Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-11-26
AN Tai. MARRIAGE OF 1
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Bx CUTCLIEYE HYNE

eye. pretty little piece that you were
trotting round Cathedral square In
Vera Cruz, Owen, me man."
The mate laughed. she was giving
me Spanish lessons, sir. But didn't
know we met YOU"
81 was sitting under the Hotel
Diligencia piazza having social glass
with the boss stevedore. There
was a little matter of bit Of cum
shaw which it seems you were TOO
proud to take"
II accept charity from no man."
We'll. I'm not so stuck-up, and
when Miss Right comes along, and
you marry and have houseful of
youngsters, you'll stuff notes into your
pocket-book when they're offered, Inc
man Not that blame you for spark.
ing the senorita. I've danced EN-
round myself when I was your age.
and was fine buck mate with q
brand-new masters ticket aching to
then, and the girls thought EN- awful
ly fetching"
Captain Farnish chuckled It'll he had
to wipe away the reminiscent tear
with the broad back of his hand.
Fetching, by CAD! should think l
was. But you've heard the old woman
tuning up on that string when she's
been mad with me-
Eyes, SIR" said the chief officer
respectfully, land took note OF 1t
at the time for future reference"
laughed. Owen Kettle was the son CT
Captain Farnish's old skipper. and
after the old man went down with his
ship in the China seas, the Furnishes
had brought up the boy with their
own children. Mrs. Farnish ruled that
household with rod o" Malacca, and
durMg Captain Saturday Farnish's
briee spells ashore, when his tongue
had been fabricated into indiscretions.
he oftened received stripes even In
the bosom of his family, as all Mersey-
side Terrace, Birkenhead, knew full
we'll to his grim amusement.
Even now the narrow house in the
narrow street across the river at
Liverpool was the only place that ket-
tie considered as home throughout all
the marches Of the universe, and
though the chance of service had
thrown him on the Norman Towers as
chief officer to his own foster-father,
and though they addressed one an
other by those formal titles which the
hard and fast etiquette of the sea sets
out in it's rubrics, there remained un-
der the surface much of the old care
less, if underlined affection. w
We'll" said Captain Farnish, "as
the old woman isn't here to object
God bless her%and we seem to have
made a goodish run, think I'd re-
peat the prescription. You might
make it up, me man. It'll be practice
for you when you have ship Of your
own, and have to know how to pour
ont whisky without overlooking the
dose. And put the bottle back on it's
shelf, and shut the wash-stand, SOS
my steward isn't tempted. Well,
here's" r
But Captain Farnish's genial toast
remained unvoiced, and he sat back
heavily in the big broken-springed
velvet chair, with the beverage slop-
ping over the edge Of his tumbler.
Kettle followed his gaze. Framed In
the brass ring Of port was the bilious
face Of Mr.. Andrew Little, the chief
engineer, and in front of it the black
and damnatory forefinger of Mr.. Lit
tie pointing to the tumbler.
Eat it again" muttered the mate.
And then as the face and the finger
whisked away, Shall go and attend
to him." he asked.
mo. no, me man. thank you all the
same He'll pull round II we give him
time"
Hell be ramping round the decks
prea ching hell-for-sinners for any grin
ming idiot who comes to hear inside
ten minutes. His latest craze is that
all who do not starve themselves are
doomed to perdition. Fancy an officer,
even though he be an engineer, telling
that to gang of old sailors who are
ramping to get their full board Of
trade whack. I don't think it's good
for the chiefs inside to be allowed the
run Of his tongue when these luny fits
come on him. and I'm certain It's bad
for the discipline Of the Ship"
Every difficult thing to coerce a
chief engineer, as you'll learn. Mr..
Kettle, me man. when you get ship
of your own. You can't send him to
his room without entering the circum-
stance in the log, and that means
wasting time over explanations at the
office ashore when you might be sit
ting with your wife at music-hall.
My motto's always try for the line Of
least resistance"
"Mr. Titles dangerous"
! every likely, Mr.. Kettle. me man,
very likely But tackle trouble when
it comes. don't go and hunt for it
like you do, and it's astonishing how
much one slips out of if one. follows
that principle. There's that niger, for
instance, that you were stumbling your
toe against half an hour ago."
"He's bad niger that, bone idle,
and saucy as German baron. But I'll
make him into a good dog before I'm
through with him."
"Did he ever try to knife you be-
fore?"
"only twice that could be sure
or"
"Then why in thunder didn't you
fling his weapon over into the ditch
when you had 1t there lying On the
deck before you?"