The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-31

Reaching the quarter deck, WEIGH
stood at attention, forward Of the steer
age hatch. until his soldierly figure
caught the eye of the first lieutenant,
who was pacing nervously up and down
the weather side.
"Welchl" the executive officer spoke
sharply and stopped suddenly in his
hurried walk.
The cockswain sprang forward, and,
bringing his bare heels together in the
correct posture of attention, saluted
his superior.
"We're going to try and cut that
cable today and shall send in the third
cutter, with the launch, to do the work.
II will require cool head to handle
the cutter under fire, and there are
many chances that she may not come
back unscathed This work must be
done. and everything will depend on
the way the boats are handled. Lieu
tenant de Koven will have charge of
the expedition, and Mr.. Karl will go
in the cutter. Only volunteers will he
taken. and have sent for you to give
you chance to 60
''Thank you, cir, said WEIGH, with
tone of self possession, though his
cheeks flushed.
''You may go forward and quietly
pick out eight men for your boat Take
only volunteers and good, cool headed
men. When You have selected your
crew. report to Mr.. Karl. That will
dc"
LII I'D 50
rs fast as his legs would carry him.
This was a chance he had been waiting,
longing, praying for. The dangers of the
expedition did not occur to him, and if
| they had he would have worried little
| about them. He now had an opportuni-
| ty to distinguish himself and perhaps
show some people that-well, he would
not think Of this just now, but Cock
swain WEIGH did think of these things
| just the same, and the more he thought
| of them the more anxious he was to
start on the perilous expedition.
Eight men for the cutter were quick-
ly selected. He might have had twenty
times as many had he been ordered to
take them, but the chosen ones were all
strong, able men. who could be relied
on to do their duty under the most try
ing circumstances.
Getting his clothes bag from the bag.
room, as the other men were doing,
WEIGH dressed in a clean working suit,
with his big black kerchief correctly
| knotted about his throat, and hurried
down to report to Mr. Karl. 2
| In the steerage the naval cadets and
junior officers were just finishing an
early breakfast, and the japanese serv,
ants were hurrying back and forth
with tempting dishes and steaming
pots of coffee. The cockswain's knock
at the door brought the steerage
steward, and to him WEIGH repeated
his message. His words were heard by
the youngsters at the table, and one of
them sang out in clear, boyish tones:
''Come in, Welch."
The cockswain, hat in hand, entered
the room and found himself facing
Naval Cadet Karl, who was making
short work of a regulation navy break:
fast of bacon and eggs.
81 was ordered to report to you. sir. -
said WEIGH.
"All right, cockswain; come in here.
want to see you minute. and Karl,
jumping up from the table, pushed open
the door of his stateroom and motioned
to WEIGH to enter the little room where
the tumbled hunks and general untidy
appearance showed that Karl ) Japanese
boy had not yet put this apartment in
condition for inspection.
oucn an unusual proceeding en- the
part of their messmate as tc invite g
sailor into his stateroom made the eyes
of the other Young gentlemen at the
table protrude from their sockets
"Karl always was genius in eccen
tricity, but this move beats me. " re-
marked one of the cadets.
There was but one chair in the state
room. and in this Karl seated the sea.
man as soon as the heavy drapery al
the door had fallen behind them.
"See here, Andrew karl was visi
bly, excited, and his voice trembled 8
little as he spoke-"you' re going with
me today into verita BILE hell trap and
before we go want to tell you some
thing. Until after you had told the
commandant of cadets at the academy
that you were guilty Of 'gouging' al
that skinny exam. I never knew that
you cared anything for my sister.
acted like coward about that affair,
and I am willing to acknowledge it.
permittGd YOU to take the whole blame
because l was too cowardly to let or
that was the guilty person. I asked
you to help me at that examination
and you did it, When old Crook saw
on the floor that piece of paper with
the skinny problem on it, which you
had tried to pass to me, l should have
owned up at once that the problem was
intended for me and not for you. Well
I didn't own up to it, as / should have
done" Karl's face was now flushed
and he was raising his voice little
"You were dismissed and never lisped
a word to anybody in the academy
about my treachery.
"You took my punishment. You were
disgraced and your life was ruined
You could have ruined me had you
been less of a man. No, no'-Welcl
had now jumped to his feet and was
trying to say something-'I say you
could have ruined me, but you took my
disgrace and for my sake became g
homeless wanderer. After you were dis
missed from the academy I learned
that Nellie loved you. Yes; she wrote
me that she loved you, and, see, here il
the letter.
Karl drew from a pigeonhole in his
desk dainty envelope and passed it te
WEIGH, who sat with his hand shading
his eyes, as if dazed.
"Then I began to see how selfishly
had behaved" Karl went on. "Wher
you came on board this ship, an enlist
ed man, ! knew you at once in spite Of
your mustache and your changed ap
pearance, but Bill and the other fellows
didn't recognize you. Ihave done what
could for you here. but it hasn't beer
much that I could do. knew you