Evening star., 1897-06-12
THE NAVY AND THE WOMAN.
BY CUTCLIPPE HYNE.
Copyright. 1897. by 8. 8. Mcclure Oo.)
Written for The Evening Star.

Copyright. 1897. by 9. 8. Mcclure Co..
Written for The Evening Star.
/ think 1t may be taken as one of the
most remarkable attributes of Captain
owen Kettle that, whatever circumstances
might betide. he was always neat and
trim In his personal appearance. Even in
most aff1uent hours he had never been
able to afford an expensive tailor; indeed.
1T is much to be doubted If during all his
life he ever bought a scrap of raiment any
where except at a ready-made establish
ment. but in spite of this. his clothes were
always coEspicuously well fitting. carried
the creases in exactly the right place. and
seemed to the critical onlooker to be capa-
bic of improvement in no one point whatso-
ever. He locked spruce even in oilskins
and thigh boots.
OF course. being sailor, he was handy
with his needle 1 have seen him take
a white drill jacket, tern to ribbons In
rough and tumble with mutinous MEM
bers of his crew. and fne-draw the rents
30 wonderfully that all traces of the dis
aster were completely lost. 1 believe, 90.
he was capable of taking roll of material
ard cutting 1t out with his knife upon
the deck planks and fabr.cating garments
ab initIO. and. though never actually saw
him do this with my own eyes, 1 did hear
that the clothes he appeared il at Val
paraiso were so made, ard / marveled at
their neatress. 1t was Just after his dis
astrous adventure in Cuba: he trod the
streets in n state OF utter pecuniary des-
ttution. his cheeks were sunk and his eyes
we're haggard. but the red torpedo beard was
as trim as ever. his-cap was spick and span.
the white drill clothes with their brass
buttons Were the usual miracle of per-
fection. ard even his tiny canvas shoes
had not much as a smudge upon their
pipe clay. Indeed. in the first instance, 1
think ii must have been this 5pruceness
and nothing else which m,de him find
favor In the eyes of so fastidious a person
as Ciotilde la Touche.
But be this it may, 1t is a fact that
Donna C1otilde just saw the man from her
carriage as he walked along the PaseO
de Colon. promptly asked his name, and.
getting no immediate reply, dispatched one
of her admirers there and then to make
his acquaintance. The envoy was instruct
ed to frd cut who he was, and contrive
that Donna Clotilde should meet the little
sailor at dinner in the cafe of the Lion d
Or that very evening.
The dinner was given in the patio of the
cafe, where pdlrn-frolds filtered the moon
leans, ard firefies competed with the elec-
trio lights. and at a moderate computation
the cost of the viands would have kept
Captain Kettle supplied with his average
rations for ten months or year. He was
quite aware of this. and appreciated the
entertainment none the worse In conse-
queDce. Even the champagne. highly
SWettenSu 10 suit Une SOutn par
ate, came most pleasantly to him. He
liked champagne according to its lack OF
dryness. and this was the sweetest wine
that had ever passed his lips.
The conversation during that curious
meal ran in phases. With the hors d
oeuvres came a course of ordinary civili-
ties: then for a space there rolled out
autobiographica account of some of Ket-
ties exploits, skillfully and painlessly ex-
tracted by Donna Clotilde's naive questions
and then, with the cognac and cigarettes.
a spasm OF politics shook the diners like an
ague. OF sudden one of the men recol-
lected himself. looked to this side and that
with a scared face. and raped the table
with his knuckles.
Ladies'" he said. imploringly. land
senors. the. heat is great. 1t may be
dangerous"
"Pah.T said Donna Clotilde. I'VE are talk
ing in English
Which other people besides ourselves
understand even in Valparaiso"
Let them listen." said Capt. Kettle. "1
hold the same opinion on politics as Miss
La Touche here, since she has explained
to me how things really are, and l don't
care who knows that / think the present
government and the whole system rotten
i am not in the habit of putting my opin-
ened Of people hearing them"
You. said the cautious man, drily,
have little to lose here. captain. Donna
Clotilde has much. / should be very sorry
to read in my morning paper that she had
variety. during the course of the preceding
night"
Pooh said Kettle" they could never
do that"
As resident of Chile" returned Silva.
''let me venture to disagree with you, cap
tain. 1t is a disease to which the oppo-
nents of President Quijarra are singularly
addicted whenever they show any marked
political activity The palm trees in this
patio have a reputation, too, for being
phenomena!1y long-eared. So II 1t pleases
you all, suppose we go out on the roof?
The moon will afford us a fine prospect,
and the air up there is reputed healthy
He picked up Donna Clotldes fan and
nantillaS The other two ladies rose to
their feet; Donna Clotilde. with a slight
frown OF reluctance. did the same and all
moved off toward the stairway. Silva laid
OBTAINING fingers upon Capt. Kettles arm
Captain. he said, If may give you a
friendly hint. slip away now and go to
your quarters
II fancy. sir said Capt. Kettle, that
Miss La Touche has employment to offer
me-"
IF she has, retorted Silva, (which I
doubt. 1t will not be employment you will
care about"
Il am what they call here on the
beacn. " said Kettle. "and 1 cannot afford
TO miss chances. i am married man, Mr.
Silva, with children to think about"
An, the Chilean murmured, thought
fully Il wonder if she knows he's mar