Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-01-16
ONE FOOT ON SEA.
By MARGARET G. HELMoRE.
copyright, 1896, by the Author
Men were deeeivers ever
One foot on sea and one on shore,
To one thing constant never.

oaghly suecumbed to the tender passion,
albeit, after the approved fashion of
sailors, small portion Of his heart had
often remained on loan in many a port
both at home and abroad.
Captain Fame was well built. hand
some man, standing few more inches
in his dancing pumps and red silk socks
than any Of the other officers of H NJ
5. Firefy, and his engaging manners
and appearance would have insured him
a welcome reception in any circle even
without that extra letter of credit which
IN this democratic age still continues to
serve its owner in good stead, the fact
OF his being the grandson of an earl
and heir TO baronetcy True the lives
that lay between himself and the estates
and title were humanity as good as, if
not better than, his own. taking into
consideration the risks encountered by
those who go down to the sea in ships.
His father was still in the prime of life,
and his grandfather, the present baronet,
might as likely as not outliye both MS
heirs.
Waiting for dead mems shoes is
much on par with looking for promo
tion from the lords Of the admiralty,
and Captain Fame, with prudence that
mothers of marriageable daughters re.
garded as calculating and worldly, al
ways posed as nonmarrying man, Civ
ing out whenever opportunity presented
itself that, much as he revered the fair
sex, he had never seen any member of
1T whose charms and virtue We're suffi-
fe1a m xvff II
Grafton that ensues after a dozen years
battling against the miseries of married
poverty.
His views ON the subject of Love In
a Cot, With Water and Crust, being
no secret, the captains evident surren-
der to the destinations of an absolutely
dowerless maiden, with apparently lit
tie i'll her favor beyond lovely face,
modest liveliness of disposition and
capacity for riding about the country or
playing tennis the best part of the day
and dancing from O'Clock in the even
ing until three hours after midnight,
afforded subject for much comment and
surmise among the officers of his mess
Cruising about among the islands
III the Caribbean sea, previous ac-
workmanship with the administrator
was the ostensible reason pointed out
by the finger of fate for putting into
the bay of Princetown, St. Vitus, which
sleepy little isle would always rouse it.
self from its normal state of torpiditv,
and, tiguratiyely speaL ing, hold ont its
arms to welcome the crew of man of
war.
1t was a glorious evening in June and
shortly before sunset when Captain
Fame s doom was sealed. The Prince
town tennis ground being bat stones
throw from the seashore, some of the
members of the club, heated with the
energy of play, had strolled out upon
the jetty to get a closer view of the
Firefiy and, as it proved, of some Of her
officers also, who We're then being Put
ashore by their Stalwart blueiackets.
Colonel Sandilands, the administrator,
was among the Number, bent upon eX-
tending invitations to dinner to as many
as Were disposed to avail themselves of
his hospitality. The English. as a rule,
are not demonstratiye or specially patri-
otto upon the surface, but as test Of
orr real nature there can be nothil
much more conclusive than the delight
with which we greet Il fellow country
man after some years of association
with foreigners and alienS-among the
latter class, be it understood, creoles of
the West Indies should be distinctly in.
cluded.
tHow are you, Fame, old fellow?
You know my wife. Come along-we'll
drive you up, or Will you 90 to the club
first and the ladies can send the buggy
back for us? Our girls are ON the tennis
ground, but the game must be over by
this time. Shall we look in for min.
ute?''
They did look i'll there, and excepting
the case of the susceptible Montague
and that other instance of love at first
sight so graphically described by the
sham shepherd boy in the forest of Ar
den, romance and history alike fail to
exhibit anything more sudden than Cap
tain Fame surrender.
And in truth the vision that met his
gaze was one that might have unsettled
"A St Kelvin or Seramus. Delicate as the
evening blossom of the frangipani tree
beneath which she stood. her dark, silky
hair blown into tiny tendrilS upon her
lovely forehead, with IA joyous light in
her glorious brown eyes and her supple
form displayed to the greatest advan-
tage, both from an artistic and hygionic
point Of view, she dexterously struck
her tennis ban with her racket. battle.
door fashion, in a spontaneously extern
porlZed match between herself and
bright faced Lad, whose skill appeared
sufficiently great % warrant his having
challenged the belle Of Princetown to
compete with him.
All unconscious rs they were of the
approach s. strangers. the players might
have continued their performance until
breayhlessuess or fatigue rendered one
/ or other III them incap SIC # further
effort had not Colonel Sanailands inter
rupted them with . complimentary
i ejaculation of Bravo hrayo
M.