Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-17
THE CAPTAINS DOUBLE


plications. A weil-known retired officer OF
the navy witnessed the play night and
seemed TO be enormously amused There
was. perhaps, better ground for his amuse-
ment than for thst of most of those~in the
audience For this naval officer had once
sailed on a cruise with double
When he started. In command of cruis-
| er. for tho Asiatic station about dozen
years ago he had exact double on his
ship In the person OF the ships apothecary.
| ships apotheeary was at that time an en-
| listed man with the rate of chief petty
on1cer- RMS apothecary looked much
IKE MS skipper that could the two men ever
| have stood side by side on the quarter deck
| both in the full-dress uniform OF com
mander, IT would have puzzled the officers
OF the ship to decide quickly which of the
| pair was the comma nding officer.
They were precisely alike In stature and
! build, and there was a difference of only
Two pounds In weight between them. They
| were within year OF an age Their re-
sembiance in feature was astonishing.
| 1here was scarcely single point of differ
enee In their faces Both had light sandy
| hair. blue eyes and broad noses. and both
wore closely cropped reddish Van DYKE
! boards. The apothecary was a highly edu-
Gated man. whose tumultuous caree% ashore
had finally floated him into the enlisted
ranks of the navy.
AT Yokohama. Japan. an enthusiastic well
| come was given to the cruiser and her Off
GERS were feted and dined by native and
Ioreign residents The skipper, a man of
sociai temperament. was ashore rather more
than ne was on board the ship and he be-
| came very popular. The apothecary did not
| go ashore until two weeks after the ships
arrival In Yokohama harbor. When he did
20 ashore ne exchanged his chief petty off,
| Ger uniform for multi He arrayed him
sell IN frock coat. high hat pointed pat
ent ieather shoes, tan gloves and finished
MS makeup with a choice chrysanthemum
uoulolnie1e. He was staggering idly
through the streets Of Yokohama swinging
MS walking stick. when an open barouche
was drawn up alongside the curb. The
apo'necary heard himself hailed by both OF
were seated in the bareuche He turned
ana raised his hat with quite as much adj
dress as his commanding officer was cana
| BILE Of wa" 0"pa
| the two girls at once DO sten In and
go about with us bit We are both lone
sonle-and DYING to be battered
The apothecary had his cue and the
temptation was great. He stepped into
the carriage, and for two hours he made
h1mself agreeable to the two girls They
earrled MN around to half dozen houses
Tor afternoon calls, and he parted difficult
questions In the small talk with a skill
he had known how to employ in other
years, before he had become an enlisted
man he passed everywhere a the com
mander Of the white cruiser in the har-
Dor. although he scrupuously refrained
from making any claim to such distinc-
ton. His guilt consisted simply in his
acqutescence in the natural error of his
shippers friends
In the course of the afternoon the skip
! per's. friends extended any number of in
vitations to him for dances dinners must
Gales and all sorts of functions The
apothecary accepted them reservedly on
the score that his ship might be ordered
away at any time. When the afternoon
was on the wane the two English girls
drove him to a curio emporium, where he
told them, he wanted to make some pur-
chases. and dropped him there. But be-
fore they dropped him the apothecary
| looked straight into the eyes OF his COM
handing officer. who was swinging along
the sidewalk on one of the main streets
When the apothecary went off to his
ship he had it figured out that he would
| about get a general court-martial. and he
wondered how he would make out In Japan
If he Were to find himself ''beached" by
order Of the naval court The captain was
not aboard when the apothecary reached
his ship in the steam cutter, and he did
no see him till quarters the following
morning. The skipper appeared at quar-
tiers minus his fine Van Dyke beard. I'm
mediately after quarters the apothecary
was summoned to the shippers cabin
NOW" said the apothecary to himself,
| "to be burnt up alive I'll be in the brig
in double irons in less than four minutes"
Morning" said the skipper when the
apothecary stepped into the cabin.
Good morning, sir" said the apothec;fy,
saluting.
You enjoyed yourself yesterday after
noon?''
Exceedingly we'll. sir
The skipper drummed on his desk with
his paper weight.
You found the young ladies' interest
ing?"
ITO a degree. SIR
"Apothecary," said the skipper, after a
pause, eff l were to act strictly IN accord
ance with the regulations should be COM
i~pelled 10 punish you. But l am not going
to act strictly in accordance with the regu-
lations, and / am na going to punish you,
Instead. congratulate you. Inc deceptloh
was not of your origination or seeking. You
did Yourself credit. IN way, when II was
thrust upon you you did the service credit
and you did me credit. | hear that you
said some pretty good Things, ana you
apnear quite to have superseded me ashore.
even now that the matter Is being laughed
at all over Yokohama. As man, simply
and not a naval officer, II Is pleasure
to me TO know that there are men UP
forard In the United States navy who know
so we'll how to handle themselves In tight
places AS a naval officer and the COM
mander of this ship, l really regret that
YOU belong up for'ard, and not aft. But
these things are the misfortune of the serv-
Ice You will continue to wear your beard
1 could not request you TO remove it, ana
so I have sacrificed my own 1t would be
foolish for you to remain in the enlisted
service after the close of your present en-
listnent You could, and ought to, do much
better ashore. That is all
The apothecary saluted, ana starter 10
leave the cabin.
"Oh, by the way" the skipper called
after him, 1.-THE young ladies with whom
you drove charged me with the delivery OF
this to you.
This was a very beautifully Japanese
bound copy of THE Prisoner of Zenda,"
that tale of physical resemblances. In the
book was a note signed by both of the
young Englshwomen.
eve have to thank you for a delightful
afternoon" the note read, and to assure
you that, while we are reluctantly forced
to countenance them, we in no wise APP
prove, nor even understand, the rules which
create such yawnng abyss between aft
and forward on a ship of war. In truth,
however. we had never framed this griev-
ance, even in thought, until yesterday af-
ternoon, when we met your commanding Of
fcer. and explanations Were made. What
more, except that we are sorry?
That apothecary is now the proprietor OF
a fourishing drug store in New York city.
He still has the note which marked the
end of his Yokohama adventure.
Philosophy Of a Plutocrat.
Peter Pry Sheylin. In Judge.
Dollars and sense should always go to-