The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-07-22


The matter was settled by mute but
satisfactory arbitration, and Brandon
continues: "You must make yourself
ready to go on deck. 1t will be hard,
but 1t must be done"
He helped her with the heavy Jack
boots and handed her the rain stained
SLOUGH hat which she put OH and stood
a complete man ready for the deck
that is, MS complete ms could be evolved
from her utter %femininity.
When Brandon looked her over, all
hope went out of him. 1t seemed that
every change OF dress only ndded to
her bewitchlng beauty by showing 1t
In a new phase.
ut Will never do. There Is no dis.
guising you. What is 1t that despite
everything shows so Enthusiastically
feminine? What shall we do2 L have
Ii. You shall remain here under the
prctense of illness until we are we'll ut
sea, and then 1 will tell the captain all.
1t is too bad, and yet / would not have
you one whit less a woman for all the
world. A man loves a woman who is
so thoroughly womanly that nothing
can hide It,"
Mary was pleased at his fiattery, but
disappointed Mt the failure in herself.
She had thought that surely these gar
mcnts would make a man Of her In
which the kecncst eye could not detect
Il flaw.
They were discussing the matter
when Il knock came at the door, with
the cry, "All hands ON deck for inspec.
tion." Inspection! Jesu! Mary would
not safely endure 1t a minute. Bran
don left her at once and went to the
captain.
"My lord Is Ill and begs to be excused
from deck inspection" he said.
Bradhurst, n surly old half pirate Of
the s%altiest pattern, answered.: "Ill?
Then he had better go ashore as soon
as possible. 1 Will refund his money.
We cannot make n hospital out OF the
ship. If his lordship Is too Ill to stand
inspection, see that he goes ashore Mt
once"
This last was addressed to one Of the
ships officers, who answered with the
usual "1Aye, aye, sir" and started for
Mary's cabin.
That was worse than ever, and Bran
don quickly sud he would have his
lOrdshlp up at once. He then returned
to Mary, and after buckling OH her
sword and belt they wen on deck and
climbed up the poop ladder to take
their places Will those entitled to
stand aft.
Brandon has often told me since that
it was as much as he could do to keep
back the tears when he saw Mary's
wonderful effort to appear manly. 1t
,-,- 1,Ntt .A., AL ,n, CI,,
was n princess to whom all the world
bowed down, yet that did not help her
hero. After all she was only a girl,
tlmid and fearful, following ut Bran
Ions heels, frightened lest she should
got out of arms reach of him among
those rough men and longing with all
her heart to take his hnnd for moral as
we'll ns physical support. 1t must have
been both laughable and pathetic In the
extreme. That miserable sword per-
sisted In tripping her, and the jack
boots, SO much too large, cvinced an
alarming tendency to slip off with cv-
cry step. How insane we all were not
to have foreseen this from the very
beginning. 1t must have been n unique
figure she presented climbing UP the
steps Mt BrandOn's heels, jack boots
and all. So unique was 1t that the
sailors working In the ships waist
stopped their tasks to stare In wonder
ment and the gentlemen on the poop
made no effort to hide their amuse.
ment. Old Bradhurst stepped up to
her.
II hope your lordship Is feeling bet
ter" and then, surveying her from
head to foot, with n broad grin on his
features, az declare. you look the pic
ture of health, II I ever saw 1t. How
old are your
Mary quickly responded, Fourteen
years"
Fourteen" returned Bradhnrst.
"Well, I don't think you will shed
much blood. You look more like n
deuccd handsome girl than any man
I ever saw" AT this the men all
laughed and were very impertinent In
the free and easy manner Of such gen.
try, most of whom wero professional
Adventures with every finer sense
dulled and debascd by years Of vice.
These fellows, half of them tipsy,
now gathered about Mary to inspect
her personally, each on his own ac-
1 Otiit ihSii iOOho uuu SoIhuS "ClS
very disconcerting, but they did moth
ing insulting until one fellow gave her
q slap OH the back, accompanying 1t
by IN indecent remark. Brandon tried
to pay nc attention to them, but this
was too much, SO he lifted his arm and
knocked the fellow off the poop into
the waist. The man WINS back In n
moment, and swords were soon drawn
and clicking away ut n great rate. The
contest was brief, however, rs the fell
who, with his old trick, quickly twist
ed his adversnry's sword out Of his
grasp and with q fash Of his own
blnde flung 1t into tho sea. The other
men were now talking together at n
little distance In whispers, and in a
moment one drunken brute shouted:
at IL no man. 1t is n IN Let us
see more of herr!
Before Brandon could interfere the
fellow had unbuckled Mary's doublet
at the throat and with n jerk had
torn 1t off, carrying aA'oy tho sleeve
and exposing Mary's shoulder, almost
throwing her to the deck.
He waved his trophy OH high, but
his triumph was short lived, for almost
Instantly it fell to the deck, and with
1t the offending hand severed Mt the
wrist by Brandon's sword. Three or
four friends Of the wounded man
rushed upon Brandon, whereupon Mary