The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-12
rbe Ships .JEdventure.
RUSSELL. Copyright 1922 bys S Mcclure co.,
BY w. CLARK RUSSELL.


AT about o'clock on the following day
a cab OF the old type, with rafting win
dows, straw as though fresh from the
tramp OF swine, a wheeling cabman, en-.
numbered with capes, shawls and rugs,
with nothing but a drunken nose glowing
under the sallow brim of a rain-bronzed
hat; this old cab, with a corded trunk
hopping on top of 1t betwixt the iron
fencing, drew up at a house in the East
India Dock Road.
Mr. Hardy, the gentleman whom we
left asleep on the sofa in Bax's farm, got
out, leaving Miss Julia Armstrong sit
ting In the cab, and knocked on the door,
which was opened in a few moments by
a little woman in the clothes of a widow.
clean and neat in person, with wistful
eye which softened her face into look
of kindness
"Glad to see you, Mr.. Hardy" she
Immediately said. At got your letter, sir.
Your rooms quite ready
"Wel, can't say I'm glad to see
you, Mrs. Brierley, because you know
what seeing you means to me. Did your
husband love the slowing job, and the
hauling out through the gates, with a
crowd OF drunken Dagos on the fok'sle,
and the docEmaster bursting bloodvesseis
in expostulations 10 the mud pilot|'
She seemed to smile, but her attention
was clScWHSIc. DIG lidQ caught -SA6ib W
Julia in the cab and was lodging Mr..
Hardy, who stood right in the way, TO
get a better sight of her..
II want a lodging for that young lady
you are trying to see," said Hardy.
Now say at once that you have very
comfortable bedroom for her in this
house,
You don't tell me that you are mar
ried, sir?'' exclaimed Mrs. Brierley, put
she might Dllt
her eye to a keyhole before answering.
mo. nor keeping company with her,
as YOU people call it," he replied. 1T is
q romantic story, and you shall hear
the whole of it, provided that you can
accommodate her with a bedroom, other
wise-mum!'
Mr.. Hardy" said the widow, with
some earnestness, you've long used this
house. You knew my poor huband. My
struggle has been to keep it a thoroughly
respectable home for them who patronizc
me- and you'll not take 1t am1ss, SIT,
I'm sure, il ! ask you, is she lady you
can recommend on your honor as sailor
man?'
"I swear. Mrs. Brierley," exclaimed
Hardy with great feeling, that she Is
pure charming, heartbroken lady, the
daughter of q naval officer, whose sword
was once at the service of his country.
Then, sir, 1 have a very comfortaple
BEDROOM answered the widow. How
long shall she be wanting it for?'
"She shall engage it by the week, he
answered. and walked to the door OF the
cab. Tumble down, my lad, Off that
perch of yours he shouted to the cab
man, who seemed to have fallen asleep,
land carry that trunk into the house.
Both pavements were filled with peo-
pie walking the everlasting walk of the
London streets Numbers had the ap-
pearance of seamen, some of them
lurched in liquor; there were numerous
black and chocolate faces, here ana
there turban; grimy women fitted past
in old shawls and rakishly perched bon
nets; roisterlng young wenches haunted
past with feathers in their hats, with
cheeks deeply coTored, with yellow brows
adorned with jet-like love locks; and chill
as it was children went by with naked feet,
and the shuddering flesh of their backs
showed through their rags, filthy -eyed,
hatless and all the glory they had tra1lec
from their God had died out In the at
mosphere of fog. which added bulk to
the thunderous omnibus, and made the
feet hanson a shadow down the road.
"The landlady,' said Hardy, putting his
head into the cab, has a comfortable
better She is a thoroughly respectable
woman, the widow of a master mariner,
who command brlgs, and so on"
He opened the door and Julia Jumped
out, and they went together into the mar
row passage with the cabman and the
trunk following them.
The landlady, curtseying her greeting
| to Julia, admitted them into her oWr
private room, which was, in short, the
! front parlor The cabman was paid ano
went away looking at the shillings in the
| palm of his hand. In very short time
| it was settled that Julia was TO have the
use of this parlor for her meals, ano
there would be no extra charge. The only
| other dodgers in the house were sea cap
| tain and his wife.
The parlor was worth pause and
| look around. No apartment was ever
more nautically equipped The very
! clock was a dial fitted into the mainsai
| of a brass ship; the candlesticks on the
mantelpiece represented mermaids; the
I walls were embellished with pictures OF
ships and those carvings which sailors
! delight in; ships on wind, hair thell
CHASTITY white canvas showing against
! the board, and the water very sloppy an6
fearfully blue; there were models Of
! ships, and an old galleon In ivory stood
| under glass on a table In the window
! A boys heart would have beat high II
this room 1t was full of curiosities; art
! full carvings by whalemen out of the
! bone or teeth of the mammoth of the
| sea; queer findings along shore under th'
| Southern Cross, weapons of cann1bals
heathenish jars, earthen vessels which
! had been the sepulchres of the remains
! of broiled whites.
| After a little talk Mrs. Brierley tool
| Julia up stars to her bedroom. Hardy
who had often before viewed the curios
| tiles, wandered again around the room
but his mind was musing over Other
| things, and soon he came to a stand al
| the window. The look out was gloomy
and grimy; opposite were tobacconist
! a house In which stevedore lived, two
lodging houses, a pastry cook and pub
lie house. There was a great deal OF mud
in the road, and the sky hung down, sal
low and dingy, and so close that the crook
ed black smoke, working out of a hun
dred shapes of chimney pots, seemed to
pierce 1t and vanish A change indeed
from the autumn glories of the country
which the couple were newly from, where
the hiIlsides still thick with the leaves
of the summer, were gashed with the red
fires of the coming running winter;
where the clear pale blue sky sank with
its faint splendor Of sunshine to the
sharp, dark, terrace-like heights, which
in their red breaks and scars of autumn
| overlooked the valley and the sheltered
houses, and the quiet breast of river
floating under the arch of the reflected
bridge.
man, thought Hardy accepts large
obligation when he undertakes to look
after a girl. But what a beautiful figure
she has and her face appeals to me.
cannot meet her eyes without feeling
that I am in love with her. Shall I be
able to get her a berth before / sail
| If cannot ought to leave her alone In
London with about seven pounds ten In
| her pocket?