Blow the Man Down - A Romance of the Coast

"Yes, father."

"Come down here."

She gave her lover a hasty caress and obeyed.

Captain Mayo was obliged to listen. Marston, in his anger, showed no

consideration for possible eavesdroppers.

"I have told you to stay aft where you belong."

"Really, father, I don't understand why--"

"Those are my orders! I understand. You don't need to understand. This

world is full of cheap fellows who misinterpret actions."

Captain Mayo grasped the rails of the bridge ladder and did down to the

deck without touching his feet to the treads. He appeared before the

father and daughter with startling suddenness.

"Mr. Marston, I am leaving my position on board here as soon as you can

get another man to take my place."

"You are, eh?"

"Yes, sir."

"You signed papers for the season. It is not convenient for me to make

a change." Marston spoke with the crispness of a man who had settled the

matter.

Captain Mayo was conscious that the girl was trying to attract his gaze,

but he kept his eyes resolutely from her face.

"I insist on being relieved."

"I have no patience with childishness in a man! I found it necessary to

reprimand you. You'll probably know your place after this." He turned

away.

"I have decided that I do not belong on this yacht," stated Mayo, with

an emphasis he knew the girl would understand. "You must get another

master!"

"I cannot pick captains out of this fog, and I allow no man to tell

me my own business. I shall keep you to your written agreement. Hold

yourself in readiness to carry telegrams ashore for me. I take it there

is an office here?"

"There is, sir," returned Mayo, stiffly.

The girl, departing, bestowed on him a pretty grimace of triumph,

plainly rejoicing because his impetuous resignation had been overruled

so autocratically. But Mayo gave a somber return to the raillery of her

eyes. He had spoken out to Marston as a man, and had been treated with

the contemptuous indifference which would be accorded to a bond-servant.

He was wounded by the light manner in which she viewed that affront,

even though her own father offered it.

He stood there alone for a time, meditating various rash acts. But

under all the tumult of his feelings was the realization that the

responsibility for that yacht's discipline and safety rested on his

shoulders and he went about his duties. He called two of the crew and

ordered the gangway steps down and the port dinghy cleared and lowered.

Then he went to the chart-room and sat on a locker and tried to figure

out whether he was wonderfully happy or supremely miserable.