The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-10

promptly. i AZ tdhc you posh AoA
cruise"
you're making me very unhappy"
said Chrissie, burying her face in the
handkerchief.
you'll be more unhappy before
I've done with you," said the captain.
grimly. "And while l think of 1t, I'll
step around and stop those banns."
His daughter caught him by the arm
as he was passing and laid her face on
his sleeve. You'll make me look so
foolish" she walled.
"That1l make it easier for you to
come TO sea with me, said her father.
Don't cry all over my sleeve. I'm go
Ing to see parson. Run upstairs End
play with your dolls, and IL you're
good girl I'll bring you in some sweets"
He put on his hat, and, closing the
front door with bang, went of to the
rev rector to knock two years of the
sge which his daughter kept for pur-
POSES of matrimony. The rector
grieved at such duplicity in one SO
young, met him more than half way,
and he came out from him smiling
placidly until his attentionwa attract
cd by young man on the other side OF
the road who was regarding hsn with
manifest awkwardness.
"Good evening, Capt. Poison" he
said, crossing the road.
"Oh," said the captain, stopping. Il
wanted to speak to You. l suppose you
wanted to marry my daughter while
l was out of the way TO save trouble.
Just the manly thing should have
expected of you. I've stopped the
banns, and I'm going to take her for
a voyage with me. Yodll have to look
elsewhere, my lad"
"The ill-feeling Is all on your side,
captain" said Metcalfe, reddening
"ul-feeling?" snortcd the captain;
'you put me in the witness box end
made me laughing soock in the place
with your silly attempts at jokes, lose
me five hundred pounds and then try
and marry my daughter while I'm at
sea. Ill-feeling be hanged"
.That was business" said the other.
"It was,nsaid the captain, land this
is business, too. Mine. I'll look after
1t, promise you. think i know who'll
look silly this time. d sooner see my
Girl In Heaven than married to rascal
cf lawyer"
YOU'D want good eycsight," retcrt-
cd Metcalfe, who was becoming ruffied.
at don't want TO handy words with
you" said the captain with dignity after
q long pause devoted to thinking OF
something worth bandying. "You think
you're a clever fellow, but I know
cleverer. You're quite welcome to
marry my daughter II you can"
He turned on his heel and, refusing to
listen to any further remarks, went on
his way rejoicing. Arrived home, he
lit his pipe and, throwing himself into
an armchair, related his exploits.
Chrissie had recourse to her handker-
chief again, more for effect than use.
but Miss Poison, who was a tender
soul, took hers out and wept unrestrain-
edly. At first the captain took it well
enough. 1t was tribute TO his power,
but when they took to sobbing one
against the other his temper rose, and
he sternly commanded silence.
1T shall be lise---this--every day at
sea-" sobbed Chrissie, ,vindictively, "only
worse, making us all Ridiculous"
"Stop that noise directly" vociferated
the captain.
"We c-c-scan't," sobbed Miss Poison.
"And we d---don't want to-" said
Chrissie. Its all we can do, and
we're going to do IL. You'd better
g-go out and stop something else.
You Cant stop u.s."
The captain took the advice and went,
and in the billiard room of the George"
heard some news which set him think
ing, and which brought him back some
what earlier than he had at first in
tended. A small group at his gate
broke up into its elements at his APP
proach, and the captain following his
sister and daughter into the room cat
down and eyed them severely.
$50 you're going to run off to London
TO get married, are you, miss?" he said
ferociously. "Well, we'll see. You
don't go out of my sight until we sail,
and II / catch that pettifogging lawyer
round at my gate again, I'll break every
bone In his body. Mind that"
For the next three days the captain
kept his daughter under observation
and never allowed her TO stir abroad ex-
cept in his company. The evening of
the third day, to his own great surprise,
he spent at n Dorcas. The company
was not congenial, several of the ladies
putting their work away and glaring
frigedly at the intruder, and though
they could see clearly that he was
suffering greatly made no attempt To
put him at his ease. He was very
thoughtful oil the way home, and the
next day took partner into the concern
in the shape of his boatswain.
"You understand, Tucker" he con-
cluded, ms the hapless seaman stood in
n cringing attitude before Chrissie,
"that you never let my daughter out
OF your sight. When she goes out You
| go with her"
"Yessir," said Tucker, and suppose
II