The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-12-29
THE HARBOR OF MEYER.

OF the tricks of the trade. He knew al
the crooked roads straight up to the hilt
AMI none was too narrow for his expanst
OF beam. He had cruised over then
many times. When he grew tired OF
robhing his owners and the port brokers
he turned his cunning to the marine I'M
derwriters, those innocent victims of i
wicked mercantile world. Ransom ha(
all the truth of the I.ascar, which ISM
any, and the thirst OF a woolen sponge
! which is much, His coMceit was rs
genuine as his own front teeth, and hi,
language as filthy as a coolies cigarette
He was big thing with little soul
He had no rival atloat. and only one
ashore. The hitter was Il man who had
driven a night hack the best part of his
life, and had managed to keep out of Jail
which was quite as remarkable as Ran
SONS run of luck. One particular morn
downtown hotel and took an observation
Of the room that surrounded him. His
recollection of how he came there WAS as
fuggy as the air above longshorenan'
pipe: hut that was Il small matter. for
his throat was as dry as the cap OF a
lime burner. So he turned out all stand
ing. condition Of general utility in
which he had turned in. And he went
below decks to the street and down to
the pier head. at which his bark was
berthed. \ familiar smell came from the
galley door as he dropped aboard, and
presently the oder Of friZzling bacon was
waited aft to the cabin table. Bacon
was a staple article aboard the Iron
Duke, and the smell Of it had been known
to asphyNiate the flies which, like the
bats Of a famous man. chung to the cell
ing and laughed at a tOpSy-turvy world
'We'll be home for Christmas. don't
you think. sir?" inquired the steward. as
he laid the bacon on the table. The
Iron Duke was Falmouth bark. but
Capt. Ransom was from North Shields,
and the steward being a townsman, con,
Sitlere1 himself privileged.
Hang Christmas" snapped the skip
per, like the star piston of triple eXpan-
sion. ITS bally little l care for Christ
mas; The day was made for fools-an,l
children"
He had the last word out before he
saw the tiny thing lying on the offshorc
side of the table. and he must have rec
ognlzed the writing on the instant, TO,
he colored a trifle, crossed over and
picked it up.
Breath Of summers sunbeam. She
never forgot him. When she could
scarcely decipher the signs above the
tradeSmen'S windows she wrote him baby
love letters to every crevtce OF the world.
He had polluted their childish fragrance
with his habits and his sins. Still, they
were to him the only golden memory of
Yesterdays rays when his heart was not
so black and his conscience so elastic.
He sat down at the head of the table.
broke the seal and read with a conscious
ness of something soothing stealing over
him that which the mothcrless girl Of II
had IL nf W for tx,,,
days before. The last few lines came
upon him like the sting of m adder. and
he had drunk them IN again and again
when the chief mate came bowling in.
This officer was as unromantic as Fiji
chief. He was always going along at
top steam. used to eat onions for his
nerves and drink black coffee to kill the
odor. which killed his nerves and not the
odor. He was for getting money, and
though he had never read Edward Noyes
NeStcott, he believed, with David Hal
rum. that the proper thing was Ito do
unto the other fellow the way he'd like
to do unto YOU. an do it fust." 1t was
the one rock of dishonesty that he and
the skipper honestly refused to split upon,
and they hitched up to be tip-top team.
"Well finish tonight" said the mate.
as he took his place at the table. She's
little by the head, so | have ordered the
Stevedore to get some of that stuff out OF
the fore peak. We ought to get away
by Saturday, and home for Christmas
Last year. when--
You will do me the kindness, Mr..
Palmer. said the skipper, with top
gallant cath that made the steward slip
ms moorlngs and ware for the open deck,
net to mention Christmas to NE again.
Men who talk about Christmas and that
sort Of rot are not properly ballasted,
How much water do we draw
The captains face was as black as the
rcarguard Of a winters twilight as he
spoke. and without waiting for an an
swer to his query. he turned toward the
mate and said, in most patronizing
way:
Palmer, don't know you very long,
but | like you and believe that you are
to be trusted. If | didn't | would hest
tate about saying what | am going to
say. am in an awful hole. The mis-
chief of a hole. have, as you must
know. been on a bit of spree ever since
we arrived: l am in debt up to my
neck, and there is no way for me squar-
ing accounts with my owners unless -"
There was a peculiar look in the eyes
Of the mate. The port optic always had
a bit Of squint and the captain hung
hre, evidently drawing the chief officers
fire.
Unless You lose the bark" inquired
the mate, with d suggestive ring to the
interrogation.
No. That doesn't pay with the board
G1 trade. Unless we string this trip out
Ohder ordinary circumstances we should
reach the channel by December 20. but
by taking southerly course. and losing
portion of our rigging and spars, we
could Just jog along and make the bish
ops in February. An intimate friend of
' mlne.he'S broker at Lloyd's-does a
little IN the overdue line. | have placed
myself in communication with him, and
gwen nm the tip. that l expect to be fifty
days longer on this trip than is necessary.
He is to wait until the reinsurance gets
up to 20 or 10 guineas per cent. and then
take all OF it that he can get. Well, We
VIII turn up all right, and the three of us
VIII divide: | owe few personal debts.
debts Of honor they call them, though
faith they are debts of dishonor, and rs
In have to overdraw my account to pay
these and the other bills it will probably
Blackfrier, Piccidilly & Co., and intend
to TO string it out as long as possible.
They'll probably give you the command.
ana with the rebate on the reinsurance
and the extra wages that l will earn. l
may be able to clean off the slate"
We'l! drink to the health of the under
w W.T.. RS: said the mate: a CLEAN of per-
ard!'' -'@'' ''e"
"Here's to the Downs in February
Palmer said the skipper as the steward
Went out of shoaling '"The health of
the Downs bung up and bilge Free
You were a bit upset when / smoke
to So" about-well, you know what" re-
marked the, mate presently. "Any bad
news from hOme?''
None, more's the LUCK replied the
captain, nervorsly lingering the tiny
square letter that lay On the table in
front Of him. eff she'd only find fault
with me sometimes wouldn't feel quite
SO guilty: But she praises me, and ali
thai, and l can't stand signals of that
kind. Some day, soon, III be good, for
Der sake. But not just yet. was
huffed, l admit, about your mention of
Ghr1Stmas because..well, because my lit
tie Emiline has a Santa Claus like other
girls, or, should. But then, hold anger
as much as the stove in one of these
American trans holds heat, and-well,
this letter has made me sad"
Any, stick is good enough to club 4
man with when he's sluggish in stays"
said the mate, who was a bit of diplo-
mat, and knew on which side his bread
hyff