The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1881-04-08
THE PELOT'S STORY.

were, Mollie and I, our parents being
near neighbors, and-which does not
always follow-frm friends as well.
They were poor, and | suspect that
fact had much to do with their friend
ship, for opportunities were always
turning up for helping one another;
and l have often noticed Ithat, when
near neighbors are well off and have
no need for mutual help there is very
seldom any friendship between them;
there is more apt to be jealousy and
competition.
Our parents being such good friends
it naturally resulted that Mollie and
l followed their example. We went
to 'sschool together, read together,
played together; and somehow when
MoEie was eighteen and I was twenN
ty we agreed 20 travel together all
our lives, and were very happy il
I that arrangement; in fact, no other
would have seemed right or natural,
either to US or to our parents.
From the earliest days of my boy
hood | had a fondness for the water,
haunting the palatial steamboats, that
foated on the great Mississippi river,
on whose banks nestled the city in
which we dwelt, and at the period to
which l am about to refer l had just
secured situation as pilot on a small
! freight steamer.
1t was not much Of position, to
be sure, nor was there much of sala-
ry attached to it; but. small as it was,
Mollie and l decided that We could
make it answer for two people, neith~
.er of them extravagant or unreasona-
bic; besides which. l had hopes of bet
ter times to come, as I had received
words of commentator from my en-
ployers, and PROMISE ST speedy pro-
motion.
So, early one bright morning, hav-
ing obtained a days leave of absence,
Mollie and I we're married, and step
ping into a carriage had hired for
the occasion we started of, having de.
cided on days excursion to a cele-
brated cave near by, this being all
the wedding trip we could allow our
selves, not that we cared in the least,
however; we were too happy to be in
the least disturbed by any shortcom-
ings Of sum or purse.
We had scarcely driven beyond our
own streets when We were brought to
a halt. A messenger whom l recogni>
zed as belonging to our steamboat
company hailed me.
"Here'sa note to you fromssthe su-
perintendent."
Thus it ran:
Am sorry to have to recall your
leave for to o,day, but you must imme>
diately go on board the Mobilia, which
is ready to start up the river. The
pilot is too i'll to attend to duty, and
you are appointed to take his place
for theJpresent."
"There goes our wedding trip to
smash, said I, as Mollie read the or.
der.
"Why SOP" shesasked.:,
"You see must go.into. the Mobi-
lia,"
"Very..well," she:repliei, owe shall
/ just go up the river instead of to the
cave. Drive on, Bob; let us go down
to the wharf in state"
"But you can't go into the pilot
house with me, little goose"
"Of course not; but I can sit on the
deck outside" laughed Mo'lie, "and
we can casts lahguishiug glances at
each other"
And so it came to pass that I took
possession of the Mobilia's pilot house,
my heart glowing with love and pride;
with love, for there just before me,
on the little forward deck, sat my
sweet bride; with pride, because the
Mobilia was one of the finest floating
palaces on the Mississippi, and to pi|
lot such a one had for years been the
height Of my ambition.
The steamer was fitted up with a
double cabin, one above the other; the
upper one opening upon a small deck
reaching out towards the bow, near
the center of which, on raised plat
form, was placed the pilot house. The
deck was always occupied by passen-
gers, and this morning it was particn
lariy crowded, for the boat was heav-
lily laden with people taking advan-
tage of the beautiful weather to make
an excursion up the river.
Some rough fellows jOstled against
Moflie's chain after awhile, and she
rose and passed down into the lower
cabin "to get a dripk Of water" she
whispered to meas Sic passed, bat ]
suspect is was to prevent the bursting
of the thunder cloud she saw gather
ing on ny brow.
I Isaw that the insolent fellows made
(. 10 attempt to follow sny dear one, 50 ]
gave myself 81 . M own happy