The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-17

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,
Welch dressed in clean working suit,
with his big black kerchief correctly
knotted about his throat, and hurried
down to report to Mr.. Karl.
In the steerage the naval cadets and
junior officers were just finishing an
early breakfast, and the japanese serv-
ants we're 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 Welch repeated
his message. His words were heard by
the youngsters at the table, and one Of
them sang outin clear, boyish tones:
.sCome in, Welch.
The cockswain, hat in hand, entered
the room and found himself facing
Naval Cadet Karl, who was making
short work Of regulation navy break
fast Of bacon and eggs.
s.I was ordered to report to You, sir. "
said Welch.
.sAll right, cockswain; come in here.
Iwant to see you a minute. and Karl,
jumping up from the table, pushed open
the door Of his stateroom and nlotioned
to Welch to enter the little room where
the stumbled hunks and general untidy
appearance showed that Karl IS Japanese
{ boy had not yet put this apartment in
condition for inspection.
Such an unusual proceeding on the
part of their messmate as tc invite a
sailor into his stateroom made the eyes
Of the other young gentlemen at the
table protrude from their sockets.
sKarl always was genius in eccen-
tricity, but this move beats me, : re-
marked one of the cadets.
There was but one chair il the state-
room, and in this Karl seated the sea-
man as soon as the heavy drapery at
the door had fallen behind them.
.sSee here. Andrew Karl was visi-
bly, excited. and his voice trembled a
little as he spoke ssyou re going with
me today into veritable 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 cf 'gouging at
that skinny exam. I never knew that
you cared, anything for my sister. ]
acted like coward about that affair,
and / am willing to acknowledge it. 1
permitted you to take the whole blame
because was too cowardly to let on
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, I should have
owned up at once that the problem was
intended for me and not for you. Well,
= Ididn t own up to it, as ! should have
done. Karl's face was now flushed.
and be was raising his voice aslittle.
.sYou were dismissed and never lisped
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''-Welch
had now jumped to his feet and was
trying to say something-.sI say you
could have ruined me, but you, took my
disgrace and for my sake became a
homeless wanderer. After you were dis
missed from the academy / learned
\ that Nellie loved you. Yes; she wrote
me that she loved you. and, see, here is
the letter..
8 Karl drew from a pigeonhole in his
{ desk dainty envelope and passed it to
N,elch, who sat with his hand shading
>his eyes, as if dazed.
::Then I began. to see how selfshly I
had Sehaved, . Karl went o1a. "When
you came on board this ship, an enlist
ed man, IYknew You at once in spite Of
your m lstache and Your changed ap-
I pearance. but Bill and the other fellows
didn't recognize you. have done what
could for you here, but it hasn't been
much that / could do. l knew you
would want to go on this cable cutting
trip, and 7 asked the first lutf to send
you with me in the cutter.
..I have kept 10Y secret, but in this
letter, which have just written, !
have told the fellows all about you and
how you took my punishment like a
hero-yes, that's the word, hero, for
you are hero, Andrew, and I'm con-
founded rascal. If I don't get back
from this trip we are going on today,
the boys will find this letter in my
desk. have written home. too and
Karls face became pale again, and he
nervously shuffled the papers in his
desk. Nellie will know about it too.
I have told her all ir this letter. y
The naval cadet and the seaman
faced each other in silence moment.
then they separated, each to prepare
for the hazardous venture in which
they were to participate.
When WEIGH walked out through the
steerage country to the forecastle,
tightly clasping in his hand the dainty
envelope Karl had given him, his face
was paler than usual.
At II o'clock the battleship and the
rest of the squadron moved in toward
the harbor and opened fire On the Span
ish batteries, several miles distant.
While the big guns roared and the
shells were flying toward the beach,
sending the Spanish gunners scurrying