The weekly Shasta courier., 1873-08-02

The day was drawing towards its close,
chill and raw. Lake Village was almost al
ways gusty, but Just now the wind was hay-
ing its own way more than usual, and any
passer through the long, bleak street, hap
pening to glance in at the window of the
little water-side tavern, might well have
been tempted by the bright fire and good
company inside the bar.
They were the usual afternoon loafers
with the exception of one small, wiry look
ing man, a stranger, who had stopped to
take glass of something hot, and who, at
the moment, was evidently the centre of the
general interest. -. -
:" But what is it youknow, anyhow. stran-
ger?" asked one of the group. Come,
now, among friends"
Never you mind" answered the man ad
dressed, /" know enough to shut up John
Sawyer pretty spell, if not to make him
swing. and know how to tell it when the
right time comes, don't you be afraid for
that. The days getting on" he added, alb
ruptly, rising and turning toward the win
dow, and your duck pond there don t look
over-agreeable Just now. Who's a. good
boatman hereabouts? for I'm split, can t
swim"
Joe Gorton's your man; he couldn't tip
over if he tried, couldn't joe"
why don't you wait till tomorrow,
stranger, if you're afeared of the weather ?
and them clouds over there do look kinder
pesky,n said the landlord of the Lakeside
House, turning practised eye on the gray
mingling outlines of lake and sky
well, fact isl said the other, Pm &C
quainted over in Milham, and if it's all the
same to you with wink" I'd rather be
there than here; so if you'll hunt up this
Joe what s-hs-name, I'll be obliged.
The landlord, resenting the wink and the
implied lnsinuation, opened the door and
called out rather sulkily, to some one in the
next ROOM: Marcy, run down to the wa
ter and tell Joe there's a passenger here"
In another minute the house-door closed,
and a tall, slight girls figure, with a shawl
over its head, might have been seen hurry
ing to the water side,
Joe GOrtOn, busy about his boat, heard
his name called, and, looking up, saw the
girl Marcy The sharp wind had blown out
stray locks of her crisp, black hair from I'M
der the red shawl but the hectic in the
cheeks, and the feversh brightness in the
dilated eyes, were not all the winds work.
She came close to the young boatman, who
raised himself up, facing her
joe" she said, there's a passenger
waiting up to the house" she laid her hand
on his arm, and glanced cautiously round be-
fore adding, in whisper: Joe, if once
that man reaches the other side, it s all up
with father"
Whats that, Margy?" said the boat
man, looking wonderingiy at her.
O. l tell you heard it; he'll bring it home
to him, he says so, he's come purpose It's
fathers chance clean gone if you take him
across"
" DO you mean | should refuse to take
him, Marcy ?" said Joe slowly.
What good would that do?" said the
girl, impatiently. /" X ely or some of EN-
would take him fast enough what's father $
life against fare? No, it's you must take
him, Joe, and then, if dny thing happens .
sinking her voice to meaning whisper,
nobody but you and mes the wiser"
Joe started back.
Marcy, what's that you're thinking?"
can't help it y cried the girl, passion
ately twisting her fingers in the shawl-fringe
SO that 1t snapped; he's my father, and
never was better but for the drink-you
know yourself, everybody says so-and if
you could hear that man up there laughing
and Boosting he II hang himl Joe, you'd
ind 1t hard to keep your hands off him :;
but don't ask you so much as touch a fin
ger to him. .only. il the boat turns over. he
can't s"in'. L heard him say so, and then
fathers saved, and nobody the WISER for the
best boatman that ever was, might have an
accident on a squally evening like this
There, there. Marcy. be still. poor girl.
you don't know what you're saying" inter
posed Joe.
Yes do" said she, passionately; new
er you think that, Joe Gorton. tell Won
1t lays with you to save father or to kill him I:
yes. and me too, for if they hang him mi
never live over the other day, and that |
swear so you choose between us. Hark ~
she turned to listen. 1 can't STAY" She
pressed her hand hard on his shoulder, look
ing up piteously 10 his face. doe. if ever
yoa cared for me. save that poor old man /"
And before he could answer she was gone,
leaving him looking after her like one in a
dream. --s-ass-=ass=s.sa-=-~r-.-
The clouds were getting lower and heav-
Ter as the boatman set off with his passenger.
Looks as If We should have a spell of
weather" said the latter, CHANGING from the
leadeu sky to the leaden water. :. Hope
Won ra N hot thev crarC oh Won mn 70 ba fnr