Arizona republican., 1899-02-09

SINCI nm lis ECt.IcinC, winch he took
 like Q child, with the remark, If ever seaman wanted drugs, it's nc" he fell at last into q heavy, cv-oon-.il1e sleep in which l left him. What i should have done had all cone well do not know Probably l should have told the whole story to the doctor; fer l was iii mortal fear lest the captain should repent Of lis confessions ard rcake an end of me. Bat as things ieiI cut, ny peer father died qUitc suddenly that cverinr, which put all other matters on one side Our natural distress. the visits Cf the ncighbor-, thc arranging Of the funeral. and all the Wcrl, of the inn to be car ricd or ia thC meanwhile, kept me SO busy that l had scarcely time 10 think of the captain, far less to be afraid of him.
 He got downstairs next morning. to be sure. and had his meals as usual, though lie cat little, and lad more. l an afraid, than his usual supply Of rum, for he helped himself out of the bar, sowing and blowing through his nose, and no orc dared to cross hin. On the night before the funeral he was as drunk as ever; and it w,,s shocking.
 
 singing away lis ugly old sea-song; but. weak as he was. we were all in fear of death fer him, and the doctor was suddenly taken up with q case many miles away, and was never near the house after my fathers death. I have said the captain was weak; and indeed he seemed rather to grow weaker than regain his strength. IIc clambered up and downstairs, and went from the parlor to thc bar and back again. and sometimes put his nose Cut-of-doors to smell the sea, holding on 10 the walls as he went for support, and breathing hard and fast like man on steep mountain. He never particularly ad- dressed me, and it is my belief he had as good as forgotten his condolences; but his temper vas more 1lighty. and, allowing for his bodily weakness, more violent than ever. lie had an alarming way now when he was drunk of draw ing his cutlas5 and laying it bare be- fore hin on the table. But, with all that, h2 minded people less, and seemed shut up in his own thoughts and rather wandering. Once. for instance, to our extreme wonder, he Piped Up 10 q diff feront sir, kind of country love-song. that lie must have learned in his youth before he had begun to follow the sea.
 So things passed until, the day after the funeral, and about three o'clock of q bitter, foggy, frosty afternoon, vas standing at the door for q moment, fuli of sad thoughts about ny father. when saw some one drawing slowly rear along the read. He was plainly blind, for he tapped before him with q stick, and wore a great green shade over his eyes and nose; and he was hunchcd, as if with age or weakness, and wore q huge old t2ttered sC2-cloak with a hood that made him appear positively de- formed. Lnevcr saw in my life more drcadfuI-looking figure. He stopped a little from the inn, and raising his voice in an odd sinG-song, addressed the air in front Of him:
 ''NVin any kind friend inform poor ! bind man, who has lost the precious si ght of his eyes in the gracious defense Of his native country, England, and God bless King George!-where CT in what | part of this country he may now be-"
 "You are at the Admiral Benbow. ! Black Hill Cove, my good man. said I.
 J voice. Will you give me your hand, my kind young friend, and lead me in?'
 1 held out my hand, and the horrible, soft-spoken, eyeless creature gripped it in a moment like a wise. l was so much startled that I struggled to withdraw; but the blind man pulled me close up to him with a single action of his arm.
 Now, boy" he said, take me in to the captain
 Sir" said I, "uAon my word dare rot''
 "Oh," he sneered, that's it! Take me in straight, or I'll break your arm"
 He gave it, as he spoke, a wrench that made me cry ouf,
 Sir" said I, it is for yourself I mean. The captain is not what he used to be- He sits with q drawn cutlass. Another gentIeInaa--"
 Come, now, march, " interrupted he; and 1 never heard d voice so cruel, and cold, and u gly. as, that blind mans. l. ccwcd me more than the pain; and I began to obey him at once, walking in at the door and toward tke parlor, where the sick old buccaneer was sitting, dazed with rum. The bliHd man cIunS close to me, hOldlnS me in with one iron fist, and leaning al- most more of his weight on me than I could carry. Lead me straight up to him, and when I'm in full view cry out: Here's friend for you, Bill.' If you den t, I'll do this; and with that he gave me a twitch that I thought would have made me faint. Between this and that, was so utterly terrified by the blind beggar that l forgot my terror of the raptain, and, as l opened the parlor loc7, cried out the words he had or tered in q trembling voice.
 The poor captain raised his eyes, and lt one look the rum went out of him, md left him staring sober. The express ,ion Of his face was not so E1uch of ter TOT as cf mortal sickness. He made q 10 rise, but do net believe , a l,atI a,7c,rcil trr-4a I0ft f., 11ic Ilu(lV