Year: 1865

interested In the young man, offered him q


place as gardener or general servant OF


other. Bill was handy chap, and soon


made friends with people, and they persua-


ded him to stop here instead of going to


Liverpool, as he intended He didn't want


much pressing, for any one could see thai
there was girl in the case, and that girl


was Helen Meredith, and it didn't want


more than two eyes to see that she liked


him. The folks used to ieer Paul about


his nose being out Of joint, and Tom Ire


vellian the blacksmith, as owed him a
grudge for the dog, used to say, 'Well,
Doctor, how's your nose this time p But
they say the doctor only used to turn white
and rub his hands it was a way he had,
and he did the same when he gave the dog
the bread. Well, things prospered so well
with young Randall, that at last he made
up his mind to ask the captain for his CON
SEM! and as the old fellow was Jolly, ea-
sy going customer, and liked Bill very
much besides, it wasn't long before he gave
1t. Just about this time, the folks i'll the
village were frightened by the report that
the press-gang were out that they had
been as far as Plympton, four or five miles
from the town there, and had pressed one
or two men. The captain and Ellen want
ed to put the marriage off, but Bill wouldn't
hear Of it, and, strange to say, Paul, as
was his worst rival, as you may say sided
with him. Well, on the very day after the
wedding, strange man as hadn't been
seen in the village afore, called at the
house to speak to Paul. and Il neighbor as
| happened to be present at the time,
sa d afterwards, that she bad seen
| them talking together on the road to
! Plymouth. Now, mind me, iu the evening,
and just as they were sitting down to sup
per and drinking healths, Paul who was
late, ran into the room, leaving the door
! open behind him, and intreated William to
| look to himself as the press-gang were al
ready IN the village and afore poor Bill
could get away, the press-gang were inside
and had seized him. and in spite of bis
struggles and Ellen's cries, and Paul's en-
treaties, carried him to the beach, where a
boat lay ready, and took him away"


"Is that all 2" | asked


"Not exactly mate" said my friend, fin
ishing the rum, the strangest part has to
come"


SO, repenishing his glass and reflling
his pipe, he continued


Well, every one of course was very
much cast down at this, but poor Ellen par
ticularly ; however, for many months she
kept brave heart, always telling the cap
tain she knew William would return, and
| they should be happy yet and dye see,
no one liked to tell the poor thing different,
although but very few thought they'd see
him again. At any rate, it was clear DR..
Paul didn't, for after awhile he began to
pay his addresses to her, and this time more
in earnest than before but it was no use
Ellen would have nothing to say to him at
all


Now, about two years after they had
pressed poor viii, when it was getting on
towards winter time,-there had been a
good deal of dirty weather about, and sew
er vessels had been lost on the coast there
was a report that several crews had been
paid off, and then Ellen made up her mind
more than ever that William would return,
when one day a neighbor comes in and
says he heard that vessel like the Spitfire
that was the one William out in--had
gone down off the Sicllys, and it was
feared that all hands had perished :; he had
| it, he said, from party who was told so
by Paul, who had learnt it when he went
over to Devonport the day before on some
business This was bad news for the poor
lass, but believe she still hoped and pray
ed for her sailor sweetheart, and all along
kept Oh telling the captain that he would
live to see her and Will Randall bride and
bridegroom yet but about a fortnight after
this Paul comes in, in a great taking, and
shows the captain bottle, which had been
picked up on the Cornish coast no doubt
having drifted in and on it was a paper
saying the Spitfre couldn't live the night
through, and praying that whoever found
the bottle would, for heavens sake, send it
on to Captain Meredith, of Cawsand, with
the last prayers of poor Will"


This was dated back and was about
square with the day when the Spitfre was
said to have gone down and so now there
seemed no hope at all, and so poor Ellen
seemed to think at last, for she got paler
and weaker every day, and moved about
like one who had nothing to live for. To
make matters worse, the captain had got into
debt, and difficulties got bigger and bigger
Well, one day, all on a sudden, the doctor
goes to him and offers to marry Ellen out of
hand, promising to discharge all the cap
tain's obligations, and stating his long and
strong attachment had induced him to make
the proposal The captain, as you may be-
lieve, didn't much fancy Paul for son-in-
law, but last he relented, and, pressed by
his debts and his troubles, urging Ellen to
accept him The poor lass refused for a
long time but when she found her faith
er's welfare and liberty depended on it, and
besides had lost alls hope of ever seeing
William again, at last she consented


But you don't mean to say that they
were married at last p | interrupted.


In two or three months they were, and
a pretty couple they must have made she
with her tall figure and pale face, and he
with his red head and bow legs shambling
along by her side. They were married at
Millb rook Church (on the hill, sir and VIII
Randall's old master read the service. They
said Ellen didn't cry or faint, or have any
nonsense of that kind but went through her
share quietly and camly enough, while the
doctor seemed all abroad. Now, it seems
this very evening, just about dusk, when the
captain had gone out to smoke his pipe,
that Paul, who had gone up stairs, heard a
terribly loud scream and rushing back into
the room where he had left Ellen, finds her
fainting dead away on the floor, and Will
lam Randall himself kneeling by her side.
| William used to say afterwa DIS, that
| ba couId not forra+ pauFS faoa whom thew