The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-22
4 SAILORS BRIDE.
"a YACHTING STORY.)
BY CHARLES V. HIcKIE.
Author of - Latter-Day Pirate" Etc, Etc,
Copyriehtea. 1915 by c V. HIekie


hurst.
II is a delicious June morning, ana
through the open window comes the war
hing Of a goldfnch amid the laburnum
tassels. and the scent of clematis, and
twinkling pencil Of sunshine which lights
Up the table bright with silver and crys-
tai and flowers.
Chrissie, a handsome girl Of twenty
with witching grey eyes and sylphlike fig
IRE. stands at the west window looking to-
wards the harbour. r.
con. Maddier she says, pOinting-'l'm
certain that's the Clarisse Harry m sst
have come in during the night. on, what
fun we shall haVeI
Madeline is some ten years older than
her pretty little sister. and ner conld1ul
in everything, ana knew ali about 10 some
time before of Chrissie's enSa8emeht 20
Lieut.. EsmOnde, late of II. NJ. >. aga
memnon, and now lsince he mas lnheIltSu
on his fathers DEATH, owner OF the dash-
ing yacht Clarisse, viii be gwen TO the
world. - ,,,
hanpy returns-here's a whole poslpasiu i
of .hillets dellX' YOU little puss says an
elderly gentleman with a broad, kindly
face and white hair. as he comes m ia anu
kisses the blushing girl aHeGtlohately ,
"Oh uncle what 30 you thlnk-We can
make out the Clarisse-there she Is, al
the red buoy. MI. .,,...,s
capital-now we shall have some glorious
And Uncle George who. truth to ten
never crosses the harbour without suffer-
ing untold agOnies-hums staVe or Two
of "A life on the ocean wave. as ne SITS
down to his chop and deNilleu kinney p
For he is a charming, sympatheuc GU
fellow. and loves the little girl as II she
were his own daughter. 49,,
soon the sisters are deep in the discus
sion of their letters-especialy one Which
hears the monogram H. f.. and give rise
10 much delightful conJecturlng.
my darling-I hope YOU VIII IKE my
little birthday present THAT Is the text,
Chrissie. 49,. .....,
teal Madeline-"A duck of a brooch, or
q pearl necklace-Or-' and so on.
The controversy still RACES, when break
fast being finished, the maid-serVant en-
ters with a message that the cabin boy OF
the Clarisse, which is in the haroor says
with Lieut.. Esmonde.s compliments, SIT
will you and the young ladies go with
him a little way at your conVenlehee
Fluttering with the delightful sense OF
mystery and romance, the girls hurry
their uncle into his hat and coat, am
the good man is hardly allowed time TO
light his cigar before he finds himself IN
their company, following the leadership
of the boy. .,..
Across the lawn the latter guides theta
and along the shores Of the SAT- water lakr
at the bottom of IL, and on till they come
TO a little quay. and out to the head OF IL;
And 10 and beholdl-there at the mead
of the quay, with amber-bright manila
ropes and sJanchions that shine ike gold,
and decks as white as cotton, ana Myo-
sotis" painted in silver hligree on hei
stern-lies as dainty little steam-launch
as ever left a builders yard!
(Which / 'opes you likes the looks OF
her. miss?" says the grun old sailor on
board, pulling his forelock. steam up
now. miss touching a string and pro-
ducing a white pun of steam and a shrlll
whistle, ''if you'd like a sail?'
1t is an like a delightful dream to Chris
sic, who despite the wisdom that should
have come with her years-twenty Of
them, all told-is but a child after all, ami
nushes with happiness to the very roots
of her auburn curls.
for ard, with green velvet upholstery ana
a duck" of a walnut table, and in the
middle of the table a vase of blush-roses,
and nesting in the flowers an. envelope ad-
dressed to Miss Chrissie Somers,' and
which being opened, dlscloses a card IN
scribed: TO my darling Chrissie on her
loving II. F. e.
An inscription which evidently includes
businesses and vas and table and cabin
and yatchlet all complete.
~ ould the ladus like to see the hen
gines work." the old salt suggests pres
emily. They're the most powerfulest
hengines ever sot up in a craft like this
here. I'm most aifeared they'll lin her
off the water at top speedway, but l am,
sir, honest" he adds for the specinal BEN
efit of Uncle George, who beams indis-
criminately all around
AOulQ an dEQsl nave Caught lllt eA pres
sion of Chrissies radiant fact, as a few
minutes later her little ship flew over
the level surface of the lake faster, and
faster and faster, until the fresh summer
wind lifted the little sailor hat and toyed
wooingly with the lustrous curls, that ar
list would have made his fortune
Chrissie was pasSiOnately fond of the
water. Indeed, It was the picture of the
beautiful girl pulling her boat in the har-
Dor. her cheeks flushed and eyes spark
ling with the graceful exercise, which
brought out every charm of her perfectly
nodded figure, that had carried young
Esmonde's heart by storm the very first
time he had seen her.
And now, under the care of Old Fred,
Who by the way, was greatly attached
the Clarisse though rather past his WORK,
in consideration for his helpless family,
she spent whole days, and day after day
on the water.
If an additional attraction were wanting
it lay in the freedom il afforded her from
the attentions of a certain Mr.. Blakely,
whom she detested.
l3lakely was an annual visitor 10 Lang
ley-on-Sea, where he took one of the best
houses-a dissipated-looking dandy whose
enormous cigar and bull terrier were ia
Tniliar features among the fashionable
mob on the esplanade.
If you did not meet him there you could
rely on finding him at the Monctom Arms
imbibing considerable. quantities of bran
dy and soda, and flirting with the Circes
of the bar.
tent that he had become a source of con
slant annoyance to her.
So much so indeed that she had looked
forward with a little misgiVing TO a socia
gathering soon now to take place.
This was the Bachelors Ball an even
which sent an annual thrill of excitement
through the little watering place
This year the ball was to take place rath
er earlier than usual. about a fortnight
in fact, after Chrissie had been present
ed with the steam-launch, as above mar
rated.
The bachelors of Langley knew now t,
do these things, and when the night ha;
come and the great pavilion which ha'
been erected in the grounds of Beauliel
court was ablaze with light, and Vari
colored lamps hung like great tropica
flowers from every shrub in the walks
and a crescent moon touched the fir top
with silver-it was quite like a pictur
from fairy land. The excellent string ban,
of the Ruiz Brothers which had beef
brought down from London for the occa
sion. occupied a platform at the end 0
the marquee.
Chrissie, looking exquisite in a filmy rose
tinged dress bright with the soft lustr
of pearls which set of her ivOry-puri
complexion TO perfection, was the queer
Of the ball
II was a great disappointment that he
lover had sent a message at the last mo
TUHUf that o would Ba uuaVnfTa ft1rr rt.