Cañon City record., 1904-01-14
her bewitchins beauty by showing it


in a new phase.
1T will never do. There is no dis
guising you. What is 1t that despitr
everything shows so Enthusiastically
feminine? What shall we do? l have
it. You shall remain here under the
pretense OF illness until we are well at
sea. and then l will tell the captain all.
1t is too bad, and yet ! would not have
you one whit less a woman for all tho
world. A man loves a woman who IL
80 thoroughly womanly that nothing
can hide it,
Mary was pleased at his fiattery. bu,
disappointed at the failure in herself.
She had thought that surely these gar
ments would make man of her In
which the keenest eye could not detect
a flaw.
They were discussing the matter
when a knock came at the door, with
the cry, "Ail hands on deck for inspec-
ton" 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 bcgs to be excused
from deck Inspection" he said.
Bradhurst. a surly old half pirate Of
the saltiest pattern, answered: "tll?
Then he had better go ashore as soon
as possible. will refund his money.
We cannot make a hospital out OF the
chip. II his lordship is too Ill TO stand
Inspection. see that he goes ashore at
once"
This last was addressed to one OF the
ships officers, who answered with the
usual AYE. aye. SIR" and started for
Mnry's cabin.
That was worse than ever, and Bran
don quickly said he would have his
lordshIp up at once. He then returned
TO Mary. and after buckling on her
sword and belt they went on deck and
climbed up the poop ladder TO take
their places with those entitled TO
stand aft
Brandon has often told me since that
II was as much as he could do TO keep
back the tears when he saw Nary
wonderful effort TO appear manly. Ii
was both CT nical and pathetic. She
was a princess to whom all the world
bowed down. yet that did not help her
here. After all she was only girl
timid and fearful. following at Bran
don's heels. frightened lest she should
get out of arms reach of him among
those rough men and longing with ali
her heart to take his hand for moral as
well as physical support. II must have
been both laughable and pathetic in the
extreme. tt IT miserable sword per
sisted in tripping her. and the jack
boots. 80 much too large, evinced an
alarming tendency to slip on with ev-
cry step How insane we all were not
to have foreseen this from the very
beginning II must have been n unique
figure she presented climbing up the
steps at Braudon's heels. jack boots
and all. So unique was IL that the
sailors working in the ships waist
stopped their tasks to stare in wonder
ment and TIL gentlemen on the poop
made no, effort TO hide their amuse-
ment Old Bradhurst stepped up to
her
Il hope your loriship is feeling bet
ter" and then. surveying her from
head to foot. with broad grin on his
features. Il declare. you look the pic
ture OF health. IL I ever saw II. How
old are your
Mary quickly responded. Fourteen
years"
Fourteen" returned Bradhurst.
We'll. don't think you will shed
much blood You look more like a
deuccd handsome girl than any man
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 were professional
adventurous with every finer sense
duilcd and deonsed by years OF vice.
These fellows. half OF them tipsy.
now gathered about Mary TO inspect
her personali-, each on his own ac-
count. Their looks and conduct Were
very dlsconccrting. but they did moth
ing Insulting until one fellow gave her
slap on the back. accompanying II
by an indecent remark. Brandon tried
to pay no attention to them. but this
was too much. so he lifted his arm ana
knocked the fellow OF the poop into
the waist. The man was back in n
moment. and swords were soon drawn
and clicking away nt great rate. The
contest was brief, however, as the fcl-
low wns no sort of match for Brandon,
who. with his old trick, quickly twist
ed his adversary's sword out OF his
grasp and with n flash OF his own
blade flung IL into the sea. The other
men were now talking together at
little distance In whispers. and in n
moment one drunken brute shouted
at Is no man. II is woman. Let Us
see more OF herr
Before Brandon could interfere the
fellow had unbuckled Mary's doublct
at the throat and with a jerk had
torn II on. carrying away the sleeve
and exposing Mary's shoulder, almost
throwing her to the deck.
He waved his trophy on high, but