The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-22

Dick bent his woody head to say. '"The
Old Thirteen ladies and gentlemen the
captains boy tapped him on the shoulder
and whispered in his ear. Dick merely
bowed and without announcement the
music began and they all fell to. Nolan
knew the tune and the name of it and
why the name was not uttered In his
hearing.
Officers had been relieving each other in
standing by Nolan and conversing with
him in manner SO as to engage his at
tention and make his situation less no.
ticeable. The officer who was with him
was slightly negligent of his trust, and so,
as the splendid Mrs. Graft went by ana
Nolan bowed to her the officer was nom
pulsed when the exile said II hope you
have not f0gotten me, Miss Rutledge.
Shall l have the honor of dancing with
your" He did it so quickly that the Off
Ger, young man named Fellows, could
not hinder him. The lady laughed and
said: Il am not Miss Rutledge any more,
Mr.. Nolan; but will dance with you all
the same" She just nodded to Fellows as
if he must leave Nolan to her and led
d
place where the dance was forming.
Nolan thought he had got his chance. You
cannot talk in contra dances the way
you can In waltz or a cotillon, but there
are chances. and Nolan improved them.
He began talking about Europe, her trav-
els, Vesuvius and the like. At the bottom
of the set, when they had worked down
there, he said boldly-a little pale, though
land what is the news from home, Mrs
Graff?" At that the splendid creature
looked through him-clear through him.
Home. Mr.. Nolanl' she exclaimed, II
thought you were the man who never
wanted to hear of home again''-and she
swept directly up the deck to her hus-
band and left poor Nolan alone-as he was
always left. He did not dance again.
AS time passed the legend of Philip
Nolan was gradually forgotten even among
the officers who had him in charge. Myths
grew up around him. There was poor
George Pons. who was not strong on his
tory. To his dying day George believed
that Nolan was the Man in the Iron Mask
who had been condemned to perpetual
exile because of a libel he had written on
Thomas Jefferson-or was it that he was
Junius? George was never quite sure
While Nolan was cruising about the world
lit happened that the war of 1912 broke
out He did not know 1t, of course, until
one day British frigate came along and
tackled the ship upon which he was.
1t was one of those frigate duels with
England in which the American navy was
really baptized. 1t happened that a round
shot entered port and took right down
the officer of the gun himself and almos.
every one OF the guns crew. Now, you
may say what you choose about courage
but such things are not nice things to see
Nolan appeared In his shirtsleeves, and
the first they knew he had the rammer
In his hand and was giving orders. He
told off the men who rushed to the gun
as II he had been an officer.
He was perfectly CHEEKY and had that
way with, him which makes a man feel
sure that all is right and Is going to be
right. He loaded the gun with his own
hand, pointed it. and bade the men fire.
There he stood through the engagement,
captain of the gun. keeping the fellows
in spirits until the enemy struck. He
would sit on the carriage while the gun
was cooling, though exposed all the time
to the fire of the enemy, and he fired
that gun twice as often as any gun was
fired on the. ship. The captain walked
forward by way of encouraging the men
and Nolan touched his cap AND said: II
am showing them how We do this sort
of thing In the artillery, SIR" IT see you
are, and thank you." replied the captain.
II shall never forget this day nor shall