The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-10
: CHAPTER XIV.

crew to work, painting and tarrtng and
greasing, 30 that the Sea Hawk looked
like huge floating hive, about which
great number of strange bees were
working with restless industry.
Squire Condit was not seaman; he
couldn' tell the difference between tho
martingale and pennant halyards, but,
as Ralph Denham's adopted father. he
felt that great responsibility had been
imposed on him by that young gentle
mans absence. He rowed oue-or,
rather. had himself rowed, for he went
Catching crabs" es falling backward
Is called, whenever he got an oar In his
hands-several times day; and he
would climb up 20 the deck, aud stand
with his feet apart and one eye shut.
and his face upturned to tho men aloft,
In way that was highly amusing. ;.
Every man on board knew and liked
the squire, and all dotted their caps to
him when they came near; and he, In
charming ignorance OF naval forms,
would shake hands with them. call them
by their Christian names, and present
hs snuff box to their paint-stained and
grimy fingers.
As the prospective father-in-law OF
Second Lieutenant Valentine Dayton,
the squire felt it incumbent on him to
encourage that young gentleman to
greater industry.
Valentine, as was his right made 1t
point to visit Ellen every evening. and
at such times the squire would exclaim,
with the surprise he assumed when sa-
luting an old topper, who had been
brought before him for the twentieth
time, for reprimand or fine.
WHAT you here, Valentine?"
Here again. squire, would be the
CHEEKY reply.
And you are quite sure everything is
shipshape and quite snug. sir, aboard
the Sea Hawk
yes, squire, everything right as
trlvet"
"Sure you've forgot nothing that
ought to be attended tor"
quite sure, squire.
because II you have, you know, 1t is
not too late to 60 aboard, sir, and fix up.
Though Ralph Den-I mean Captain
Denham Is off to New York, know he
Is forever thinking about the ship, and
how she's"
-Oh, she's we'll, squire, and I'll bet
she's thinking about him as hard as she
can"
why. you young rascal, am speak
Ing about the ship. 80
And I'm speaking about Cousin
Lea"
aOh, indeed" and then the Squire
would 20 off and draw his wife to one
side, and chuckle, as he whispered to
her:
my dear, fear our future son-in-
law is addicted to levity, and inclined
to make light Of life, which, as the
dominic tells US, is solemn thing, and
not at all to be laughed at.
Squire Condit knew Valentine Day
ton, ever since that young gentleman,
without any volition Of his own, ap-
peared In the village church for baptism
he knew Valentine Dayton's father ant
mother before they were married. ant
he often boasted that he could have GU
the former out il And he would
give many reasons, the principal ones
being that he was warm friend OF thu
senior Dayton, and was himself In love
with another girl at the time.
II Doctor Hedges had known Ralpl
Denham's father and mother he woult
not have dreamt OF refusing him hi
daughter; on the contrary, he woul'
have placed their hands together ant
repeated something like the thu eadbar'
formula, BLESS you my children. !.
II he had known Ralph Denhaml
father and mother, even II they wer
not SO good stock as his own-and h
flattered himself, as every other man
good standing. In Sag Harbor did, tina
hts own family was just little" 81
better than any one else's-why. d
would have offered no objections.
As a man who firmly believed Tn
days of miracles had passed for som
lxv,n N q n
the doctrine OF spontaneous genera
tion and wouldn't have believed 1t
he had-he was fully aware that kaip
Depham. like every other man OF hi
acquaintance, had father and
mother. :
As the tree Is known by Its fruit, b
might have reasoned that Ralph was
scion OF good stock; but the mischi'
about prejudice is that 1t does not res
son.
So the more he thought 1t over. an
the more he discussed the matter wit
GOOD Mrs. Hedges, who was not at a
ayerse to Ralph, the more settled D.
came his conviction that Lea shoul
not marry the young Captain.
With this determination firmly IKE
In his mind it follows. as night does u
day. that. from warmly liking Raj
Denham, Doctor Hedges gradually gre
to dislike him. AMI with positive nature
dislike is very near to hate.
The Doctor went about with his ey'
open, and during Captain Foxs sta
the attention to. aud the evident pre-
erence Of that gentleman for his daug'
ter. did not escape his notice, and IN n
heart he favored the suit OF the wal
derer's captain.
He did not know Fox's fatners o.
Fox was man OF wealth. q captain
the regular navy. aud, without doul
connected with or member OF one
the great aristocratic families oil En-
land In all OF whose veins--it was
this time cIa.med-the blood OF royal
flowed.
.you are my only child. Lea, g
the Doctor one day to his daught
when the question u9permost in &c
their minds was eng discussed.
live onl FOR you. an 1t Is due that
chou d iespeet my Judgment AID Oh
me
tvr sob yed you.
fatho4s ASKED Lea. IL iely quie