The Coffin Ship

A wealthy ship owner cared for but two things in life, his gold and his daughter. But his selfish love of the girl led him to frown upon her suitors, while his greed for gold induced him to follow a niggardly policy so far as his ships were concerned. He insured them, it is true, but he begrudged the money he spent for repairs. He looked at it from the viewpoint that sailors were cheap, and could more easily be replaced than the money of which he was so fond. Therefore, when one of his captains insisted upon repairs being made, he was gruffly rebuffed. The owner told him that he could sail the ship as it was or hunt another job, and the captain decided to stick to the ship, hoping that things were not as bad as he had imagined them to be. For the captain was married, although the fact had been kept a secret. His bride was none other than the daughter of his employer, the miser ship owner, and they were waiting for a favorable chance to break the news to him. The girl wanted to sail wit