Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-11-11

mediate surroundings Wnen III olu lduy
who had come in and settled herself beside
the girl behind him leaned over his
shoulder and said:
"Young man, will you lower this shade?
The sun is coming in my eyes"
When he had complied, she said,
''Thank you," and before he was fairly
seated she added to the girl, who was
plainly q stranger to her, "He's got a real
nice manner for a sailor"
The girls voice said politely, "Yes9"
Jack thrilled with gratitude at its little
touch of irony. The old lady went on:
"These sailors are such a brutal class of
men. Now when this young fellow gets
to be So I dare say he'll be drunken beast
like they all are, though his face is real in
telligent, don't you Think"
A flush that he could not control crept
from Jack Buckeyes bare throat to his
ears, and he shut his teeth together. The
girls voice was SO low that he could hard
ly catch her words.
"I'm sorry you have had such a bad expe-
rience of sailors" she said. Have many
of the men of your family followed the
sea9"
s'The men of my family have all been
gentlemen" retorted the older voice in a
highly indignant key. II should sooner
have my son turn pickpocket than go to
sea and drink and beat his wife and bias
pheme as these men do"
II am glad you don't add stealing to
their vices" said the girl, and again Jack
fancied a ring Of good humored sarcasm
in her voice. SIT shows that you really
understand sailors. If an officer locks his
chest, he's very likely to have it kicked
open. The things inside of it won't be
touched, but q sailor will not bear a refec-
ton on his honesty"
Jack turned the leaves of his book and
tried to understand the girl. His heart
was overwhelmed with gratitude to her,
and he ardently desired to strangle the old
lady whose son were gentlemen. The face
| Of his own mother came before him, and
| he tried to imagine her hearing what the
girl was listening to, for the old lady had
rambled on. "And I tell you," she said,
"a sailor is no better than a dog in the
| eyes of the captains. I'll warrant there's
few captains but what might be hung for
murder If the truth were known"
"I'm glad you think there are a few"
the girl said dryly.
"But you couldn't name one" cried
| the old lady, "where you were positiver'
II think I could" said the girl.
II suppose you are going to say your
gallant Dewey or Sampson or Sigsbee and
men like that, whose real early life you
know as much about as the papers do
II might" she answered; but I was
thinking Of my father, whom I know even
better than the others, though I've met
them all. He doesn't kill his men or
beat his wife or get drunk, but I'm
afraid If he had been in the place Of the
sailor in front of us, who, by the way, Is
my brother, he would have sworn the air
blue"
There was a pause in which Jack crushed
the "Sailor's Sweetheart between his
hands. He had listened with joy and in
| delighted belief to the first words Of her
retort, but when she claimed him as her
brother the conviction dropped from every
thing and left him breathless. The old
lady was completely undone, and he tri-
umphed in it with an almost ~extravagant
admiration for the girls quick daring.
Then the old lady found her voice.
Gan I can say Is that they have brought
you up to be a very impolite young lady
and very rude to your elders. Conductor
does this car go to Old Point Comfort"
The car stopped abruptly at the hote
doors, and the girl sprang down from it
but Jack overlook her as she reached thu
plaza.
Pardon" he cried; ''but you did that
up to the hilt, and I want to thank you
/ couldn't help overhearing, and-and-
Why He lost his words in the sur
prise of her naughty withdrawal.
II am sorry that you overheard, +" she
said. "My father is in the army, and
always defend any service that wears uni
form" She inclined her head slightly and
passed by him, to be arrested by Captain
Whitworth, who came putting toward her
"Eh?" he cried. "Mrs. Captain didn't
Gomez Well, come here, you young
scamp!' he shouted jovially to Jack. 81
want to present you to the sweetest young
lady in the service"
He believed in doing things thoroughly,
did the captain, and he kept the young
people standing together a half hour, al
though Jack was visibly i'll at ease and the
girl insisted upon it that she must make
her report to the other MRS. Captain
The captain and Jack watched her trim
figure as it vanished through the wirt
doors.
"Why didn't you behave your prettiest
you rascal?" cried the captain. "Give me
my book, there, and stop curling it into {
m~egaphone! l value that copy, and the
story Is a bird. I don't understand thu
young people Of this generation. In my
day we swore by tales like this, and thu
heroines we married stood ready to die fol
us as we. proudly, sir, proudly, died fol-
themP'
The first smile that had crossed his lips
since the car stopped fitted on Jacks face
There were those in the service who hae
never considered Captain Whitwortf
either dead or sleeping. 1.-THE heroios arr
the same today, SIR" he said ruefully
s'but the rub comes In the last witch
Take this Sailors Sweetheart Aftel
the heroics the coasts clear AID the Wind
fair and the hero can lay a straight courst
for the altar, whereas In reality that
just where the doldrums begin, and it,
anything but plain sailing"
The captain only glanced keenly int
the clear eyes of the Yosemite reserve ant
chuckled:
"Make 1t sor'-Cincinnati Commernia
Coincidences.
Condolences are always among the In
teresting surprises Of life. Here are twt
which happened in the career Of a yonnt
Detroit singer: The Young man was sing