Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-01-07

/ DCcu NllHlH tiIe VI TIC OlutSl
habitue, and shipmasters came back to
the odor with sigh of pleasure, as
| men do return to the neighborhood of
an old and unobtrusive friend. Captains
met in that room who traded in all
parts of the globe, talked and soon
| found acquaintances in common. 1t
| was sort of informal club, with no
subscription and an unlimited member
ship. The holding of n masters "tick-
ct" was the only entrance qualification,
and it was not considered polite to ask
your neighbor whether he was at that
moment in or out of employment.
If you were q genuine master mari
ner, but of an unclubbable disposition,
| you did not go to the captains room at
| Halletts n second time, and always
made n point of getting rather red and
speaking of it rather contemptuously
when the place was mentioned after
ward. If you did not hold q masters
ticket, even if you We're that. dashing
thing, newly hedged mate, the bar
maiden on guard spotted you on the
instant and said, "That door is pri-
vate," and directed you to the smoke
room down the passage.
Into this exclusive chamber Captain
Owen Kettle had made his way that
day after tea and over two modest half
pints of bitter beer had done his share
in the talk and listening from s till
1880 of the clock. He had exchanged
views with other shipmasters on car
goes, crews, assurances, climates and
those other professional matters which
the profane world not in the shipping
interest finds so dreary, and had been
| listened to with Difference. He was a
man who commanded attention, and,
though you might not like what he
said, you would not dream of refusing
to listen to it.
That special night, however, Captain
Kettles personal views on maritime af-
fairs were listened to with even more
Difference than usual. A large, red
haired man swung into the captains
room some few minutes after Captain
Kettle had seated himself, and after Or
dering his beverage and cigar nodded
with a whimsical smile in Kettles di-
rection and asked him how he liked the
neighborhood of Valparaiso as resi-
dence
81 forget" said the little sailor, dryly
enough.
"All right, captain" said the red
haired man. Don't you mind me. I
never remember too much myself
either. Only you did me good turn
out there, although you probably don't
know it, and I'd be proud if you'd have
drink or q smoke with me now in re-
membrance."
you're very polite, captain"
''Don't mention it, captain" said the
red haired man, and he struck the bell.
Same? Half q pint of bitter, please,
miss, and one of your best fourpenny
| smokes"
The general talk of the captains
room, which had halted for the mo-
ment, went on again. One worthy
mariner had recently failed to show a
clean bill Of health in Barcelona and
had been sent to do twenty days pen
ance at the quarantine station, which
is in Port Mahon, NIinorca. AS natu-
raj consequence, he wanted to give his
views on Spain and Spanish govern
ment with length and bitterness, but
somehow the opportunity was denied
| him. The red haired man put in sen
tence or two and question, and it was
Kettles views on the question to which
| the captains room found itself listen
| ing. A salvage matter was brought up
| by stout gentleman in the Baltic tim
Der trade who was anxious to air his
sentiments, but the red haired man
skillfully interviewed, and "Kettle on
salvage" was asked for and heard.
And so on all through the evening.
The red haired man did his work clev-
erly, and no one resented it.
Now, Kettle was q man who liked
being listened to, and there is no doubt
that his vanity was tickled by all this
| Difference from his professional equals.
| There is no doubt also that the snug
security of Halletts lulled his usual
sense of wariness, which may in part
account for what happened afterward.
| And SO, without further excuse for
him, it is my painful duty to record
that an hour after he left the captains
| room the little sailor was entrapped
| and kidnapped by what to man of his
| knowledge was one of the most vulgar
| of articles.
He emptied his tumbler, stood up and
| said he must be going. The red haired
man looked at the round cabin clock
on the wall and mentioned that it was
his time also, and together they went
outside into the damp, dark main
street of South Shields.
Going back to your ship, captain?"
asked the big stranger.
why, no, captain" said Kettle. 81
live here and I'm off home"
Then | suppose | must say good
night. Hope to meet you again, though.
What boat are you on now, captain?"
well, I'm putting In bit of spell
ashore just now, captain. Fact is, I
haven't come across any employment
quite to my taste lately. 'Tisn't every
shipowner care to serve under"
mo" said the red haired man. '"They
are brutes most of them. But look
here, captain, there'd be no offense in
-
my getting you the refusal of a berth,
would there?"
Kettle flushed. Captain" he said,
you're very good. You see, Pm mar
ried, with children, and I've never
earned enough to put anything by. Be
tween men. | don't mind telling you
I'm on my beam ends. If l can't get
hold of an advance note this week, it
will mean going to the pawnshop for
Mrs. Kettles next Sundays dinner"
The red haired man sighed "Well,
captain" he said, you needn't thank
me. It's just my duty to my employers
to put this thing in your way. But
we'll not speak of it here in the open.
Come along off to my steamboat"
Right" said Kettle. "Where have
you got herr"