United States or Lebanon ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Dan!" she called with all the power of her lungs, not expecting that he would hear her now. "Dan Merrithew, have you left me?" There came an answering hail, and looking toward the bow she saw Dan clambering out of the forward hatch. His shoes and trousers were dripping wet. As he ran to her she waited, weeping. He caught her hands and held them. "Oh, Dan, Dan!" she cried, "you frightened me so!
But until a half-hour ago, this day seemed still to lie far ahead, a day to be attained, well, he could not say exactly how but at least with a sort of metaphorical roaring of guns and waving of flags, and great spiritual exaltation. But now a few short sentences, a handshake, and presto! Captain Merrithew, of the Coastwise line steamship Tampico, by your leave.
It was a good, plain, simple talk such as longshoremen, dock-rats, tugmen, and seamen often hear in this place, but it impressed young Merrithew; for, although he had never accepted his misfortunes, nor reasoned away the things that tried his soul in this philosophical manner, yet he had always had a vague conviction that everything that happened was for his good and would work out in the end.
Young Merrithew at the time was in a New England preparatory school, playing excellent football and passing examinations by the skin of his teeth. Thrown upon his own resources, his mother having died in early years, he had to decide whether he would work his way through the school and later through college, or trust to such education as he already had to carry him along in the world.
Howland arose from a long, polished oaken table littered with papers, at which several men were seated, and advanced to meet him. "Captain Merrithew," he said, "I am glad to see you again.
It was a thin little waif of a story as it came from Mrs. Merrithew, needing to be taken in and comforted before it would yield even to Peter, who as a rich man had come to have a fair discernment in pitiable cases, the faint hope of a rescue.
The effects remained, and Dan Merrithew shifted his wheel several spokes east of north and took the brunt bow on. She bore it well, did the stout Fledgling; she did that she split the waves or crashed through them, or laughed over them, as a stout tug should when coaxed by hands of skill, guided by an iron will.
And now, Merrithew," stuffing the papers into his pocket as though all matters concerning them were finally settled, "I want to ask you about something else. Of course you're in this Central American service here and will be for a time. I've been thinking what you said about the fighting the other morning." He lit a cigar and pushed his case toward Dan.
For, behold, where he thought to meet an enemy, devious and tricky, he had encountered instead, a friend, generous, hospitable! "I fail to see your play, quite, Captain Merrithew," grumbled Mr. Howland. "Well," interpolated Virginia, "it was a very interesting play. Captain, I had no idea you could be so eloquent." "Thank you," laughed Dan. "Mr.
Now don't smile, father; you have said a dozen times you were through with steam yachts." "I'm not smiling," said Mr. Howland. "It is quite possible we'll go down on the Tampico unless Merrithew manages to sink her in the meantime." "Bully," cried the girl. "Good-night. . . . I think," she said, speaking slowly over her shoulder "I think we had a very successful partee."
Word Of The Day