Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-23

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cept ferryboat before that trip: but he
forbore, because he was busy telling a
benefactress Of his own how he had suf-
Tered while waiting for the liftboat
The captain and the mate saw with rage
mat their authority had departed, but they
would have broken a few heads despite that
act If they had not been overwhelmed them
selves by the general rush to carry the
shipwrecked sailors to the hotel; ana pres
emily they found themselves drinking
Christmas punch in the midst of adoring
ladies and admiring men.
BY gum" said the mate some tirne-a
very considerable time-later, by gum, but
that there fzzy hard cider of yours has
went to my head, consarn 1t.
Captain Lied, Too.
"Oh. captain" said lovely person in
blue lace. floating through the smoke clouds
of 5O-cent perfectos. "Oh, captain. must
shake hands with you again. That sailor
over there has just told me how he and
you were cast away on a desert island and
how you built house and everything and
even a little ship at last and got them all
off. You must have had terrible time"
The captain glared at the cook. who was
looking at him with a guilty expression.
Then he said. helplessly:
Yes, ma'am. Don't mention It,"
.'You derned old liar" whispered the
mate eternly. ITO go and fool nice wom-
an like that when you amt ever been off
Eoundings in all your consumed life"
II couldn't help it, muttered the cap
next See If you don't"
"Neverp' said the mate, and he launched
into tale Of shipwreck within half an
hour that fascinated the captain so COM
pietely that his mouth remained wide open
throughout its narration.
Yes, ma'am," said the mate In conclu-
sion. land then our noble captain here he
ups and says as how he'd Jump overheard
so as to leave food enough for the rest of
US, and he would have done It, too, only a
steamer come along jist then and picked us
up"
The captain rose. little unsteadily, and
looked at the mate with a fixed and cold
eye.
Dave Twigorn," said he, ..you ough. TO
be ashamed Of yourself. You're an old
liar, that's what you are. to go and fool
nice women when you amt been off sound
fngs all your life
Mate Was Helped to Bed.
The mates mouth opened to reply; but
language forsook him. His Jaws went
through the motion of talking one or twice
and then he gave 1t up and drank deep of
the "fzzy hard cider" which presently put
him where he had to be helped to bed. sing
ing at the top of his voice:
Shenandoah Is a rolling river"
mo. ma'am." said the captain a little
later to the most beautiful creature of them
all, and the richest, 'I'll confess that the
mate didn't lie, but a man don't like to
have them things told about him, you
know"
s"And oh. captain, Is It true, as one of
your men told me while ago, that though
they have lost all their things, the owners
of the ship won't pay for them?"
That's true, ma'am." said the captain.
'sYou see, there's a good many ships that
are $50 old that the insurance companies
want terrible premiums to insure them, and
so the owners send them out without insur-
ance and Of course we people that ships on
them have to take our chances It's all In
a lifetime
.'Oh. but" exclaimed the beauty, 'how
wicked. To think that people would send
out ship like your schooner, that is SO
old that she goes apart in the stitches and
then not even pay the poor sailors for
the things they losep'
'tShe didn't go apart In the stitches,
ma am Her seams opened up. And as to
the men, well. you see the Kate Hale be-
longs to some rich estate or other and they
won't never miss her. It amt as IL we
were sailing for some regular line Of ship
owners. guess that we Just got to swal-
low our losses and say nothing"
Made Up Purse for the Men.
'How very. very frightfully wicked" said
the beauty. clinching her little fists. IT
Just wish that were man. How would
get after that estate and show themp
Well. that's really about all of the story
of the Christmas wreck of the Kate Hale.
The hotel guests raised wholly satisfying
purse and sent the crew back to New York
on the day after Christmas with all sorts
of wonderful clothes, some Of which gave
rise to lively argument as to Its probable
use, as for instance suit Of pale pink pa
jamas, which was given to the cook by q
militia general.
The sailors spent the money royalty In
less than a week, and by New Year day
they were pounding down the coast In an
other hooker.
There is one other little item in the story
Two days after the shipwreck the beauty
got letter from the agent Of her property.
It said: beg to inform you that one Of
the schooners belonging to the estate, the
Kate Hale sank on December rs and was
a total loss. Please accept expressions Of
regret"
well. now, isn't that the strangest CO.
incidence2" said the beauty. 81 must really
do something for those poor Sailors
Then she opened another envelope and
1t was an invitation to house party that
demanded 30 much generalship in the way
OF ordering new dresses that she forgot oil
about the Kate Hale at once
Some Cynicism.
From the London Graphic.
In England cleverness Is disadvantage.
Our system is based upon this: Government
of the incident, by the indolent, for the in
dolent In such situation the clever are
a distressingly disturbing quantity.