune,
tdiiu I've proved III Gfue. BuG gave che
same sauce to both ganders, and you, Tom
Hadaway, never guessed Lizzie was still
an heiress. If she isn't thankful to me
now, her eyes belle her,
And Lizzie's eyes did not belle her, for
in her heart she was thanking heaven for
her escape from a fortune hunter and
wondering how she could ever have cared
for any one but Tom Hadaway the least
in the world.
And in her own room Lizzie found her
own handsome wardrobe and was soon
dressed for the splendid wedding supper to
which the captain had invited all those
| good souls-friends of the past-who had
not been elegant enough for Lizzie in her
| first elevation to fashionable life. And
every one au1nitted that, on the whole, it
was the nerriest wedding supper ever
eaten, and that thenceforth Lizzie and
Tom were the two happiest people upon
| Sarth.-New York News.
Doctor and Parson.
IA 1, L.