River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-01-01

Z y
Ito down into the cabin and keep
Der Alte Chaperon awake" suggested
Sybil
do It yourself"
mot such a bad idea" said Sybil,
slipping down the companiOnway.
! Collie Beattie was not asleep ret He
/ sat up and stared as the tall, white girl
came below.
'AWfully good of you, you know" he
murmured.
''Oh, it's not so very good; but what
I do you mean?'
Il mean your coming down here TO
/ keep me awake Sybil turned just a
trIfle pink under the ears. Had he been
listening 10 their conversation on deck?
/ 1t must have edited him. she thought
Il came down to keep myself awake, .
she said, hastily, and then added, in
consistently: why don't you go on
deck and enjoy the breeze?"
Because / can't enjoy the breeze" he
answered
Its too strong for you. l suppose, -
said Sybil, with a touch of scorn.
Eyes. much too strong"
Makes you chilly"
Yes. makes me chilly"
might spoil your complexion"
My what?'
Your complexion"
Didn't know / had any"
You're as white and pink as baby. "
That's true. but don't think that's
much of a complexion for a man, YOU
know
Neither do J. should think you'd
get little sunburn on you just from
shame"
Collie laughed. He seemed to be i'm
mensely amused. He had funny way
of being amused at things that didn I
amuse other people. 1t was jolly for
him, but it made the other people an
cry
.'lf you're going TO laugh at my con-
versation I'm going back to the-the
girls" exclaimed Sybil, springing up
the steps.
Collie laughed some more. Then he
stretched himself on the cabin locker
and laughed again. Next he closed his
! eyes and smiled. A minute later he
was sound asleep. All the women came
down and looked at him half an hour
later. He didn't seem much to look at.
lie had deep lines under his eyes when
he slept, and a worn appearance. Yet
they all looked ct him and despised
him. lie just slept on and didn't mind
it.
valuable person to have on a yacht
ing excursion, isn't hep whispered
Ethel, with a genuine growl in her
pretty voice. IF | had a thing like
that for husband Td-but I'd never
have one
Lets go on deck. 1 do believe it's
fallen dead calm. said Mrs. Bisbee.
So it had. The Cloyer's mast was
plumb perpendicular. SO were her
mainsail and her jib. The water
looked like molasses- And it was
seetbing hot The skipper said there
was going to be squall and sent the
one sailor, boy, alOft to furl the top
sail The skipper was right There
was going to be a squalL Big blue
black clouds were piling up in the
northwest Lightning played around
their lower edges. The skipper said it
would not be a bad squall. The Clover
would stand it under jib and mainsail.
could see it strike the water over near
the Connecticut shore. II made the sur
face six shades darker. The girls had
their rubber Goods on, but the skipper
said it would not rain. However. they
had heard shippers say that before.
The sluan came bounding over the
sound.
Then they never knew how it hap
pened, but the boom gave a terrific
jump right across the yacht 1t hit the
skipper on the head and knocked him
senseless. The next moment he was
halfway over the lee rail with seven
shrieking women pulling at him. The
yacht was pretty nearly on her beam
ends, and the sailor boy was paralyzed.
Then Collie Beattie walked up out of
the cabin rubbing his eyes.
did some one scream?' he asked.
oh. look at that useless thing!'
cried Ethel. Juggling at the leg of the
shippers trousers.
WhereupOn Collie woke up
He brushed the women aside like so
many flies and pulled the skipper into
the cockpit. Then he let 60 the jib-
sheet and the yacht righted partly.
Here. my lad he called to the boy,
take the wheel" The boy obeyed,
and Collie pulled off his coat. There
was red spot in each of his checks.
whats he going to do?'' inquired
Gertie. awestruck.
Lord knows. I'm glad 10 see him do
any thing" said Ethel.
Hard down with your helm" ex-
-
Bisbee. you and Miss Sybil please hold
the wheel there a minute. Now. lad,
main sheet; in with it,"
Collie and the boy got the main boom
trimmed fat as the yacht came mp into
the wind The iib Tapped madly.
Right your helm!" cried Collie.
The boy Obeyed the order
Keep your head TO il. was the next
order.
Then Collie sprang forward and
Stacked the lib halyards. unbent the
sheet. slid out on the bowsprit which
was plunging into the young seas like
crazy porpoise. reefed the jib, came
back. bent on the sheet and hoisted
away again. while the women huddled
in the cockpit like petrified mummies
NNM go nCE DAOMs SaAA N0AAAt. as
he went aft, put on his coat and took
the wheel
Get the captain below" said he 70
the boy, and give him good horn Of
brandy. He's coming to-
The boy dragged the skipper down
stairs, the women all following in
silence to see If they could do any thing
Sybil Nane asked the boy. when they
were below. whether he hadn't better
go up and sail the yacht
''Gaess not" said the boy. That
Teller don't need no belp. can see
that without a telenscupn
The boys Judgment appeared to be
right Ii was blowing great guns. But
The Clover was riding like a canvasback
duck Collie looked very composed at
the wheel The girls stared up the
companion-way at him. He seemed TO
he enjoying it. The captain recovered
his senses presently and hurried on
i