The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-21

Told Him.
The southeastern harbor town of
Grimport is a sleepy, old-fashioned
place, where antique prejudices sur
vlVe, stale fashions prevail, old customs
dried seaweed hanging up behind the
bars of the queer old public houses,
and which once We're used as weather
gauges, and ancient saws are still
quoted. Consequently when Jameson
Cairns met, fell in love with and mar
Eied Isabel CarlingbroolS within the
short space of six weeks from the arri-
val of the Venture in port with her car
go of rum and sugar for the warehouses
of Haxby & Son, heads were nodded
over cups of tea in spinsters parors
(Grimport boasts an astonishing collec-
ton of old maids; and even the equity
old retired sea captains, exercising, with
the aid of their silver topped Malacca
canes on the broad walk between the
rows of bursting docksheds and the
tiers of shipping, or slipping pale Madei-
ra or old Jamaica rum in the bow win
dow of the Mercantile Marine club
house, quoted the mouldy couplet:
Change your name and keep your let
You'll wed for the worse and not for the
better
But, between ourselves. there was
scarcely a girl in Grimport, rich or poor,
pretty or ugly, who would not have en-
barked for a life voyage in the good
4 Tpr
son Cairns, if she had had Isabel Car
lington's chance, and a double allow
ance of "Cs'' to her maiden name
Jem Cairns was first mate of the Ven
ture, owned by HaXby & Son, of Grim
port and Jamaica, and he passed his
examination for a shipmaster's certit1-
cate just before his wedding, and was
to take over the command of the Ven
ture the very next voyage, owing to the
retirement Of Captain Dunstone, her
old skipper, had all gone well.
"And if you think I'll be grudging you
my berth, Mr.. Cairns said Captain
Dunstone, holding out a red hairy hand
across the table of the owners office to
his second in command, we've sailed
together eight voyages for nothing.
You're gentleman and a smart sailor
as ever I met and no crew could ship
under better captain"
Cairns returned the grasp warmly
and gave few simple words of thanks
The Haxbys, father and son, looked on
the handsome young fellow with appro-
val Bottled ale and cigars were on the
table; bills of ladng and accounts had
been examined, checked and settled;
business was over, and the kindly Qua
ker owners were ready for a little pleas
ant chat with their new skipper on the
subject of his recent marriage.
Thou hast a clear four weeks before
thee, friend Cairns said the elder
Haxby with something as closely ap- |
preaching to a wink as a venerable
Quaker could be expected to manage. !
LET me counsel thee to make the most !
of the time before the Venture sails for |
the West Indies"
Unless, peradventure, friend Cairns |
decides to take his wife with him. said |
Jeremy the son.
Captain Dunstone broke into loud !
laugh and clapped Cairns upon the
back, for the shot had gone home.
"To be plain with you, gentlemen"
said the handsome young bridegroom, |
frankly, chats what ! had in my mind. |
The cabin accommodation on board the |
Venture is fresh and comfortable, Isabel |
has a notion of seeing distant countries |
and an objection to letting me sail with |
out her if it can be otherwise ar
ranged''--
Having heard something of sailors
ekylarks ashore in foreign ports,' put
in Dunstone, slyly.
"And I don't suppose you gentlemen |
would raise any obiection?" Cairns
looked from one Quaker face to the 9TH
err, and the father and son, as gray,
round and much alike as two dried
peas, exchanged a smile. Especially
If I guaranteed the expenses incidental
to little job of painting, upholstering I
and brushing up?"
1--WE would not suffer thee to be at the
charge, friend Cairns" said the older
Haxby, ''if thou wouldst guarantee not
to go beyond a certain limit He ex-
changed another glance with his son,
who nodded Automatically 1--WE have
desired to show thee some suitable ac-
acknowledgement for thy gallantry in saw
ing the life of a youthful relative of our
family at the risk of thine own.
AYE, off the Great Cayman, in De-
cember last, when he dived into the
middle Of a school of sharks to save a
lazy little whelp of a prentice who'd
been fishing for bonitos off the iibboom
end and tumbled in among 'em"
growled Dunstone. "Sheer madness is
my name for an action like that. Sup
pose one O those wall-eyed white
bellied brutes had taken my first mate
and left me to work the Venture home
with a drunken Irishman like my sec
ond officer. And all for a scamp of a i
boy who took French leave at Trinidad, /
along with Mr.. Cairns watch and chain {
and forty dollars o your own money '
Tt won't bear thinking Of" !
"The lad was dishonest and prodigal. !
even as thou sayest friend Dunstone," {
returned the elder Haxby calmly; "but t
he'may live to be grateful to the brave {
man who saved him. AS for theee,
friend"-he handed to Cairns a neat t
morocco case containing a handsome q
gold watch and chain-"we hope thou
wilt live to show this to thy grandson, c
and that thy wife win accept from us
the new furniture, fittings and piano V
which we have bespoken for the cabin