The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-01-19
"Th0t's hOaC. Pm the heir.n

pie of the two vessels, now side by
side. The air, foul beyond expression,
| tasted of brass. Their heads swan and
ached to bursting; but, absorbed in
their work, they had no thought of the
lapse of time nor the discomfort Of
their surroundings. Twice during the
examination Of the bark papers Kitch-
ell sent Wilbur out into the cabin for
the whisky decanter in the swinging
racks
Here's the charter papers," said
Kitchell, unfolding and spreading them
| out one by one, land here's the clear
ing papers from Blyth in England.
This yere's the insoorance, and here,
| this is-rot that, nothin' but the arti-
cles; for the crew; no use to u.s.
In separate envelope, carefully SEAL
ed and bound, they came upon the cap
tatn's private papers. a marriage GER
tficate setting forth the union between
| Eilert Sternersen of Fruholmen, Nor
way, and Sarah Moran of some sea-
port town (the name was undecipher-
able) of the north of England. Next
came birth certificate of a daughter
named Moran, dated twenty-five years
back, and bill of sale of the bark
Lady Lefty whereby a two-thirds' in
terest was conveyed from the previous
owners, shipbuilding firm of Chris
tiania, to Captain Eilert Sternersen.
1.-The old man was his own boss"
commented Kitchell. "Hello!' he re.
marked. Look here" A yellowed pho
tograph was in his hand, the picture of
| a stout, fair haired woman of about
forty, wearing enormous pendent ear
rings in the style of the early sixties
Below was written: IS. Moran Steiner
sen, OBJ. 1862
"Old woman COPIED off, said Kitch-
ell. $50 much the better for u.s. No
heirs to put in their CAB, an'-hold
hard, steady all-here's the will, s'help
me-
The only items Of Importance in the
will were the confirmation of the wife's
death and the expressly stated bequest
| of 1.-The bark known as and sailing I'M
der the name of the Lady Lefty to my
only and beloved daughter, Moran"
The captain sucked his mustache fu-
riously, striking the desk with his fist:
1.-THE bark's Ours!!" There was q GER
tain ring Of defiance in his voice.
Hang the will! I amt so cocksure
about the law. but I'll make sure.''
"As how?' said Wilbur.
Kitchell slung the will out of the
open port into the sea.
THAT'S how" he remarked. "I'm the
heir. 1 found the bark Mine she is, an
mine she stays-yours an mine, that
isl
But Wilbur had not even the time to
thoroughly enjoy the satisfaction that
the captains words conveyed before
an idea suddenly presented itself tor
him. The girl he had found on board
of the bark, the rudy, fair haired girl
OF the fine and hardy Morse type-that
was the daughter, Of course: that was
Moran Instantly the situation adj
justed itself in his imagination-the
two inseparables, father and daughter.
sailors both, their lives passed together
on shipboard, and the Lady Lefty their
dream, their ambition, a vessel that at
last they could call their own.
! Then this disastrous voyage, perhaps
the first in their new craft; the COM
ouston in the coal, the panic terror of
the crew and their desertion of the
Dark, and the sturdy resolution Of the
father and daughter to bring the Lefty
Into work her into port alone. They
had failed. The father had died from
gas. The girl, at least for the mo-
ment, was crazed from its effects. But