The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-05-19
The Promise Of Capt. Barrett.
BY w. B. HAYWARD.

When asked capt. Barrett to spend
| the day with me at farm I owned in
one of the suburbs of New York, had no
presentment that l was to become ac-
quainted with an episode that marked
what might be called the turning point
in his life. The disclosure came about
because of my desire to drive him from
the railroad station to my house. When
he left the train and saw my horse and
buggy he shook his head doubtfully and
said:
you'll excuse me, sir, but I'd sooner
walk. l don't have nothing to do with
hosses."
"This is very gentle one, "Iexplained,
thinking that he might be nervous, land
I'm careful driver"
Gentle or skittish, don't have moth.
ing to do with EN-" he replied.
ITS dusty mile and a quarter to the
house" said in tones designed to per-
suade, land the sun is hot"
'I'd prefer to walk all the same" was
his logged rejoinder.
As rule, sailors like nothing better
than to drive behind horse, and knew,
therefore, that Capt. Barrett, being an
exception, must have some good reason
for his idiosyncrasy. So without another
word | walked my animal slowly while
the skipper rolled and hobbled along be-
side the buggy.
l say that he rolled and hobbled because
he had gait peculiarly his own, and this
was due to pair of painfully bowedlegs
that upheld with difficulty broad, thick
set body. 1 knew that Capt Barrett
was sensitive about his legs, for at the
sailors mission one day had seen him
strike an impudent young seaman because
the latter jocularly remarked that the
shippers legs were built like pair of Sis
ter hooks, which meant that they were
nearly doubled beneath him. If this
description was unseemly, no one could
deny that Capt. Barrett was topheavv.
After we had travelled halfthe distance,
he was obliged to call halt, to recover
his breath he explained, though l knew
his means of locomotion had given out.
tied the horse to nearby tree and sat
on bank at the roadside with the skip
per. He took a nip from my whiskey
flask, and shook his head when suggest
ed that he trust the horse for the rest of
the journey.
mo, he said decidedly, "Ill walk. I'd
be a different man to-day if it hadn't
been for boss. l amt afraid of em, but
-" He paused, and knew by his in
donation that had unwittingly uproot-
ed an old memory.
"You may not believe it." was the way
he opened, but was once a handsome
young Teller like yourself. Look at me
noww
Perhaps the unexpected compliment
disconnected me, but it was fully thirty
seconds before realized that l had been
gazing straight into Capt. Barrett's face.
And what did l see )? An ancient mariner
with rather sharp features, grisly white
beard and bright little eyes set SO deep
beneath bushy brows that they were
nearly hidden by the brim of his rusty,
black SLOUGH hat. His loosely hung
clothes were of pilot blue, and the coat
sleeves were turned half way back to the
elbows-a habit not uncommon among
sailormen. He wasn't bad looking old
man, if you forgot his legs, and he might
very we'll have been a clean-cut, powerful
young chap, l was thinking, when he
brought me to my proper senses by mop
ping his face with gorgeous bandanna
| kerchief. l fancy l must have colored at
my unintentional rudeness, and Capt.
Barrett did not add to my comfort when
he remarked:
Eyes, you can see amt much to look
at now, and it's all because of blamed
| boss"
was at the point of assuring him that
there was nothing odd about his appear
ance, but the opportunity was lost before
| could frame the words.
"In the civil war days." he said hasti-
", II used to run the blockade between
Nassau and Wilmington, and l amt too
proud to say that there wasn't smarter
quartermaster in the business than yours
truly. had money in the bank, a pretty
gal ashore, and everything was lovely
until joined the Plover. She was hard
luck vessel from the time she come out
from Liverpool, and while she never got
captured there was always something
happening to her"
Captain Barrett paused to cut some
tobacco and light his pipe. He always
smoked short clay nose-warmer, black
and most wonderfully strong, and he had
the supreme faculty of being able to talk
without removing it from his lips.
81 amt agoing to tellyou about all the