Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-07-22
Cant you sell the lumberP" said

/ y
Jane, with ready common sense.
!" have used part of it in making
the barge. If / get the money for saw
ing the cargo. | shall have Just enough
! to pay every bill, but with nothing left. y
1 each shoulder calmly kissed him. W
THANK you, love, for the compli-
ment."
81 heard the engineer say the-the
Jane would make good freight steamer
! if she were engined."
ssDid hep That's not a bad idea. L
had thought she would make some kind
of craft. Oh! Perhaps / could buy
| the engines out of the steamer. They
will sell them cheap.
Il thought you had failed and lost
everything"
"No. I can't fail while have you" !"
What further sentiment he would
have indulged in cannot be known, for
some one called them. f
She's bout ready to slide,n said the
big captain. Seeing Jane, he took off
his hat and said, politely, "Will the
young lady name the boat?"
"The boat is named the Jane Besant.
Let me present my friend Miss Besant,
captain
5Glad to meet you, miss. called my
boat the Nancy K, after my wife. It
brings luck"
The buiIt-up sides of the boat and the
interior crossword that braced her and
held the hull together in every direction
had been raised six feet high Boards
were laid down on top to form a deck,
and she was ready to be put afioat The
captain and the engineer, Ralph and
about dozen men armed with long poles,
mounted the deck. The word was given,
the blocks were knocked away and
down she slid swiftly into the water
amid the cheers of the people. She set
tied down in the water with slight list
to one side, and the rural population
gave little cry of alarm.
"The cargo will ballast her," said
Ralph. Get out your poles, men, and
push her along the shore till we come to
the steamer
The Jane Besant was quickly brought
round, and went up stream. followed by
an enthusiastic multitude on the shore.
Shortly after, the barge was secured
alongside the wreck, and the men began
to put the cargo on board. She did not
leak drop, and appeared to be as stiff
and strong us the best ribbed boat afoat
She was very buoyant, and readily
minded the rude rudder that had been
hung at the stern.
81 shall be glad to consider your pro-
posal, sir, tomorrow"
''Come in my cabin-I guess it isn't
wholly wrecked. Come, Bates, / want
you too.n
The young man followed the captain
and his engineer into the cabin and sat
down, while the captain ordered some
wine and lunch. When the lunch came,
the captain began to be expansive.
"She only wants a little more sheer,
and a deck and house and engines
Shell not be fast boat, but she'll go in
shallower water than anything on the
river She'll be running regular trips
when the big boats are laid up for low
water. Tell you what I'll do, young
man, I'll put engines in her, and make
her stern-wheeler Mebbe you can
raise enough to put a house on her. I'll
go halves with you in the business.
We can haul her ashore and sheathe her
bottom to make it smooth. and make Il
good thing of it. What d. you say? Is
it bargain?"
"Then it would be a bargain-if it
wasn't Sunday. AL right. Well 90
ashore this evening and hear the parson. u
Two months later the purser of the
new freight and passenger boat Jane Be-
SAINT opened he books of the boat for
business. There was line of passengers,
headed by one of the boats servants, al
ready waiting at the ticket window.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Keystone-oh
yes-all right-free passes. Give them
the bridal-room, John; here's the key
Next!"-Harpeg's Bazar.