Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-08-18
THE ALBATROSS.

1879 wv
Richard Sparshott was a self made man.
OF lowly birth and with scarcely any
education, he had succeeded in working
his way from the bottom rung of LIES
ladder until, at the age Of 40, he was
known at Lloyd's as the wne Of a sub
stantial fleet Of merchant vessels doing
business in many waters. Yet his golden
rule was the very ancient and simple one
practiced by u primitive progenitors,
"Let him take who has the power; let him
keep who cam"
There was only n person in all the
world upon whom Sparshott ever wasted a
tender thought.
His reason for marrying was simply
that he required a housekeeper, and the
simple regret he felt at his wife's death
was because it necessitated his engaging
paid assistance to superintend the house
hold arrangements and look after the well
being of his only child, Grace. Nothing
that wealth could procure was denied to
her, and as she blossoIned into bright and
pleasing womanhood she became more
and more precious to him.
So much was this the case that the very
love he bore her became tho cause of much
suffering to the girl. Handsome and of a
sweet disposition, Grace Sparshott was re-
garded as q valuable prize in the matri-
monial lottery. Suitors swarmed around
her in abundance, and for long she was
quite content to allow her father to dis
pose Of their ~pretensions in that curt, un-
bending name Of which he was al adept.
At length, however, her virgin heart was
besieged and captured by youth who was
of far sterner mettle than his predecessors.
Richard S%parshott tried his usual con-
temptuous refusal. This failing, he storm
ed and ragged. What! Allow his daughter
to marry a civil engineer, who had between
him and pauperism nothing but q few
mine? Was it likely that any parent
would consent to see his d~elicately I'LL
tured child carted out Of the country by
the first young fool of an emigrant who
came along?
Leonard Harrison allowed the elder
man to rave on until he was exhausted,
then ~courteously but firmly explained
that his property was not a myth, that he
had no intention of residing in South
Africa after tho next year, and, further,
that as the future happiness of both Grace
and himself depended upon their union, he
would not take a refusal.
The boys obstinacy would not have dis
concerted the shipowner much were it not
for the fact that Grace was equally per-
sistent. Daily scenes of recrimination
,,ouo o,,nokol Ho%r,oo,, %ho,, t. xxyo ,fko,r
an extra violent explosion Of this nature
that Sparshott, rushing from the house to
avoid the sight Of his daughters tears, re-
membered he had IN important engage
ment in the city.
Captain Winch, who awaited the owner,
was an unvarnished and weather stained
replica Of his master. Cruelty seemed to
lurk in his shifty green eyes, and there
was a strange similarity between the
mouths Of the twain as they sat confront
ing one another.
After making final arrangements for the
sailing Of the Albatross, which was start
ing from Liverpool to Cape Town with a
cargo Of cotton goods that evening, Spar
shott became more expansive.
YOU'RE getting old, WINCH" he re-
marked jocularly. II suppose you will
soon be thinking of laying up"
Dunno, sir, " replied the captain. II
reckon there's more voyaging left in me
chan there is in the old Albatross."
"She's we'll insured
A further glance was exchanged between
the two WORTHLESS.
After a pause, during which each tried
to read the thoughts of the other, Spar.
shott continued:
"Look here, Winchl You're q bit too old
to stand the work of one Of these sailing
tramps. You have been a faithful servant
to me, and l think the time has come tt
pension you off. I shan't run the Alba
tross after this trip. If you like to settle
down in your old age, ! could allow YOU
say a hundred q year"
Their eyes again met.
"Wheref" at length said the captain.
MANY a good ship has broken her back
of ashanti unused the shipowner. "You
must be careful-very careful, Winch.
should have all the boats swung in readi.
ness In case Of accidents, you know"
BY this time the two rascals fully under.
stood each other and, having nothing fur.
ther to discuss, the captain left to catch
the Liverpool express.
When Richard Sparshott reached his res
idence, he was in a genial mood. After
all, Harrison was a well set up fellow,
such q lad as any one would be proud of.
AS the young With had Get her mind upon
1t, perhaps 1t would be better to gracefully
capitulate rather than have his life made
U~.Ao~k h,,,l,. - ktS, HH ~ ~.--~ -