Show I COURTING OMARY The Sailors' Sailors Arms was as pleasant a place to drop in of an f evening as one could find an all agreeable hum of voices and an r odor of brewing grog streamed out o of t the e door for for welcome and Rf once inside the sight of the candies candles can can- r dIes sputtering upon the group of men over their mugs or their ne newspapers round the rough rought t tables or of old Will iVill O 0 q Sailors 1 hobbling about the room on his wooden leg with witha a word for everyone put you at once at ease For no man could be more courteous courteous court court- than or give you youa a better hand grip though when he chose he had a gruff harsh manner in no wise to be lightly looked upon He kept a respectable 1 f ble tavern enough where one might ight have plenty of jollity and It f plenty of beer providing one paid for it but not too much and it ith c. c h was when someone passed the limit of either that had occasion to flash up and send the trespasser out in such a hurry as asto asto to make it unlikely that he come comeback comeback back for some time They said said said- and no doubt it was true true that that he lie kept the place so straight for his daughters' daughters sake though in his own time he had been no better than the best hest of seamen As it stood it was not unmeet that Mary the Mary the prettiest and rosiest girl in all in h her r white whitecap whitecap whitecap cap and frilled apron and her tight fitting bodice and short skirt should wait upon her fathers father's guests I had seen the picture that she made tripping about the room filling up tip the mugs or bringing in the pipes or tobacco or stopping to trim a candle wick that flickered unseemly unseemly unseemly-so so that 1 it was no wonder when I grew v i j 1 J I I j Ij r Q 0 a A Ato 0 to the age acre b of sixtO sixteen l and d decided a V ab a- a that paying attentions attentions' to some young lady of the neighborhood was as requisite pre-requisite as long trousers much too long and a stiff collar much too high that high that I I. I chose upon Mary as suitable for my attentions s. s The fact that she was twenty mattered mattered mattered mat mat- not in the least to me rather rath rath- er b because cause a young lady of those years was by no means to be with it served to show that I was serious serious serious-a a reputation for being which in the face of my tny mylove mylove love of pranks and quarreling I Iwas Iwas Iwas was sadly in need So ardent did didI didI I come in my determination that I set off the same night of making making making mak mak- ing it for the Sailors Sailor's Arms When I came blinking from the darkness into the room himself met me and greeted me meas meas meas as as was his wont with a kind pat paton on my shoulder and a hearty hearty hearty- Eh Thomas child how are ye I had never minded his greeting greeting greeting greet greet- ing before but this time full of my purpose the words jarred upon up upon upon up up- on on my ear and incensed me Im no child I cried shaking shaking shaking shak shak- ing off his hand rougher than I should Im arm a man and I puffed out my chest and drew myself up The company at that began to laugh which of course only in incensed incensed incensed in- in censed me the more I strode strode up tip to the table and banged upon it so hard to enforce my words that the tumblers and mugs rattled 1 i tl i J 1 Nr 1 ti L f 1 1 w e f. f 17 2 Un 7 ah and h i clinked Blinked irl aril ancl some of the f foam from the beer fell over the rims Im a man and Ive I've come here a courting of Mary I cried while more in the spirit of anger than with any idea of gallantry I laid my hand upon my heart N Now ow shouts of laughter filled the room The older men took their pipes from their mouths to grin and the younger openly began began began be be- gan to make fun of me Ha H ho Sir Sir- Thomas so youve you've come a courting cried Davy Jones who was that little and I could have made him quiet with no trouble at all if he had been the only one But his words were only half out before Davis added with a sneer sneer a a pretty husband you'll make that I wager And John Sylvester the fat cobbler making a few steps as he hummed broke in with Comin the rye All this was fuel enough to the anger that raged within me but the taunting words of Long Jiles a a big overgrown boy I thought him freckled a and d pale eyed capped the climax You a courting of Mary 0 O Sailors he said You a striP striP- striPling stripling ling I could heft with one hand and be easy Mary he went on putting aside his taunts and speaking sternly is for none the likes of us us as her herpa's herpa's herpa's pas pa's told ye mariy's many's the time Youre You're an lad listen 1 for her to Will face This was true enough for tor it I was well known that Will 0 O Sailors would have no one paying paying pay- pay 1 4 ing attentions to his girl and putting putting putting put put- ting foolish notions into her head K But the very truth of it was what egged me on to roar out outCome out out- r. r Come and fight and see if Im I'm T no man I and I doubled up my fists in readiness the laughter and jeers that greeted this remark Will O 0 4 T Sailors who till then h had d. d st stood od t looking silently on with an im- im face pushed himself through the rest and parted Long Jiles and met me t v Come come none of this or you'll all go packing into the street 1 As for you he scowled t. t at the jesters its a cowards coward's s strick n k trick to put so many odds against a mere bo bo- bo against Thomas C. C here he added Then turning r to me in h his s manner manner manner- Right you are and none shall say as you shant shan't be courting of my Mary an it wills you And let it be known amongst ye he continued to the astonished group that Thomas Philips aged sixteen is a courting of my Mary l a aged ed twenty y come C Christmas Christmas- with my right good will k I looked up quickly as he dwelt o r thus upon our ages with a suspicion suspicion sus sus- tj that was half confirmed by byan byan an odd quirk of his mouth and andr h r the knowing way in which the others smiled and went back backI I 1 p j t peaceably to their grog But Will face was was' wasas as sober as s I could wish when he took my hand to lead me over to Mary where she sat on his bench for bench for forshe she had come in unnoticed during during during dur dur- ing the heat of the dispute And now he said start right in on your courting You may be sure this was no easy task for I was too sullen and angry for one thing and then to court of ones one's own volition was one thing and to be set a courting quite another beside Mary with my face burning and with the consciousness of looking very sheepish and awkward in the eyes of the others But though I never uttered a word I stuck my ground round stubbornly and it was not until Mary and even the last of the visitors had left that I went home mortified it is true by y the evenings evening's affair but in no wise turned aside from my purpose Twice a week I came to the Sailors Sailor's Arms and it was vas always the same ushered me mein mein mein in elaborately and kin kindly ly gave me a seat eat beside him and called Mary to sit next me Here we ve stayed for the evening never stirring except when Mary left to fill up tip the glasses or serve some new customer and whenever either of us spoke a word silence fell in the rest of the room room room- everybody became attentive a Davy Jones even had a habit of putting his hand behind his ear to hear the better and of leering over at me When the words that we two had to say were over over and and few enough they were the the talking and commotion would go on as before until the next occasion This state of affairs went on for a month Then I made up my mind to end it for I saw that Mary who had taken it somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what as a joke in the first place began to chafe under it as much muchas as I. I In fact during that time she changed a good deal she became became became be be- came quieter and often I caught her looking at me with an expression expression expression sion sion in her eyes as if she had something she wished to say or again she would turn her eyes to look out through the window that opened upon the back garden garden garden gar gar- den as if I thought she longed to be be free free from this oppression and out in the calm starry night as the next best thing at times when was busy she would step out of the room for a aspell aspell aspell spell into what was probably the kitchen For a while I planned to speak of the treatment we two were re receiving receiving receiving re- re to himself once in fact I attempted it but I had no sooner begun than I fell to stammering and blushing and he looked at me so mildly astonished and innocent that I hadn't the courage to do anything but crawl back out of the opening I had made as quick as I could But lately a new plan had entered my head suggested through Mary herself Why not end the matter by putting the question to her some evening in the garden garden garden gar gar- den away from inquisitive eyes Where could I chose a fitter place than there under the dark blue twinkling heavens to hear her answer Of what that should be beI I had no doubt her changed looks her restlessness told me pla plain n enough While I sat watching her as she gazed out the window with a afar afar afar far away expression suddenly she turned and caught caugh my glance upon her and a start I seized the opportunity and pointing pointing pointing point point- ing to the garden barely barely barely bar bar- ely whispered the word tomorrow tomor row for fear the rest would hear But they were deep in conversation conversation conversa versa tion and I was confident had seen nothing Mary conscious confused dubious slowly nodded her head in answer I rose earlier that evening than I had been used to do and took my hat The fact was that I felt feltI I must make some preparation for my seeming absence here here- after Not going Thomas sure said looking up tip with surprise first at me and then at Mary l My face got a trifle red and I twirled my hat about on my hand Its late enough often as asI asI asI I come Im I'm thinking not to come 1 so ofte often My l hat twirled off my finger and fell rolling over over over-on on the floor As I r I stooped to pick it up i said a anxiously anxiously- Theres nothing is wrong Thomas with the the courtin court- court in inv IS When I rose my face was redder redder redder red red- der than ever but I tried to speak off hand as I I brushed the dust f from the rim No It aint because of none rione of ous us us Thomas N No 0 It aint because of Long Jiles Jiles' enquired Dav Davy Jones in his smirking way Bless you Long Jiles aint here remarked with surprise before I could indig indignantly indig deny x Nor aint been for some time replied Sylvester I seen him when I passed last evening said an old man in the cor corner corner er and thought as hed he'd been beena a here i Mary l daughter spoke up O 0 Sailors turning to her Was Long Jiles here last night whether or orno orno no I dont don't recollect i Mar Mary turned turned a face to to- tous us th that t kb was rosy in In th the candlelight kV Thomas should know at length she stammered in a way though I. I r that I thought was delightfully i- i sly ly and then the color color streamed into her face as red as it had been J t in mine f The company eyed me silently f. f It was a painful l pause however vever I F r v 1 much satisfaction it gave me to think that I had been the means means of keeping Long Jiles away so I r. r took my leave very awkwardly with a last glance for Mary Twill blow over I 1 heard O 0 Sailors say hopefully And think you then Long Jiles as is offended queried the theold theold theold old man I caught the sound of Sh as asI asI I shut the door That night on my way home I the money in my pockets with secret exultation Long Long- Jiles avoiding me me Of course now course now that I came cameto cameto cameto to think of it Else why had Long Jiles been to the Sailors' Sailors Arms so rarely since that night when I first came a courting and then had hac been silent and preoccupied preoccupied preoccupied pied and had looked at me often as I sat beside Mary on the bench and h had td left early early all all of which I remembered to have been the case There was vas was a possibility that he might b be jealous of me At any rate the thought of him gave me me zest to my plan for for the next evening In my eagerness it was long in incoming incoming coming but at length after impatient impatient im im- patient rambling up tip and down the streets all day near by evening drew on so that I could climb the gate into rs r's rear gardens gardens gardens gar gar- dens without detection defection For as jealous of them as of his daughter daugh daugh- ter kept as they we were we're were re in scrupulous scrupulous scrupulous lous order he lie left the gate locked and the rest of the place was was vas en- en J closed by a high mason wall Thus my venture was doubly It was a beautiful clear night The moon came over the wall and shed a yellow light upon the squat Sailors Sailor's Arms upon upon upon up up- on the long rows of vines as distinct distinct distinct dis dis- as in the daytime except that the shadows were blacker and touching up here and there therea a pumpkin that showed from under under under un un- der the leaves a rich yellow It was very still too of a parish stillness when the barking of a dog or the slamming or a door was the only sound to be heard over the breathing of nature Yet YetI I 1 heard a slight noise near the house house it house it might have been in th the shadow of it and it-and and thinking that it was Mary I I slipped down the gate from contemplating the scene and picked my way over the shrubs and vines to the house When I was half way there what of a sudden should happen without without without with with- out the slightest cause caus that 1 I could see but the door to the Sailors Sailor's Arms be thrown wide open and in the candle light that streamed out appeared first 0 O Sailors and then half his company company company com com- pany making a great deal of or con con- fusion And there I stood in the open field fidd They saw me and their uncertainty gave way With Witha a shout of Thief one and all made after me What could I Ido do To go back the way I had come was useless useless they they were I coming that way Yet to stay there and be recognized was equally Recklessly I turned and ran Imagine m my y surprise surprise surprise sur sur- prise and joy when my my eye fellon fell fellon fellon on a ladder in the direction I was running leaning half revealed from under a mass of trees against a f far lr corner of the wall With a bolt I made for that The crowd giving up the gate way x followed still shouting But I soon soon gained the ladder and it was only a second before I was at the top There I stood dumfounded Of course there was no ladder on the other side or else I would have seen it before I entered the place and have chosen that way Instead Instead Instead In In- stead there was only a deep impenetrable impenetrable impenetrable im im- penetrable shadow cast by the wall and the huge trees behind and the wall was very high For a second I stood there on the top hesitating As I did so giving a quick glance back at my pursuers I saw a figure far behind behind behind be be- hind them climbing out of the gate I had entered by and the figure was like that of Long Jiles But how could that be for Mary stood in the light of the kitchen door and she must have seen him Whoever it was it was then this person who had made the noise that attracted the men in the first place and was now finding such an easy exit while I Suddenly the truth burst upon me in a flash Mary and her queer words of yesterday yesterday- Long Jiles and his absence yet y his |