The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-09-29
NOT IN THE BOOK.

pCASLSd stIlA III OlI lut SGd wall,
watching my friend, the scap'n," stitch
Bhoes-ittle children's shoes. / called
him "cap'n" by way of compliment,
this queer old fellow with his bald pate
and oily, mackerel face Truth to tell,
doubt his having arrived even to the
dignity of mate, and it was many long
year since his desertion of the Mary Lib
and her crew for the safer but less lucra-
tive occupation of making shoes.
The bay before us glinted and sparkled
beneath the pale, sunlit sky like mon
ster diamond, and away to the left
stretched the green waters of the Allan
tic, mysterious and enchanting.
Ibid yeh know thet some summer
folks had bought the islun?" casually re-
marked the cap'n as he paused to rewax
and roll his thread.
(which island:'' proceeded to in
quire, for there were some half dozen
rock heaps dotting the bay.
"Why-er, the one alongside of Jilly's
pint, with the dear little trees on ct.
See emf"
..Oh, you mean Pirates isle'y'
"Well, never heerd ct called thet."
This was too much. drew yellow
covered guidebook from my pocket and
triumphantly read:
pirates Isle" A small island of Jilly's
point, noted for having been the resort of pi-
rates before and after the Revolution. The
house is still standing from which old Hich-
born and his gang were routed by the govern
ment inspectors in $780,
"Gorry, yeh don't say? Very curious,
cause my gran 'ther built thet house, nd
he warn't no pirate. Leastways. never
heerd of his bein. He only fished of
the Gran banks" And the cap'n favored
me with a prodigious wink-a wink OF
exultation at my defeat and delight at
putting my book in the lie. 1t was not
the first time he had done this, and in
disgust tossed the poor paper thing
through the open window into the sea-
Henceforth the capn should be my only
guide.
A mighty wave, CHANGING to dash
against the red brown rocks below, sent
up saucy wreath of spray to sprinkle
our faces with salt drops. The cap'n
looked up from his work and regarded
admiringly his old time enemy, Father
Ocean. and musing apostrophized:
Old ocean, ever In motion.
Restless sea, never still
My friend was somewhat of a poet, be
it known.
''Thet little islun," he continued, turn.
ing to me an unusually grave face
''thet little islun is dreadful place. Et's
got blood on ct, nd wouldn't live there
eff they'd give't to me. No, sirt'
Then ct doesn't belong to your fam
lily now!"
mo. ct don't We sold ct a-many
year ago, afore mother nd father died
amt set foot on t for nigh on to 10
year Not sence-but you don't want tc
hear about thet.'
Indeed do, cap'n. What happened
there? Tell me, do," urged.
''Lord you be the mos curious boy as
evers see. You'll cut yerself to pieces
some day jes' to SET how eth feel. But
mind, now, this amt pretty story.
ETH make yeh feel real bad--wuss than
pirates md hants nd sech, cause cts
true, ev'ry word of et."
Tim waiting, cap'n," was the only re-
sponse. And quietly at first, with many
pause for long pull at his clay pipe,
but with ever increasing emotion, he re.
lated the following story, which has
haunted me ever since:
eft were 16 year ago come this fall
thet big feller, named Sam Weston
come ashore with wife md little un. Hs
were mate on the Breezy, a fishin wesse
bound fer the banks. He come to IA
ther md said: viii yeh rent me thet Lit
tie house o. yourn over on tn islun
Can't seem to fin no berth in the town.
He were VERY jolly, md father, he said
.Ayel Take ct md welcome Mother
ehe took right a-hold md helped the ga
with 'er duds-she were alays helpil
scme nm, mother was-'nd painted ul
N .op dory for 'em to row over n,
hack In.
sWsll, bum-by, in bout week th
Breezy set sail. nd Sam Weston wen
a1Ong Of 'er. The gal nd little felle
were left alone on tn islun. She SCENE
= bit down hearted at fust, but she wer
toO joyful creatur' TO stay that wa
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