Evening journal., 1898-10-08
AN ELOPEMENT.

AN ELOPEMENT.
Eyes, sir, there's plenty Of romance
here. It comes down in trainfuls every
Saturday an bank holiday an hangs
about an gets so mixed with the spars
an ropes that you can't walk about
without runnin up agen it, j" said old
Billy Stumps, the best known boatman
and cleverest wholesale manufacturer
Of yarns on Margate sands,
"Mind you" he added, in concilia-
tory tone, az amt a-grumblin about no
romance-not q bit on it. Why, sir, il
it hadn't bin for romance, wouldn't
ha' bin the owner an navigatin had
miral Of them six boats as lies below
there
"Story, sir, " he muses., as no loads
his short, black clay. "Well, Ill tell
you this story if it's anyways welcome,
an it won't hurt them as it's about
cos tho last l heard they was with the
harrny in India, which to all accounts,
though / amt never visited the coun-
try, amt safe for boatin COS of the orok-
idiles and hallygators
"Well, sir, it was ten years ago an
naturally was ten years younger, an
the Seabird-that's her with the dark
blue hull an the red streak along the
gunnel-had just been built to my ex-
press designs. Twas loungin along here,
Just as l might be today, only it was
the beginnin of June, when up comes
one Of the young toffs as was stayin
at the big hotel. He know'd me, an ]
lnow'd him, for we'd bin sailing an
fishin together many times. He was a
nice young feller, too, with as purity
ways an as handsome face an kind a
manner Of talkin as you ever seed.
'Stumps, says he-he generally
called me Stamps when there was bust
ness about-'S Stumps. he says, i wants
to talk to you.
Yes, sir, ses. respectfullike, COS
] could see it wasn't a story he wanted.
'Stumps, he says agen-makin the
second time he'd said lido you know
what it is to be in lover
We'll, sir. ses, carefullike, so as
to hide my surprise, I've seen good
/ deal ON it.
"'Never mind what you've seen, he
, says, kinder riled. 4 want to know
whether you've got any sympathy fol-
them as is in love. You an have been
friends, Stumps, amt we?'
, "'Corso we have, sir, ses, an I'd
do anythink for you, if it was only foI
t the Seabird's sake, as you've said waI
the smartest craft abouts.
IAN you like Miss Barclay, tooS' hC
asks.
"Well, didn't like TO show it, but
was completely took back, for, bless
I you, there wasn't prettier nor sweetel
nor nicer lady in Margit than Colone
a Barclays darter, as had taken housC
0 for the season. Why, she used to come
down among us every day an bring Vi
= books an flowers an fruit on Sundays al
talk an laugh just as if she was com
= mon bein. An now comes to reo'lect
I'd seen this young feller-Mr. Egertoi
was his name, and nice young feller
too-I'd seen him look at her and folle
her, an l won't say as wot he didn'
. speak to her sometimes, though tina
q amt no business Of mine nor yourn.
s "Well, / tells him straight what
e thinks Of her, an he smiles all over hi
face an holds out his hand, an / won
deny as it struck me when he smiled q
he was just the young feller as a MIC
= gal like that would fall in love with.
s "Come for sail, he says. Il cal
tell you better then.
$50 we gets the Seabird, as had beei
l painted afresh, with a pair of triang la
4 yotting flags on her bows, an beat
a about for awhile before he begins.
e Stumps,' he says, it amt ever.
8, man as I'd trust with my private con
= sarns, much less my love affairs, bu
y I've took snch fancy to you as can
: let go on. dessay, he says, it'll SUI
= prise you as Miss Barclays a-goin I
- marry me some day, but as the old
4 forget what the precise word was-'b bu
le as the colonel amt agreeable to tn
l. match we air agoin to take the tiller i
+ our own hands and run for the fust Oh
portunity as offers. Now, Stumps, h
!. says, you're a good sailor an brav
! man, an the Seabird's the smartest Graf
al ON the coast, an it seems to me as "
N could do this job better and more o.
fectooallike by sea than we could b
land. You need have no fear Of the cor
sekens, he says, COS I've got plent
y of money, an Miss Barclay is old emu