Year: 1870

From the Overland Monthly


| do not remember when it was that the
second mate first began to show his demon
strauve admiration for our pretty fellow
passenger. II was Dick Halliday who call
ed my attention to it as a capital joke while
We were yet in the Meditcrranean-a forts
night or so after we had sailed from Leg
hor. We two were leaning on the quarter
rail just before dusk, when Miss Ellis came
On deck. There's the candle" said Dick,
and presently you'll see the moth" In
the course OF the next five minutes, Mr..
Jones, our second mate, lounged over from
the opposite side Of the deck, and entered
iEto an animated conversation with the
young lady on the interesting topic Of sharks.
At least We judged so by her questions,
that the wind, 10th to part with the music
al tones, 'nd!scrccty carried them within
our hearing. lies sort of death S head
moth IN point OF beauty" continued my
friend tut he's neither too ugly nor TOO
old TO suffer an uncomfortable singing"


| had a halt>lJrmed idea that | rather
liked the second mate, and very certain
conviction that / particularly admired pref
ty Mary Ellis. As | diSlikcd to see the man
make a fool Of himself, or the girl appear
IN the discredltable character of a coauette,
Dick moth and candle theory annoyed me.
| therefore took the liberty of totally disbe-
lleVing 1t, and should have continued to do
SO had nos the evidence gradually become
too plain to be mistaken.


There We're only four OF US in the cabin
Dick, Miss Ellis, her father and myself
Nhy W. had taken passage from Leghorn
to New Ork in 4 slow sailing, marble laden
ship, instead of returning home by a quick>
er and more fashionable route, does not
pertain to the present story. As the only
lady passenger, Miss Ellis naturally was the
chief object of interest TO my friend and
myself Her father was old, ard unable to
play whist, and was consequently an eX>
tremely unlnterestlng fellow passenger
Fortunately he kept his room pretty closely,
and We saw very little Of him. But his
daughter was the brightest and most be
wltchlng little woman that ever made
long sea voyage not only endurable, but de-
hghttul. She was twenty five, as she frank
ly confessed, and had spent the last three
years travelling with her invalid father. =
She Was never i'll tempered, never dull or
dlsplrlted, and though frank and bright in
manner, never trangres.ed the limits of
maldenly proprlety. She was quite aware
Of the fact that she was extremely pretty,
and she had an irresistible tendency toward
innocent Irritation. Had been a younger
man, or had Dick not possessed wife and
a quantity OF children at home, one or both
of US would certainly have rehearseI the
world old drama of idle love, with Mary
Ellis IN the leading female role, as the crit
les would say.


AS for Mr.. Jones, he was the last man
whom any one would have deemed capable
OF sentiment of any sort. He was od-for
although he said he was only thirty five,
rough weatEer and a wild, dessolale life
had made him much older than his years
Ills complexion was nearly the color of ma
hogany when 1t is thorougy oiled, though
II lacked the polish surface which is gcner>
ally associated with that article IL It's manu-
factured state. His hair was grizzled and
unkempt, aud an US y scar, which stretch
ed across his forehead-the memorial of a
desperate fight with mutinous crew
added nothing to his beauty. Still his
eyes were clear and piercing, and his figure
athletic and manly. | suppose there are
women who might possibly have fallen in
love with him. The Duchess Josiane GER
tainly would.


" hen one came t0 scrutinize Jones spirit
ual, as distinguished from Jones physical,
1t was still more difficult TO understand how
he could have had the amazing self coneei,
tc imagine that Miss Ellis could regard him
with anything bur the barest liberation.
tie was bold, quick, skilful sailor; man
born to command the refuse of humanity
that mans our mer, hant vessels. He was
hard and cruel TO the lazy and ignorant, and
as swearer, eelipsed any one whom | had
ever heard, in the devilish intensity of his
innumerable oaths, He was a totally illit>
crate man, and his want of knowledge of
navigation made it impossible for him to
rise above subordinate station in his pro>
tesSion. Ills conversation had certain
spice OF shrewdness and homely good sense,
but was pertectual defiance Of Ludley
Murray and all his works. His code Of
morality was summarily eomprehended in
/ The two ru.eS-never to be drunk At sea,
! and always 70 obey orders. This was GER