The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1914-08-14
David Smith,
Able Seaman
By LOUISE 8. CUMMINGS

Miss Nellie Williams was In the hey
day Of youth. and visions of all sorts
of pleasures danced In her head. the
principal OF which was flirting with
the young officers with whom she
would be thrown into contact Her
mother rejoiced that she would be able
to introduce her daughter into society,
which she could not have otherwise
done because neither her husband nor
herself had any fortune, and she was
obliged To live a retired life.
But no sooner had the captain as.
sumed command and his family been
Installed in the best quarters at the
station than Miss Nellie must needs
spoil It all by casting TO the winds the
most sacred traditions OF the service.
or all the officers at the station, In
Guiding several midshipmen Of suit.
able age TO Interest girl of seven
teen. not one succeeded In sufficiently
engaging her attention to save her
from bestowing not only It, but her
WuOlt utuEl, vi
No one can tell what Il girl between
fifteen and twenty is going to do. and
when she does 1t no one can stop her
The difference IN the navy between an
enlisted man and an adiicer can best
be illustrated by comparing bramble
bush with a pine tree. There are In
these times many fine young men
among the United States tars, but the
grandson of millionaire can no more
overstep this sharply defined line be-
tween officer and enlisted man than
can the cook In the galley.
A girl Of seventeen is as easily caught
as the stupidest fish that swims. and
no one can tell who will catch her
Miss Williams one day went aboard q
ship locked at the yard. And there
she saw the young man who caught
her What 1t was In him that caught
her no one could tell. True, he was 9
pretty boy. but there were other pretty
boys who wore officers uniforms
while the young man In question wore
the sailors cap, the blue flannel shir,
with broad collar and the trousers
tight about the hips and loose below
the knee of a common sailor.
Now, Captain Williams, who found
no difficulty in commanding his sta.
ton. consisting Of many strong men
found himself unable to discipline his
daughter. He threatened, II ever she
was caught speaking to the youngstel
again. to send her away. She made
promises. but they were not kept &c
would have ordered the sailor-David
Smith was the name on his ships
roster-away from the station. but
Miss Nellie's infatuation had become
known and such action would be con
sidered using official power to serve
private interests. and the captain wat
very sensitive on such point More
over, he feared that II he put on the
screws his daughter might run away
with the tar. This would not only
tie her up to a common sailor. but q
deserter.
How, when and where the tar and
the captains daughter ccntrived to
hold their meetings no one knew. Al
least no one would tell They bad
many adherents among the sailors. but
none among the officers or their fam
lilies Finally It became apparent to
Captain and Mrs. Williams that some
thing must be done, and one morning
Miss Nellie was informed that she was
to be taken back to the quiet home.
There was nothing to do but submit,
and what had promised to be such q
ine thing for them ended In disap-
pointment. And all this on account
of Miss Nellles having fallen In love
with common sailor instead Of an
officer.
One day Captain Williams received
from Washington the discharge papers
OF a sailor named Howard Singleton.
The discharge had been granted by
the secretary Of the navy at the re-
quest of the British minister. The
case was brought to the commanders
attention by the officer having the care
Of discharges because there was nc
such person as Howard Singleton al
the station
Make inquiries for him." said the
Captain: The may have enlisted under
nm assumed name"
The officer retired and soon after re-
turned with David Smith able seaman.
The captain. who knew him well. hav.
ing had an interview with him con-
corning his daughter. looked at him In
establishment.
''Is your name Singleton asked
Captain Williams.
1T is"
"Are you British subjectr'
II am. My father ID Sir Charles SIN
gieton, a shipbuilder on the Clyde IN
Scotland He builds ships for the Brit.
ish navy. ! am to enter his service,
but thought It better TO learn some
thing Of warships by serving awhile
on one Of them. In the British navy
l could not have preserved my incog,
90 1 chose the United States service"
"Ahem! And you 60 from here to
Scotland to enter your fathers worksf''
II do. But after consultation with
my father shall return for II pur-
pose,r ra
what purposey'
ITO ask the hand Of your daughter"
"Um." mumbled the captain. Per
hope, x,nsxtd hatfor 400 vaur fafhor- hout