The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-07-25
THE CAPTAINS STORY.
From the Youths Companion.


thinking of On event that happened two
years ago." said the captain of the Fly
by-Night, a lake passenger-boat trading
ing between Detroit and Port Huron,
as lie pointed to a small house two miles
away on the American shore of Lake
Huron. It was a trim white cottage
with green lattice-work, a well-kept
little lawn, and in front of it q tall flag,
pole set into the roof of pagoda-like
summer-house. Below it, at the lake,
was a dock, and on a huge sign
post n could read, warmers Land
ing"
"It belonged" continued the cap
tain, ito old Capt. Warner, who sailed
the BoscobeI. He died and left the
property to his nephew, in the state of
New York, who brought his wife and
little boy with him to live there. He
was a gentlemanly youngm man, well edu-
Gated, and on the right side of thirty.
His wife was as trim a little lady as I
ever saw; pretty as a picture; and as
~light-hearted as a schoolgirl. Not one
of your mandy fashionable young
women, but a fresh healthy New Eng
land girl, with a woman's heart and q
mans courage.
"But the gem of the family was their
boy Willie, who was nearly seven years
old, and do think the cheeriest and
most sensible little fellow in the State.
Sailors have always a soft spot in their
hearts for children, and the way that
youngster carried on during the trip
from Detroit, when we brought the fam
lily up here, was a constant pleasure and
surprise. He was the king of the boat.
The Stewards cabin, the pilot-house,
the porter's pantry, the ladies' parlor-
he appropriated to himself a free pass
everywhere, and used 1t literally. He
found a snug corner for himself in the
hearts Of all on board. Why I remem-
Der n day, after the family had been
in the house for about three months, O
deck-hand, q surley fellow who had
never a civil word for any one. Juggling
out of his pocket q colored picture book
and leaving it at the Landing, with For
Willie, with Joe Prices love written on
it.
ut was a lonesome spot for such
people to settle in, and 1 often wondered
how they could reconcile themselves to
it, until I learned that Capt. Warner
had made it o condition of his will that
they must live at the Landing for two
years.
"One day, when they had been there
about six months, we took up the river
to them a small pleasure-skiff with The
Willie painted in gilt letters on the
stern.
81 never saw q child SO pleased. He
took to the boat like a duck I, water.
We used to see him on every trip as we
passed, sculling himself about in the
ship like q born sailor. / don't believe
in allowing children to be too venture
some on the water, so I told his father;
but he laughed, and said he thought
Willie was sensible enough to take care
of himself.
Gone day we were signalled to stop
at Warmers Landing. William War
ner was going to New York. His wife
and boy were on the dock, wishing him
as fearful a goodbye as if he we're on a
two years voyage to Greenland.
~ H. %oo x-D - 11,, r. $780,
and sat by me in the pilot-house, and
looked as glum as ifthere'd been q death
in his family. At last he said very
solemn and earnest, DO you believe in
presentiments of evil, Capt. Kenyon?'
"tNo! I said, quite sharply, for I
don'tlike to see a man give way to such
nonsense.
He went down on deck then, half
offended, and left the boat at Detroit
without even bidding me good-by. We
were late leaving on our return trip that
night, and l was surprised to see, just
before we started, Warner came on
board. He had q small parcel in his
hand.
Captain he said, 4 want you to be
sure to leave this atthe Landing on your
way up
"tIcant, Isaid, for I saw it was only
an excuse to get me to call and see that
his folks were all safe. We're late here,
and at Port Huron we've a lot of slaves
to take on, which will make us later
STILL
But he persisted, and when I saw
how down llearted he looked, I told him
to give the parcel to the clerk and T
would see what Iwould do when we ar
rived opposite the Landing. We left
Port Huronin the middle of the follow
ing day. 1t had been very hot all the
morning, but as the afternoon advanced,
q stiff west wind, accompanied By q
drilling rain, began to blow.
"It was so late when we approached
the Landing that I had quite deter
mined not to call; in fact, we stood out
in the lake a mile further than our usual
course, I was taking a dog-snooze in
my berth, when the mate awoke me.
"'There's o woman, sir, on Warmers
Landing signalling us, and I think some.
things wrong there
81 was on deck in q minute. tGive
me the GLASS; said I, and I soon made
out that it was Mrs. Warner, making
frantic gestures to catch our attention.
She was bare headed, and stood in the
rain at the end of the landing. Then
she ran into the houseand began to wave
a white table-cloth from one of the up
per windows.
every likly she wants to know if he,
dear William got to Detroit safely, ]
grunbled; but I suppose we'd better
roand to-
aAs the boat madet the dock. the clerl