Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-01-14

Future entirely hopeless. Help me to
bed bed. mother"
Here, let me help said Miss
Dubhs, with suspiciously shining eyes.
mo, don't you bother, steward. The
captain and I can manage"
Once more they were in the chart
house. sitting side by side on the settee.
Miss Dubbs stole out sympathetic
hand, and gripped Captain Kettles
with her very capable fingers. cts
been very hard for him, poor old man,
but we have to face these misfor.
tunes"
Eyes said Kettle, and drew his
hand away.
Il suppose you'd IKE to DO some
thing for him?"
eyes," said Kettle, and rested his
torpedo beard In the heel Of his fist.
1T would be charity II you did"
NO" said the little sailor, and stood
briskly to his feet. Miss" he said.
It'll be hard for you to understand,
but that mans my old sea-daddy. His
wife was all the mother ever knew.
The pair OF them brought me up, and
hard enough pinch 1t must have
been, but when there wasn't enough to
go round. they we're the once that
went without That happened more
than once. There were times when EN-.
ployment was scarce, and they were
nipped, miss, badly nipped; but there
was always tucker for me, and clothes,
and schoolpence, and that's what I'm
remembering now. When first came
to sea, Mrs Farnish-1 used to call her
mother, y'know, miss-she said, You'll
look after the old man, Owen and l
said I would, and I've just got to. You
see miss, she was all the mother I've
ever known, and anyway, never went
back on my word. couldn't throw
charity to Captain Farnish, Miss
Dubbs. He's got to have his ship back.
with all that's in her In tho way OF
cargo, Just as she was given to me
by Sir George. And now, Miss Dubbs,
dear, know what you think, and yoH
can say 1t presently. know In my
present state I'm no man for a splen-
did lady like you to marry, and 20
want you please to consider our en-
gagement at an end"
"You throw me off, do you, Cap
TAM"
IF you put 1t that way"
Then look here, young man, I'll SUE
you for breach of promise II You 40 ~
sure as my names Miss Dubbs. After
all the trouble I've had to get the man
| wanted, don't lose him like that
I'm just pauper, and don't think
I'll ever be anything more. 1t Will be
work for mine all the days OF my
natural"
(Which is precisely what / looked
forward to when first permitted you
to pay me attention at the Mason's
Arms. didn't mistake you for a bank
manager in disguise, although you may
have thought So"
The sailor clapped an enthusiastic
arm round the lady's waist, Miss
Dubbs, my dearest, how splendid you
are!"
80 that's all right" was her MUIR
INJURED retoft. You're mine, Captain.
till death us do part. and don't you for
get it. But 1t will be an upset for Sir
Georges plans" nm
III you don't mind, we'll not tell Sir
George. He doesn't know Captain
Farnish. you see, and should hate to
have him think was-well, you know
what mean. Time enough to transfer
to the old man when we get home and
the ores realized on and the Norman
Towers is sold.-It's-By James. how
dare you poke your unpleasant head
in at my porthols, McTodd?"
"Three o'clock in the morning and
the skipper counting his girl. oh, sill
yer moon and Afric's stars, you've
much to answer for G. r. Tennyson
wrote that, and I aye thought 1t one
of his finest poems Man, but flirrt-
ing like this is a terrible example to
some OF the ships company. Me, for
instance
"We're engaged" snapped Kettle.
Mr.. McTodd rubbed HIS chin. and
shut one eye. Are We telling me that
as news?''
"It's the latest
"Oh. vara humorous" said McTodd.
'Puir young things, they've just dis
covered what this sma' world Of
ship-board kenned since the day We
first left Las Palmas. Miss, kiss my
hand to We, and after I've been below
to drink your health out OF the chief
engineers whisky bottle which Is I'M
der his bunk, I'll 90 to my chest. and
see II I Gamma find suitable wedding
present. But what came to tell Is this.
That blueeyed saint has swung of to
the shore. Do We think that mans
straight. or Just an African? And
when is he going to take delivery OF
those winchester rifles he's already
,>o{J Prr7v .3s5t