Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-09-09
CHAPTER ~.

CHAPTER ~.
We took the Xantippe home-the
indomptable wen, TO the bottom OF the
Rav of ~Blscay-but before Our prize.
money was settled up we we're on
again: Sir Peter dearly loved cruising
IN blue water. It was near two years
before we got back TO England to
spend that prize money: for. except
the captain and Mr.. Buxton and some
of the married officers. | know of no
one who saved any Sir Peter, I I'M
dcrstood afterward. spent much OF his
in n diamond necklace and tiara for
Lady Hawkshaw, in which he was
most cgrcgiOusly cheated by q POrtu.
guesc money lender, and the balance
he put into Il scheme for acclimating
elephants in England, which was to
make him as rich as CrOesus; but he
lost & 900 on the venture. besides
his prizomoncy. In those two years
] grew more and more fond of Giles
Vernon. We generally contrived to
have our watch together, and we were
intimate as only shipmates could be.
Nv lhlf'I II'' VI "Iat bV hit"h' 7"
do when he got ashore with money to
spend. and assured me he had never
had above so Of his own in his life.
In the course Of many nights spent
in standing watch together. when the
old Ajax was sailing like a witch
for she wa a capital sailer at that
time-he told me much about his early
youth, and confided to him the story
of Betty Green. Giles career had
been the common one OF the younger
branches of a good family. His father
had been a clergyman, and, dying, left
several daughters. who married re-
specially, and this one son. who was
put in the sea service very young. At
that time several lives stood between
Giles and the title and estates of Sir
Thomas Vernon, and other lives stood
between Giles and O%vertOn; but those
had passed away, leaving these two
distant kinsinen as heirs to a man that
seemed rightfully to have ear ed his
title OF wicked Sir Thomas" asked
Giles If he knew why Sir Thomas, who
SO cordially hated his heirs, had never
married. Giles replied hat Sir
Thomas showed no inclination to mar.
ry until he was near 40. Then his
reputation was so well established
that he was generally looked askant
upon: his character for truth was bad
and at cards was worse. But he had
induced a lady OF rank and wealth to
become engaged to be married to- him.
His treatment of her was so Infamous
war against him, and had succeeded in
breaking of several very desirable al
liances he would have liked to make.
or course a man of his rank and
wealth could find One woman-alas.
to take him; but Sir Thomas was
bent on money, with an inclination to.
ward rank, and was the last man on
earth to marry unless he had n sub,
stan,ial ~inducement: and several more
years had passed without his being
able TO effect the sort of marriage he
desired. Meanwhile. his health had
broken down, and he was now a shat
tered man and prey for the doctors
All tnlS WAS very interesting 10 HE
especially as Sir Thomas two heirs
would one day have the experience OF
shooting at each other, and possibly
deciding the matter of heirship by the
elimination of n or the other from
the question.
We both got promotion, of course
and that brought us into the gunroom
but We were as intimate there as II
our REFER days In the cockpit. On
glorious October morning in 1899, ou,
anchor kissed the ground In Ports
mouth harbor.
When we reached Portsmouth, tn,
news OF our good fortune had pre-
Vedcd us, and We were welcomed will
Dpen arms by men, women, and chi
dren-especially the women All tn,
prize. money brought back by any sin
gle ship during the war was insie
nificant compared with ours. Tn
men were seized with a kind OF mad
ness for spending their money. Tn
spectacle of al ordinary seaman pa
rading the streets Of Portsmouth
with q gold-laced hat, a gold.heade
stick, and watches and jewelry hun
all over him was common enough, an
he was sure to be al Ajax man. Sa
to say. the pimps and the worst elias
OF men and women o got the none
svsy from our poor fellows.