The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-08-19

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his pautaloous pockets. "What's he car
fer this!"
"Cap'n PutH' repeated the first speaker
"who minds him! He'll dew well 'nough
So there's plenty others, tew, wouIdn.
think much er rowin' 'cr0st here, Will
nothin else on their minds but ter look ou
fer themselves. It's the woman y re- think
in -overhaulin' her IN pickin Ter up
m aay it's bad job, anyway"
"Kind nv . crazy thing-the woman
guess" observed another. "Queer, anyway
Nobody seems ter know where she come
from, ner who she is. Lives N an old house
close by the water over there. Been there
| month er tew, er three, Hvin' on most moth
in'-she m er three little uns. PickeG
over here few times with some other WON
ep ter pick cramb'ries, m leave FER child'I
alone. Pick all day m not 'change wore
18th nobody, they say. Seems kinder in
dream er study, er else crazy, er sOmethin'
Well. s'pose we 60 home. No use standin
here, g KIN see."
"Hold on bit, you! What's yer hurryF'
said the old fisherman. "Seems ter me 7 We
orter kinder hang around . while-here n
down shore long. We might be N the way
" givin' 'sistance, Il any's needed. DOM
know, Nv course, what might happen"
"Yes, that's good idea" chimed in the
landlord. cor, suppose one of you remains
out, to watch and listen, and the others e
in with me and sit BY the fire. It's disagree
ing, you know.' Thus speaking he turned
to 60, while the others, in accordance with
his suggestion, decided who among them
should take the first watch, and then will.
ingly followed.
The - Hotel had no bar, and Mr.. Smith
the landlord, did not encourage loafing, but
he could be h0spitable and social, even with
the rough, unlettered fishers and oystermeu
who composed the main part Of the inhabit.
which-coming in with the new railr0ad-he
had lately established himself; and so he
replenished his fire, and handed round Ct.
CARS, and babe them make themselves com.
Portable.
Two hours passed, and they still fingered.
loath to 60 without some inkling of the sue
cess or failure of the rescuing party; but
when another hour was gone and nothing
came of it, they slowed" there was no use
waiting longer: "Cap'n Put" was all right,
wherever he was; and probably they were
all across the river, where the stranger and
the Captain would stay until morning rather
than recross. They could easily find supper
and lodging with some of the fishermen OF
farmers over there.
"'twouldn't be no fun, that wouldn't. 'T'ud
be a good many times worse IN goin' over.
They'd be fools ter tempt it, come ter think,
once over there" So they dispersed to their
homes, their long.neglected suppers, and
their beds; and the landlord of the - o-
tel, after another hour. fastened his doors,
put out his lights. and consigned himself to
the kindly ministrations of Morpheus.
Captain Put, will explain here, was what
turns his queerness took was dislike to be-
ing questioned. No one told startling bit
of news with greater evident relish than he,
so long as you took it quietly and allowed no
undue curiosity to manifest itself either in
your words or looks. If you did, partfcu-
larry If you began asking questions, 1t was
all over; he would shu' up like clam. and
would open his lips upon the subject again.
so long as he saw that you were waiting and
hoping he would. A few who understood
him we'll had way OF outgeneraling him
when they had a partial knowledge of the
news in question. which was TO make pre-
tense Of telling him the incident, filling in
the links to suit themselves. taking care to
able rs they could well be, when, ten to one,
before they were half through with their re.
cital. the Captain, quite of his guard in his
impatience and disgust, would snatch the
story from their lips and tell It himself, I'M
heedful Of tile grin Of satisfaction upon the
faces OF his listeners.
1t was barely broad daylight on the morn
ing following the incident just related,
when The Rat came running around the cor
ner near the landing, the first on the ground
in pursuit of news. His sharp eyes took a
rapil survey of the river, up, down, and in
front, and were rewarded by the sight of .
row-boat, crossing. evidently. from the other
shore and making for the landing. The wind
- ell hat H,,rs MIGHT Int
the river was still rough, and rowing was
laborious work, even to an experienced
hand.
"Cap'n Put !" exclaimed The Rat. "Cap'n
Put, m 'e's alone What's that mean? Hone
ter gracious that nice, handsome gen'lm'n
amt drownded. faint all on 'em It
throws out their silver quarters g e does. I"
of the last nights party, the landlord among
them, all as eager for news as the boy, had
gathered at the little landing place, awaiting
the arrival Of the approaching boat.
time 0 re s .What,s the news! p
ssWhere's your mate?' SHOW dye make
out?" were some of the questions with which
Captain Puts arrival was neutrality-suspicious.
quite natural without doubt, but injudi-
cious under the circumstances. He drew his
boat carefully up on the sand, bestowed a
good deal of care upon the proper disposal
of everything about her, returned the Dor.
rowed oars to the place whence they had
been taken. making pleasant remarks all he
time upon Indifferent subjects-the weather,
the chance Of getting a good haul Of mack
erel after the blow was over, the prospect Of
an early frost, ETC., etc.-and then took .
Decline for home, without word or hint
in regard to the matter which he was well
aware had brought them all out thus early.
"Blamed II 'e don't need KILN, purity
near, said The Rat, almost ready to cry
with vexation.
"Evidently there has nothing serious hap
pened, or he would have behaved different.
w." remarked the landlord.
"Oh, he'll be round arter he's had his
breakfast" said one Of the men, Zen then,
eff nobody let's on g though there anxious
ter hear, he'll Tell the hull story. He wouldn't
miss tellin' 1t fer enythin', but he's GURUS.
he is."
Sure enough, it was not much over an
hour before Captain Put lOunged carelessly
down the street, up the steps Of the-Ho-
tel and into the gentlemen's room, where
the landlord sat reading, and silently handed
him q note. Mr.. Smith was so intent upon
his paper that he barely noticed the intruder,
and held the note in his hand several minutes
before he took time to read II. He had had
his lesson with the others that morning, and
intended to profit by it. The note was from
the stranger-his guest Of the day before
n N