The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-06

cAPYAlN spASSKER.

p
60 W y. and the only way &c
s,.s fora father Is TO marry Dick
iisi % intend doing. Mlser. indeed
Hes grasd and noble. no matter II he
was smuggler. or pirate. OF whatever
Il was. No wonder Dicks 80 dashin1 |
and brave and independent. lie only
writes me that he's doing very well
cut there. but he wouldn't talk about
coming home to lx things mp with the
dear old governor" az he calls the cap
tain. unless he was successful. Dici
thinks all the world OF him. although
they dld qsarrd"
why doesn't he write his father
them"
'Because he forbade n when they
parted. aud Won know they are not o
yielding family. believe. wish they
were more So"
~ ne very time this conversation
was going on the few people that the
captain had about him were rapidly
concurrrlng IN an opinion that ne had
gone crazy. His two latest meals had
been like banquets compared with his
usual reparis. lie had issued stand
Ing order that hereafter he would live
as becamt the proprietor OF one OF the
finest landed properties IN the state
In the evening he went 40 far as to
Join himself In a bottle Of ale and 10
sing IN his fog horn voice some Of the
nautical classics that only 90 at their
best In the teeth OF a gale. The simple
truth was that he had paid the last
dollar due on the mortgages. and was
now longing for the safe return OF
Dick. who had threatened TO own a gold
mine before he came back to claim a
bride. The captain even thought OF
Margaret. and how like she was 10 what
her grandmother had once been. but
dismissed her with a conviction that
she would not have remained true 10
Dick on so weak a foundation as
girls FIRST love.
Within = week the quiet community
was shocked by the report OF Richard
spankor's death. lie was on his way
home. and had been shot by train rob.
bers whom he had attempted 10 resist
Tho letter bringing this brief account
OF a tragedy that left the captain moth.
ing TO live Tor and almost broke the
heart Of Margaret. told that the papers
ard money belonging 10 the young mar
had been forwarded. They followed
closely. and showed that Dick had
made good bis promise 10 win a for
tune. lie was richer than the captain
himself Then the girl pocketed her
pride and went TO Dicks father. she
read him the love letter from bis son
and IN each Of them was some sentl.
meni Of regard that filled the old mar
with rejoicing while he groaned at the
thought OF what might have been. The
beautiful young woman and the captain
were drawn TO each other 10 their com
mon ahllotlon until she was as his
daughter and had already been named
as the sole inheritor Of his property
One afternoon they sat talking In the
library when one Whitehead servant
rushed through the hallway TO the rear
OF the house while another stood. wide.
eyed and sPeeehless supporting herself
against the newell post
Dick" shriekcd the glrl. as a merry
laugh came from without
"Dlckr echoed the hoarse voice of
the old captain. % he caught the faint.
ing Girl ON his arm. and stood as
though 10 defend a beleaguered ship.
What's the row. governor? Did
give you a bit % fright?" shouted the
same iovial voice. "And Marrle. too?"
as he encountered the obstacle 10 Civ
Ing the captain a sonly embrace al.
low me" and he transferred the burden
90 his own arms. Nor was Il water
that brought her back to consciousness
and bushes And the first coheren'
sentence Of the captain was: shes
yours. Dick"
Yes. Il was Dick. bigger and hand
somer and more manly than ever. His
volunteer travelling partner had laid
him out with the heavy butt Of a Colts
revolver while they were on the way
10 the ncarest depot 10 the East. and Il
was the robber who had been killed.
with all Dicks money and papers on
his person. When grandma and the
captain danced quaint old figures at
the wedding Il was plain to the pretty
bride that they were living Tor the time