The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-06-26

met and loved Jessie Duncan, the black
eyed daughter OF the mill owner. Davy
did not rave over the strength of his
passion. A few simple words told as
~effectually how completely it had taken
possession of him. 1t fastened to him
like a death Sickness as he termed
it. The most trying feature was that
he could not find out whether twas re-
turned or not, and when d travelling
music teacher came along with the
cheap foppefies Of his class, and was
employed by Mr.. Duncan to give his
daughter lessons on the organ, Davy's
ap~prehensions were aroused. Miss
Jessie, it must be confessed, was
possessed of q considerable fund of
coquetry, which Was ever brought into
action by her position of belle and
almost the only eligible lady in a large
settlement of men. When the music
teacher took advantage of his position
to carry on a Irritation, Davy's latent
jealousy became a mania. Like many
another, the stalwart lover avoided the
object of his alteration, and fell to
hating his sleek and perfumed rival,
keeping watch of the latter's move
ments and bfooding much in secret.
Piqued at the neglect, Miss Jessie found
! q rather ostentatious solace in the new
conner. The climax came one night at
a dance, at which all the mill hands
were present. when Davy, surly and
lowering, at last asked her to dance
and received an airy refusal. With an
angry scowl he strobe out into the dark
night. The. men grinned. The few
women present looked pityingly after
him. He wandered around, as foolish
lovers will, over sawdust piles and in
the adjacent groves, muttering to him.
| self, until the lights Ia the dormitory
over the clearinghouse where the
festivities had been held, were all ex-
tinguished, and then he sought his bed.
On going into the living room, he was
shocked-horrifed to find the music
teacher on the lounge beside Miss Jessie
with his arm about her waist-a posi-
| ton which he himself had never been
allowed to take. The young man was
struggling for a kiss and Miss Jessie
was making that degree of resistance
c%onsonant with ~self-respeot, but which
vas to eventually result in a confusing
defeat.
The spectacle threw Davy into q
frenzy. He made a rush at the teacher,
who staggered up just in time to catch
a stunning blow from his fist.
"All / con mind of noo," he said, 'sis.
Jessie on Bonded knee, with the white
face of the lad in her lap, with blood
a comm and she a-moanin': "Ye've
killed him! Ye've killed himi Leave
my sight and don't We ever, eoer, EVER
come back! o, we've killed himp,
He brought the hooker which had
fallen off a little up to her course, and
went N
81 thowt it war all over wi me, an
I felt queer in my insides, aud hot and
weak like, and l was ashamed of hav-
ing hit a felier so much smaller than
me-"
Hepaused again.
''But Jessie said 60 aud I minded. /
tramped all night in the wood and on
the shore, an when l see the schooner
/ padded out TO you. Jessie's cry has
bin ringin' in my head ever since,
chasing sleep away. l can't stand it
any n I'm going up to the mill
to morrow an give myself up. Glib
betting wad be a relief-rest to what
I've borne"
We made Duncan's pier about ten
o'clock the next morning. As 500 as
we got out our line, Davy appeared on
deck, white as new duck. The man
who made our hawser fast hailed him
ct once:
"Hello, old mani where in thunder
have YOU been all this timer The boss
has got your wages for you and your
buds are up to my house,
SIS he deadp Did he die2"
"Who deadp"
..That lad 1 ki-struck."
"Dead nawthin'! Why, he's left
long ago. Didn't think ye laid 'em out,
did yep
Davy staggered in his blind Joy. The
man on the pier laughed.
"Well, now" he went on as the
hooker, nearing the dock, enabled him
to Chamber aboard, ssyou did hit him
beautiful. He carried a fearful head
on. him some time. Guess it did 'em
good, 'ceptin' his looks. "But-" and
the pair went below. When the mill
hand emerged he was enjoined to
secresy as to Davy's whereabouts, as
he did not choose to face the gang
again after making such a spectacle of
himself. The. other hands being al
work some distance away made his re.
tirement possible. He arranged with
his friend to have his chattels and
wages sent to Chicago, and later it was
vaguely given out at the mill that he
was trimming grain in that city.
He never asked after Jessie. Had he
nerved up to do so, he would have
heard that which would have sent him
ashore with a bound, totally oblivious
to his former comrades jeers. So he
nursed his great pain, believing himself
wholly disgraced in her sight, and we
sailed away late that night, with a six,
knot breeze blowing US merrily west.
ward.
Autumn with its usual complement
of gales was almost upon us before any.
thing out of the usual line happened
EARLY n morning we were picked up,
as usual, just outside the crib by a
squatty, 500 -colorea tug, and were
being towed up that noisome canal,
better known as the Chicago River
which just then was stirred by heavy
traffic, where we fouled with a big Buff
falo propeller. causing a temporary
blockade. Our tug, of a sudden, backed
and dragged us athwart the stream
Just astern came an east-shore, steam
lumber barge, adding its bulky presence
to the ever increasing tangle of steamers
and schooners, tugs and barges.
High upon her sides dripping water
glinted in the morning sun, for there
was quite a sea outside and she wa.
deep and heavy.
Her cabin was aft the smoke-stacl
and not particularly attractive, as thes,
boats do not engage in passenger traffic
the space forward being occupied by
deck load of lumber.
"Gosh, but she's carrying a good
looking stewardess!" exclaimed Rick
who could sight a lady's ribbon further
than a distress signal.
His admiring burst called attention
to a female figure leaning against 1