Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-05-21

well, we alfstayedin the fo'c'sle til
mess, while the cap'n was a-tryin' to
tascinate the mermaid. When he let us
come on deck agin he was hoppin' mad
an the skin was y burnt off his bald
head, where he'd had his hat off.
'Wot did she say to you, cap'n? !
asked him.
Nothin,' he says, AN you can do
the same
There she was foatin' peaceful, still
smilin' and a-combin' of her hair that
was spread all round her like a fish
net. l never seen a purifier sight.
George he fell right in love with her.
Il knowed it, he says, L knowed
the mint L seed her she was my af-
finity.'
She amt got no fin wot can see,'
says the cook, jealous, AN she amt
your nothin'. likes her a little my
self
George he got mad.
'Look-a-here, cook he says, 'oos'
mermaid is she, anyhow? 90 seen
her first? 1 did, he says, AN, she
smiled at me an held out 'er shinin'
arms to me. You wanter look out
For the matter o. that, she smiled
at me, too, an ey'ry other A. b. on
board says the cook, but he couldn't
worry George.
swell, she must ave thought they
was me- he says.
THAT night the cap'n sent us be-
| low agen an we could hear him talk
in to her an firtin' outragis, but
she didn't seem to have nothin' TO do
with him. AFTER about an hour of
this George he jumps out of his bunk
an gets his jackknife.
"Don't kin i'm, George says the
cook. he don't mean no harm
II amt. I'm a-cuttin' a little hole
SOS l can see my affinity says
George, an soon he had one cut jest
above the water-line about three
inches square. Then he stuck his
lips an one eye out an gave long
low whistle. She come jest Like a
dorg.
Don't you listen to that nasty |
old capten,' he says to her soft an
sweet, come up here reel close
81 draws a curtin over the tender
passages that ensued. Suffice it ter
say that we didn't get no sleep that
night for George an his affinity.
The next morning he stuffed up the
hole with his other shirt, the red one
with big yaller spots, before we went
on deck.
"Men, says the eap'n, calm us all
up ter the quarterback, 4 hopes
none of you is so dead to all moral
obligations as to be tall1in' or CON-
with that shameless crit
ter. Last night, in the still night
Watches he says, it seemed to me as
II l heard words of love addressed
TO her from the fo'c's'le. This is a
schooner we're on, he says, AN
not a spooner. an if
"'0h, Lawd!' gasps the cook, look
At 'er!--Jest look at 'erl She's done
It now,'
He falls in fit an we leans over
The port rail. She was a-lookin'
but had ter laff.
George asks the cap'n in an or
iul voice, is that your garment she
S a-wearin', may / ask?'
"Sure enough she'd pinche he red
IN yaller clo'es wot Geo.ge had .
tuffed the hole with, an was putin y
t on, graceful an smilin': e
oh, George, George, wot does II
nean@ says the cap'n, mournful this 1
ime, an you with one wife at 'ome.'
"'Huh, wot's one wife to man like
neg asks George, defiant an inn
noral an Lord knows wot else he'd
ave said IL somethin' sudden hadn't
appened. The little 'Scud' gave a
lrch TO port, an we all jumped over
o the starboard rail. Then she list =
d that way an began to go down by
he head. We could hear the water
huggin' in the fo'c's'le.
"Lord forgive me, it's the hole
ut yells George, we're all drowned
lenl'
"You see il was this way: When !
e all rushed over 20 the port rail | I
rter she'd taken out Georges wear
i apparel it must have just put that VI
ole below the water-line, an down we re
adj to go. CO
"'Man the boati' says the cap'n, 2. g
n we only pulled clear in time TO =,
e the little 'Scud' whirl round twict n
it'll her stern in the air an go tr,
OWN with a swish. XII
"Wot became of the mermaid, you N
ks, Dan1? Why don't you want
r know wot become of us? We was p
cl1ed up next day by a Cape Horner m
l. the last we ever seen of that mer- s,
aid she was takin' her long easy bv
roke to the eastward with the first &c
nix rays of the risin' sun a-lightin' sil
, Georges red an yaller garment" sa
fre
BORN WITH SET OF TEETH. .hhl
fra
nv which Has Arrived Near Ro- q