The Ordway new era., 1909-03-26
CHAPTER i.-cortinued.

SFNF ls-SNVA''sNSH
Now. the peculiar circumstances OF
my bringing-up had given me a RI
diculous haughtiness-for Betty Green
had never ceased TO implore me TO re-
member my qualIty-so | replied TO
this off-hand speech in kind.
"A ship OF the line" said I. "Damme.
do you think I'd serve in a gun-brig?"
He came up a little closer to me,
looked at me attentiyely. and said:
It's an infant Rodney. sure. Was
not Americus Vespucius your grand.
father? And was not your grand
mother in love with Noah when he
was oakum boy at the Portsmouth
docks?"
considered this very offensive. and,
drawing myself up. said:
My grandfather was baronet. and
my grand.uncle is Admiral Sir Peter
Hawkshaw. whose flagship. as you
may know, is the Ajax. "a
Il know him we'll" responded my
new acquaintance. We were drunk
together this night week. He bears for
arms Lots wife after she was turned
into pillar OF salt. with this device:
I thirst
This was an alluslon to the dry
salter. For l soon found that the
young gentlemen in the cockpit were
Intimately acquainted with all OF the
antecedents. glorious or otherwise, of
their superior officers.
The lie in the early part of this
sentence was patent TO me. but so
great was the power to charm OF this
squirting. wide.mouthed fellow. that
felt myself drawn to him irresistibly.
and something In my countenance
showed 1t. for he linked his arm
through mine and began again:
II know your great-aunt, too, Polly
Hawkshaw Dreadful old girl | hear
she can tack ship as well as the ad-
miral; knows to a shilling what his
mess bill is, and teaches him trigo-
nometry when he Is on leave"
This was, of course. a vilification,
and Lady Hawkshaw's name was not
Polly, but Apollonia; but | blush to
say I spoke not one word in defense
OF either her or her name. 1t occurred
to me that my new friend was a per
son who could give me much informa-
lioU hDOul bulll anu ullllOl anu
candidly stated my case to him.
Come on" he cried. There's a
rascal OF haberdasher here who
lives off his majestys officers, and I'll
take you there and At you out; for
Sir Peters the man to have his young
officers smart. A friend Of mine
poor fellow!-happened to be caught
In mufti in the Ajax the other day.
and Sir Peter had all hands turned up
for an execution. My unhappy friend
begged that he might be shot instead
of hanged, and Sir Peter, III admit,
granted him the favor. The poor fel-
low tied the handkerchief over his
eyes himself. forgave all his enemies,
and asked his friends to pay his
debts. Zounds, twas the most af
fecting scene I ever witnessed"
| plainly perceived that my com
panion was talking to frighten me, and
showed 1t by thrusting my tongue into
my cheek. which caused him to burst
out laughing. He presently became
grave, however, and assured me SOL
EMMY that a sea-oficer had his choice
of dressing handsomely, or being
court-martialed and shot For" said
he, "the one hundred and forty-fourth
regulation of the service reads: All
of his majesty's sea-officers are COM
manded to marry heiresses, and in
these cases, the usual penalties for
the abduction Of heiresses are re-
mitted.' Now, how can we abduct heir |
esses, or even get them to look at us,
without fine clothes? Women, my boy,
are caught by the eye alone-and
know 'em, by Gad."
This trifing speech remained in my
memory, and the day came when
recalled the idle talk of us two laugh
ing midshipmen as prophetic.
We went together to a shop, where, |
under his direction and that of an |
oily tongued shopman, I ordered one
Of the handsomest outfits any mid |
shipman could possibly have, includ. |
ing two dozen Of silk stockings, as my |
uew-found friend informed me that |
every man on board his majesty's |
ships, from the admiral down to the |
5ack-o'.the-dust, always wore silk |
stockings, because in the event of
being struck by ball or q pike or a |
cutlass in action, the danger from in
dammation was much less with silk |
than with cotton or wool.
An went swimmingly. untA Il was ]