The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-02-06
A SAILORS REVENGE.

Bella Madison IS troubles were the re.
suit of certain eventualities. She was
very pretty and had n>Any lovers. These
follow in the natural order of things.
Her father, old Tom Madison, had been
q ooasting skipper; but, his wife dying
about the time his craft was condemned
for unseaworthiness, he had fallen on
evil times and drifted silently down
the ebbtide of his existence, mindful of
what had been and striving to act well
by his girl
So pretty Bella came to be tall, slight
and gracefully rounded, looked 20
though barely II. She was a pretty,
flushed, dark haired British girl, who
could row her fathers skiff or stand
her lovers chaff with easy grace.
Matters went smoothly enough until
Dick Hathaway stepped In and gained
the girls promise. He was tall,
bright faced, manly fellow of 25 or
thereabouts and skipper Of the ketch
Sultana, a craft peculiar to the lower
Thames, trading mainly with the home
ports.
One night shortly after their engage
ment the two were sitting in the dusk
of the twilight talking of the future
which lay SO bright before them. Only
one figure loomed dark across their
horizon-Bill Hanson, man whose
lover attentions Bella had persistent
ly discouraged.
But the glamour of love and the
witchery Of the girls presence in the
firelit room made Dick laugh lightly at
her fears when she told him.
Don't you trouble your pretty head
about Bill Hanson, Bella" !" Dick whis-
pered as be strained her to him, kissing
her good night. 81 must go now, dear
We're sailing at IL o'clock, and if Bill
Hanson says anything to you just let
me know, and Pip
"Hush! Oh, Dick, what's that?''
A face glared in upon them standing
in the firelight--a dark face framed in
the window pane-indistinct vanish
ing, then
Crashl
The window fell, splintered into
thousand fragments
Dicks face was dark with anger as
he strove to free himself from the cling
ing, frightened girl. But when at last
he got outside he was too late The
street lay vacant and deserted
A fortnight or so after this Bella
was coming home through the blaring
streets from spell of Saturday nights
shopping. 1t was raw, wet evening,
and as the girl hurried along, turning
into the quieter streets, she heard foot
steps behind her. They blundered stead
lily on until she came to narrow pas
sage little frequented, but short cut
Go her home. Pausing, she cast a hur-
ried glance over her shoulder, then de-
oided to take the cut Before she had
traversed many yards she heard the foot
steps quicken. Slaokening her pace, she
stepped suddenly into the shadow of an
archway, hoping her pursuer would
pass in the gloom. But in another mo-
ment he had halted abruptly before her.
"What cheer, Miss Mallison?" cried
a voice, which she directly recognized
as Bill Hanson's.
"Oh, how you did frighten bodyp'
cried Bella, quickly proceeding on her
way.
''Stop, Bellai'' cried the other. "You
didn't used to be frightened of me-
now, did you?''
81 didn't know twas you
"Are you sorry it's me?''
''I amt glad, :" returned the girl
Bella" answered the man, ''is it
true what I hears about Dick Hatha-
way?'
''I don't know what you heard. F"
''Yes you do. Bella, you know I
love you; strikes me you know it as
well as l do, and yet you chuck me over
same as if I was only dawg"
L never gave you leave to talk to me
So" cried the girl hotly. you've been
drinking again, Bill Hanson. &"
Drinking, have I? Yes, 1 have.
More nor drop too. What's more,
you drove me to it.
Il never encouraged you, I'm sure, -
said Bella
No, you never did. That's where
it sticks It's me as did the loving. It's
me as did the blooming dawg, dangling
after your pretty footsteps. It's me as
did ID all. Chuck Dick Hathaway,
Bella. Chuck him and take me on.
81 love Dick, 4" returned Bella.
You mean what you say?"
eyes, I dc"
"And I can go hang?''
"Oh, never said itl''
No, but you meant it. Well, I'm
off. It's wrote I can go hang"
He turned on his heel as he spoke and
left her TO hurry home, trembling, alone
For a time no more was seen of Han
son, but rumor told how he was to be
met nightly at the bar of the Golden
Scorpion, gin palace of preposterous
radiance at the corner Of High street.
Early in the new year the Sultana start
ed again, with Dick Hathaway as skip
per, on trip TO F9lkestone, this time
with cargo of Goa. and pretty Bella
now wife of some three days expert
ence-as mistress on board.
1t was a bright, fresh day, with
steaming sun drawing moisture over
the Essex marshes Far astern London
lay mysteriously curtained in a purple
haze. A little nearer, lying off the port
quarter, where Bella stood, the wharf
they had just left melted slowly into
the haze. There, too, stood one solitary
hgure-her father, waving his old ker
chief bravely.
Poor father" Bella sighed as she
turned from looking at last. ''I'm afraid
he'll find the old place dull now I'm
gone.
"You aren't sorry you came, lass, are
you?"
'fNo, mol Oh, Dick, you know I'm