FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   >>  
e this Miss Jones," said Miss Cooper amiably, as they sat at dinner. "She'll be on the quay, waving her handkerchief to him," said the mate. "We'll be in to-morrow afternoon, and then you'll see her." As it happened, the mate was a few hours out in his reckoning, for by the time the Falcon's bows were laid for the small harbour it was quite dark, and the little schooner glided in, guided by the two lights which marked the entrance. The quay, seen in the light of a few scattered lamps, looked dreary enough, and, except for two or three indistinct figures, appeared to be deserted. Beyond, the broken lights of the town stood out more clearly as the schooner crept slowly over the dark water towards her berth. "Fine night, cap'n," said the watchman, as the schooner came gently alongside the quay. The skipper grunted assent. He was peering anxiously at the quay. "It's too late," said the mate. "You couldn't expect her this time o'night. It's ten o'clock." "I'll go over in the morning," said Evans, who, now that things had been adjusted, was secretly disappointed that Miss Cooper had not witnessed the meeting. "If you're not going ashore, we might have a hand o' cards as soon's we're made fast." The mate assenting, they went below, and were soon deep in the mysteries of three-hand cribbage. Evans, who was a good player, surpassed himself, and had just won the first game, the others being nowhere, when a head was thrust down the companion-way, and a voice like a strained foghorn called the captain by name. "Ay, ay!" yelled Evans, laying down his hand. "I'll come down, cap'n," said the voice, and the mate just had time to whisper "Old Jones" to Miss Cooper, when a man of mighty bulk filled up the doorway of the little cabin, and extended a huge paw to Evans and the mate. He then looked at the lady, and, breathing hard, waited. "Young lady o' the mate's," said Evans breathlessly,--"Miss Cooper. Sit down, cap'n. Get the gin out, Bill." "Not for me," said Captain Jones firmly, but with an obvious effort. The surprise of Evans and the mate admitted of no concealment; but it passed unnoticed by their visitor, who, fidgeting in his seat, appeared to be labouring with some mysterious problem. After a long pause, during which all watched him anxiously, he reached over the table and shook hands with Evans again. "Put it there, cap'n," said Evans, much affected by this token of esteem. The old man rose and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159  
160   161   162   163   164   >>  



Top keywords:
Cooper
 

schooner

 

looked

 

lights

 

appeared

 
anxiously
 
captain
 

yelled

 
mighty
 

filled


laying

 

called

 
whisper
 

strained

 
thrust
 

esteem

 
foghorn
 
companion
 

affected

 

obvious


effort

 

surpassed

 

surprise

 

problem

 

firmly

 

admitted

 

visitor

 

fidgeting

 

unnoticed

 

concealment


mysterious

 
passed
 

Captain

 

watched

 

breathing

 
extended
 

reached

 
labouring
 

waited

 
breathlessly

doorway
 

dreary

 
scattered
 
guided
 

marked

 

entrance

 
indistinct
 

broken

 
figures
 

deserted