The Atlanta constitution., 1894-03-13
4 STORY OF THE QUARTERBACK.
By MOLLIE ELLIOT SEAWELL.


tion as duck takes to water, much to
Admiral Beaumonts delight, who was not
wholly reconciled to the neW-fashioned
ships, where, as he disgustedly declared,
The chief engineer is captain, and the ship
is no better than iron kettle, with an
engine inside of her"
They made their way along the coast
Iefsurely. Every morning the cadets were
made TO go aloft and over all the rigging
for exercise, and they did it like cats.
BrydelI excelled at this from the first with
the utmost smartness. Esdaile, on the con-
trary, although his class rank was high,
did not do at all well in the practical e,.-
ercises of seamanship. He was growing
more unpopular every day with his class
and among the sailors he was hated.
The blue jackets who worked side by side
with the cadets on the summers cruise
were generally fine seamen and honest
fellows, and a pleasant feeling existed be-
tween them and the cadets, although the
distance between an officer and a sailor
was necessarily strictly preserved. Brydel
enjoyed nothing more then when it came to
his turn at the wheel, when, with a fore
mast man, he had his watch. All sailors
tell plenty of interesting things and
they all liked BryGen they MADE the watch
pass quickly enough. Not SO it with
Esdaile. lie treated the sailors with
supcrciliousness and selfish indifference that
made them hate him. and they
sometimes took sly revenge on
him by letting things 90 wrong,
for which he was responsible, with
out telling him. When he was sharply
called TO account by the officer of the deck
or the executive. there was a universal grin
in the fok'sl. With the other cadets the
sailors Were only anxious TO shield them,
II anything did go awry. Brydeu and Es-
dale We're upon the most distant terms
and neither showed any disposition to
Change them. After a le.surely cruise along
the coast they reached Portsmouth, n. H.
1t was 4 soft July evening, and the wind
was fair for them to enter the difficult
harbor. Brydeu with Atkins, a very
smart sailor, was at the wheel when they
were Weathering Pull-and-be-damned Point
"A name given by some testy shipmaster
whose vessel was probably lost there 1t
requires skllfuI seamanship for sailing
vessel TO weather this dangerous point,
where the slightest mistake in the moment
TO put the helm mp or aown VII pGl .
sh-J on HE rocks. The captain trusted no
body but himself to bring the friSate in.
IEe ship, WitE all her Hsht canvas set,
nOatcd lightly almost like d phantom
ship. The Pistat,.rua is one OF the most
beautiful rivers ON the Atlantic coast, and
in the pale sunset glow the water SHIN
mered like a sea Of opal. The white-winsed
Constellation came on ana on without
tac!liHS, and seemed literally rushing upon
her doom as the rocky point reared itself
mrHden3lN ln her BtY. But when 30 near
that her boWsprit almost touched the rock,
the captain, HnJ stood at the steersmans
side, gave the word, ana the ship, answer
ing Lel helm beautifully, came about like
ma4lc amt rpui'stei the dangerous p'ln..
In 4 little While she reached her anchor
age, and came 10 anchor IN uue Inan-o'-War
SlJ4e her sails being ClcWed up and her an
cnors dropped Ill an InconceiYably short
time.
Brydell was at that happy age whet every
chdl6c seems GcNgntfu! ana he was Just
as alJd u set ashore ut Portsmouth il
ne mad not enjoyed every moment when he
was actually cruising. lie looked forward
Win the greatest pleasure to seeing his old
friend Grubb, and only regretted the forms
which must be observed between an officer
ANA d private. GIuDO was such sensible,
selI-reapectins fellow that he was not at all
Likely TO lei BtydclI's natural generosity
lead nm hr40n tGc right point with a sub
ur4.aate B.lteA maze UP his mind that
GruDD would keep of tho ship ii possible,
and determined tie urst Ilne he g0t leave
TO 80 ashore 10 hunt UP his humble friend.
EuL t1e very ueAl morning, happening 10
50 Gil deck, lie ran across GrubD delivering
.o message 10 The officer of the deck. Gr4bb
touched his cap respectfully to BIydelo, but
ms pleasure was evident in his handsome,
suH-burneu face. The officer was just hand
Ing MIN a note. Brydeu shook hands cor
dlaHy with the marine, cayiuS TO the o1ti-
Ger. "triVate GruDb and l are old friends.
l have known hlm ever since | was a lit
tie lad. He got me the very worst Wigging
l ever had Tor almost killing him with my
parlor rifle"
The officer smiled and said:
private GrGbb must be a good man to
have renamed 1T the service SO long"
Il dunno about tnat, sIr," answered
Grub, blushins. I've BEEN in the sarvice
twenty-four years now gong twenty
five. l amt never asked Tor promotion, be
cause l amt d eddicaJed man, and I'm very
well satisfied WIN my increased pay, but
l reckon III stay Private Grubb as long as
the governmental let me"
Just then ESTATE appeared, strolling
along the deck. The instant Grubb caught
SiSnt OF him the marines face changed
and harder ed. 1he officer detained him a
moment to add sOme...lng to the note he
had written, and BrydeH stood talking with
the marine. ESdaile's Iace did not show
the slightest recognition. No one ON the
snip, except BrydeIl, knew of the relation
ship, and as he had not thought fit TO men
tion It, Esdaile, in his selfish soul, hoped
That 1t would not be suspected. Certainly
Il Would not be from the manner of either
father Oi son.
The officer had come back then. and Civ
ing his note to Grubb, and civilly returning
hIs salute. the marine went over the side
and was soon beng pulled away in the
boat
HFEdelI remained talking with the officer
who was very friendly 10 him, ana telling
the story Of the pariOr ride when came so
near being a tragedy instead of Il comedy.
And my father and Admiral Beaumont
both say that Grubb Is one of the most de-
serving men they ever knew, and he could
have had promotion lots of times, except
that he IS a tinid sort of an cid fellow
about some things, although as brave as a
lion in others"
Those men are very valuapIc," answered
the officer, "and you youngsters ought TO
treat them with the highest respect
"Iudeed, Grubb and l have always been
the 5featest chUms in the world said Bry-
dell, showing his boyish dirnples in a smile
Tine only thing l regret IN being a cadet is
that I cant go and spend the day with
Grub at his quarters as l used to when
was ten years Old and eat salt pork and
boiled onions; how good it tasted then"
Brydeil had despsed Esda;le before but
after tAat utter ignoring of his father, Es-
dale became even more contemplate than
ever in his eyes. Nor did he ever see the
slightest recognition afterward between the