Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 68: what you’re looking at

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694 matters clearly; sympathizing with her on account of her banished hopes. He made a mental determination to deprive himself of the few simple pleasures he indulged in ashore. By dint of saving the meagre amount he customarily spent on his own en- joyment, he might be able to provide a little treat for Molly when he got his leave and was permitted to visit his own home. He tried not to feel dislike for the dapper man who had stepped into the shoes that were rightly his when Lyons appeared aboard, somewhat full of an account of a dinner ashore with the junior partner of the line. “My sister was with us,’ Lyons ex- plained. ‘“ Brent’s more than a bit struck on her. Some dinner, I tell you.” _ §$o that accounted for the milk in the coconut! Ship owners were human beings, and a smile of approval from a pretty girl— if Miss Lyons took after her brother she would naturally be a good-looker—meant _more than years of faithful service! “We'll get this old hulk smartened up a bit,” Captain Lyons stated, after he had taken over from Brensfone. ‘ You’d bet- ter let me look over your indents, Seller- man; there won’t be too many questions asked, I can assure you. f treacled up the Prometheus until she looked like a yacht.” He had a good deal to say about his own smartness, and. about his intimacy with the junior partner. He appeared in a new jacket, with four rings of gold lace on his sleeves and a glittering peak to his cap, which cap he wore rakishly. It was not until Sellerman returned from his week’s leave, however—Sellerman thought a lot about Molly’s tired eyes and work-hardened hands when he returned to the Molyneux— that Lyons began to criticize. The ship was lacking in smartness, he averred—things would have to be altered. She was simply a floating pigsty—quite dif- ferent from the Prometheus. He had al- ready quarreled with the chief engineer; he had engaged a new steward; and his cabin was being redecorated. “You ought to buy yourself a new uni- form, too,” he told Sellerman. “‘ You've to think of the credit of the firm, you know— and the owners don’t like to see their people going about in rags.” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Sellerman looked at the tarnished lace of his cuffs, reflected that the cost of a new uniform would eat @ monstrous hole into a month’s pay, and said nothing. Lyons later told Mr. Brent that he quite failed to un- derstand why foiks cracked up Sellerman so much—he was a sullen old swabtail, entire- ly lacking in smartness—an old-timer. “He’d better not come playing the old sailor trick with me, though,” he said, a trifle boastfully. “ I’m the man to keep him in his place.” But Sellerman did not require keeping in his place. He accepted the inevitable without outward complaint; and when the chief engineer—his firm friend—waxed in- dignant against the injustice of the business, he directed that angry mechanic’s wrath into other channels. ** After all, he’s skipper,” he said mildly. *“* And I suppose the owners can do as they like, since they pay the bill.” When clearing from dock on the outward passage, Captain Lyons knew nothing of the expert assistance given unostentatiously to him by his chief mate. Things went better than he expected—a first command is a trying experience, when you have no senior behind you to shoulder possible blame— and he took credit to himself for coolness and resource. The Molyneux met with excellent weather; all things worked smoothly. Sel- lerman had reéngaged the previous crew, who knew their work; and he regretted the absence of the late steward, who, even if rough and ready, at least knew his work and could cook an eatable meal, which was more than the swagger cabin servant, engaged by Lyons because of his ability to look after clothes, could do. Lyons, being a smart navigator, had no difficulty in taking his command to her first port. No emergencies were encountered; and yet, as time went by, Sellerman began to feel vaguely uneasy. Precisely why he could not say. To be sure, Lyons paid great attention to trifling matters and ignored the greater issues; but he was a young man, conceited, very conscious of his position. Only once or twice he had showed signs of vacillation: he had issued contradictory orders; he had shown a lack of nerve. His COmMiCcLoooks (C@