The Glenwood post., 1909-05-01
CHAPTER v.

l spent several weeks in Sir Peters
house and strange weeks they were in
many respects. | never had the least
complaint to make of the kindness of
Sir Peter or Lady Hawkshaw, except
that Lady Hawkshaw insisted on in
vesting my money, all except ten
pounds she gave me, charging me to
be careful with it; but Sir Peter
secretly lent me considerable sum,
to be repaid at my majority.
Sir Peter was actively at war with
all the women-folk in the household,
from his lady down, except little Daph-
me- He assumed to conduct every
thing in large town house in Berkely
Square exactly as II he were on the
Ajax, IA. He desired to have the
lazy London servants called promptly
at two bells, five o'clock in the morn
ing. and to put them to holystoning,
squigeeing, and swabbing off the
decks, as he called it. OF course the
servants rebelled, and Sir Peter de-
nounced them as mutineers. and would
have dearly liked to put them all in
double irons. He divided the scul]ions
and chambermaids into watches. and
when they laughed in his face, threat
ened them with the articles of war.
He wished everything in the house
slowed away in the last compass pos
sible, and when Lady Hawkshaw had
her routs. Sir Peter, watch in hand,
\ superintended- the removal of the fur
niture from the reception rooms, which
he called clearing for action, and dis
charged any servant who was not
smart at his duty. He had . room,
which he called his study. fitted up
with all the odds and ends he had
| collected during 40 years in the navy,
and here he held what might be called
drum-head court-martials. and dis
rated the domestic staff, fined them.
swore at them. and bitterly regretted
that the land law did not admit Of any
/ proper discipline whatever.
1t may be imagined what scene of
discord this created. although Sir
| Peter was of so kind and generous
nature that the servants took more
from him than from most masters,
and, indeed, rather diverted them
selves with his fines and punishments,
and, when dismissed, declined to leave
his service, much to his wrath and
chagrin. The acme was reached when
he attempted to put the cook in the
brig. as he called dank cellar which
he determined to utilize for mutineers.
as on board ship. The cook huge
creature three times as big as Sir
Peter, boarded him in his own particu-
] 1ar Ian nd hran iS a n
that was quite as dangerous as a cut
lass, announced that she would no
longer submit to be governed by the
articles of war, as administered by Sir
Peter. She was sustained by a vo-
ciferous chorus of housemaids and
kitchen girls who fiocked behind her,
the men rather choosing to remain in
the background and grinning. Sad to
say, Admiral Sir Peter Hawkshaw,
C. B., was conquered by the virago
with the rolling-pin, and was forced to
surrender to the mutineers, which he
did with very bad grace. At that
iuncture Lady Hawkshaw hove in
sight, and, bearing down upon the
company from below stairs, dispersed
them all with one wave of her hand.
Sir Peter conn lained bitterly, and
Lady Hawkshaw promised to bring
them to summary punishment. But
she warned Sir Peter that his methods
were becoming as intolerable to her as
to the rest of the family, and Sir
Peter after a round or two for the
honor of his flag, hauled down his COL
ors. This became especially neces-
sary, as his retirement was at hand,
consequent more upon an obstinate
rheumatism that fixed itself upon him
than his age. There was doubt
whether he would get the X. C. B.,
which he certainly well deserved, on
his retirement; there was some sort
of hitch about it, although, after the
capture of the two French ships. he
had been promoted to the Office of ad-
miral. Lady Hawkshaw, however.
went down to the admiralty in coach
with six horses and three footmen and
four outriders, and, marching in upon
the first lord, opened fire on him, with
the result that Sir Peter was gazetted
X. c. B. the very next week
Little Daphne. who had always sub
mitted to Sir Peters whims, did so
more than ever after he had been
vanquished by the cook; and Sir Peter
swore, twenty times a week, that
Daphne had the stuff in her to make a
sea officer of the first order.
CTO BE CONTINUED)