The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1891-10-31
SETTLING A QUESTION.
How I Was Influenced to Change
My Declared Principles.


The wind was right off the land. !
was strong; but under the cliffs tn
Sea was calm enough. So the three o
us ran the boat down and got her on
" the bar, though with the It'd,
against us it was a hard pull. Mis-
Flo had come with us after all. for sh,
had never had a really good try at pol
lock-fishing. When we had got fairl,
out over the sandbanks and gained the
shelter of the Ness, she steered. Will,
Tom made himself precariously com
Portable in the bows. Laddie and
pulled easily through the smooth waite
under the rich, red cliffs, and in TWEEN
ty minutes we were floating Just allow
the wced-clad, rocky homes of the pol
lock.
Then l took both oars and padded
along gently. while Laddie helped t.
get out the lines.
Miss Flo could raise no objection t.
the i~ndin-rubber worms we used; still
she preferred to try her hand at row
ing, and promised to leave the steering
to me. Laddie impressed upon hel
hat as soon as ever he called out, sh,
must back water hard, or else the bal
would be left fast in the rocks anC
weeds six feet below IL reach. Mis-:
Flo promised, and no doubt did hel
best; but two of our. lines had snapped
before We had gone fifty feet.
ehnlnu~ " "-anla. rothar fhnr
vexation, fitted across the boy.
face, and ! am sure he was not sorry
when the girl herself suggested that
we should put her ashore, for SHE
didn't like the motion of the BOAT now
that we went SO slowly.
We would not hear of such a thing
but in the end we ran in stern first
under the shelter of the rocks and
helped her to land with Bcngo to kccT
her company.
Now, then, Tom" shouted Laddie,
''hold her off, or we shan't have an
inch of paint left on her, Give her a
shove. Now's your chance. Well, you
are a - His sentence was cut short.
Tom had let the wave carry us against
the rock with a shock which sent the
boy owe the thwart onto the most
prominent parts of the anchor.
Tom did not seem to notice this ca,
tastrophe nor the remarks which ii
elected. for he was busy in cifecting
his own landing. This done. he gave us
q shove which got us clear of the rock,
and expressed q hope that our fishing
might be successful.
What are you up TOP" gasped the
boy, who was on his feet again, using
his paddle sturdily tc avert a second
mishap.
Il don't think Miss Flo should be
left all alone, though you won't go
very far off"
''Oh, she's all right" was the broth
crly reply. 'She likes being alone.
Look ou there again! Keep her off,
However. Tom insisted on following
Miss Flo across the slippery weed,
which had SO far taken up all her at
tention; and to save the boat we left
him, punted out into the open. got out
our lines and padded lcisurely away.
Well" said the boy, after a few
minutes, Il can't make out what's the
matter with Flo. I've never known
her to feel i bit of a swell like this be-
! pointed ont to him that it was Just
such a gentle motion which was most
trying to many people. and his sister
had certainly gone a little pale.
NO" said he, as he took a small
pollock off his hook and threw it in
to the bottom of the boat Il be-
that she's cut up at your 60
ing away so soon. You've always staid
at least three weeks before"
thought this the least bit unlikely.
SO / said nothing. Then ] looked to-
the shore, where | could see two
leaning over a r~ock-pool, evil
sently looking for anemones. and it
deemed more unlikely still.
But Laddie went on:
You get rather wild, sometimes,
when you are so awfully independent
you know what l mean; and she
was angry at what you said
last night. All the same, I'm sure she
you to stop as much as n of
Us"
| replied that | was at a loss to know
what | had said to make anyone angry.
What it was he didn't quite know;
ne hadn't been listening to our CONVEX
but it was something about a
poor young schoolmaster like myself
no right to win the affection of
woman before he was in a position
to offer her a comfortable and easy
place in society.
| certainly had said something of the
Kind and had pointed out the dangers
Of marrying anyone with more money
han one possessed ones self.
Laddie did not know what there was
Objectionable in such principles, nor
'ould he say why they made his sister
lngry; but he stuck to it that they did.
/ was getting interested, and spent
an hour in trying to draw him out
/ little more. Then he noticed that the
Wind was getting round to the south
md would soon be off the sea So We
moved back as quickly as We could to
,ick up the two on shore.
We hailed them and told them to
,omc out along Il ledge of rock. from
which they stepped easily into the
boat They said they had had a.de-
ightful time, and believed them.
We were soon we'll on our way hUme.
rom and I Dulled Inddie and Miss