Page 243 - Adventures in shadow-land

low harbor water did not agree with his constitu­

tion. He grew thin and hollow-eyed, a mere
ghost of a merman, but he was constant to his

wooden image.
Meantime, the ship was finished and the cargo

was stowed away. One day, glancing out from
his place, he saw that the nymph was unveiled

and was standing in her old fashion, lovely as ever*
She was looking straight at him, the merman

thought. “ She is anxious about my safety," he
said, with delight, for he did not know that the

image just looked toward the old wharf because it

happened to be in the way,
“ Dearest,” he said, “ I would follow you over

the whole ocean for such a look as that I”
That night there were so many men on board

the brig that the merman did not dare go near her.
The next morning the ship spread her sails and

went out o f the harbor with a fair wind, bound
■
for Lisbon and the Mediterranean. That same

evening there was a great gathering at Colonel
Shuttlewortb's. Master Torrey was married to

Anna Jane*