The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-07-06

an even II you KIN SWIM 60 the bank
there's nothin to cling to. You never
see a mule drown, did you, Joe? You
wouldn't believe how quick it's over.
There's little running an shoutin an
somethin dark comes slowly up an rolls
over lest under the water, an there's a
kind O. gurglin cry that turns you sick
all over, an you feel wild TO help the
poor critter The somethin dark comes
slowly up once more an sinks agin. A
few big bubbles rise, an it's all over, but
the thought O. it sticks in yer mind fur
days
sit was as quick as that with father.
He was good swimmer, but when he
arose his head struck agin the rudder
an he never took stroke-he jest sank
like a stun. Everybody screamed an
yelled an called fur ropes an boats, but
none o. all his old cronies standin round
dast wet their skins to help him. Would
you believe it, Joe, that young Teller
he'd Jest been abusin so mean was the
very one to save him? He run back,
tore off his coat an dived right where
father had gone under. He was out o
sight so long the men began to say he
was drowned, too, but arter awhile he
come up coughin an chokin, but drag
gin father by the shirt collar jest as
he'd grabbed him under the muddy wa
ter. They got 'em into scow an laid
rather on the dock an worked over him
20 minutes afore he come to. He was
sick two weeks with the blow he had
got. but whether he was out o his head
or not he KEEP allus a-callin for Willie,
the chap what's na ..-..o<a urrvr my
boat he would say. So Willie helped
/ me nurse him, an when father was we'll
he worked with us the rest of the sea-
son. When was gal, Joe, was call
ed good looking, though you wouldn {
believe it now"
"Of course believe it-you know l
do, motherl' interrupted Joe, with such
fervor that the pleased, unready color
is there anything in the world so dear
and pitiful as an old woman's blush?-
crept into her cheek.
Gan so Wtlie took libin to me, an
on our last Trip that season when we
was a-lyin to at Lockport minister
that ran n little mission ON the dock
came down to the boat an married US.
Father would have US married on The
WanderingWi I had a green merl-
no dress-it's in the little trunk with
YOUR baby clothes, Joe-an the next day
me an Willie had our dagerrytypes TAX
en- together 1t hangs over my bunk,
yer know-it amt bad Of me, but II
don't do jestice to Willie.
1.-THE next year you come along, Joe,
an how proud we all was of you'll felt
kinder sorry you didn't have big blue
ewes like yer father, but there, we can I
have everythinl 1t seemed as IT the
world had gone back % years when
see you a-sittin by father tied into my
little old cheer. Father never seemed t(
git rightly over his accident. He was
more civil an didn't swear an drink 81
much. an some time he'd look at the
foul water an shudder an then look a
Willie so grateful it'd bring tears to m.
ewes. One winter, in the old tavern a
Lockport, when he'd been ailin fur ;
week or So he says to me, My gal, yo1
will soon have two Willies to look ar
ter-Willie yer husband an Willie tn
boatY / told him not to talk like that
but he lest turned over in bed an didn'
seem to hear me- He didn't speak no
stir when the doctor come, nor till tn
next mornin, when he springs up II
bed an calls out loud an sharp, Low
bridge, low bridget Them was the las
words ever he spoke.
She paused to wipe her eyes on he
apron.
, "Well, I'm maxim long story out o
it, amt 1, dearie? But it seems ever
? time I tell it as if it might be the las
time There amt much more now. w
l worked on, year in, year out-fur you
Joe. 1t was only two year ago last spring
though it seems like 20, that Willie be
gun to fail He had doctors an medl
cines but they didn't do no good. The
o said he was kind O. wore out with har
work. They said the fresh air would b
l the best thing fur him, so we staid o
the boat all summer as usual, only h
sat an rested while the men worked
. We couldn't very well have spared tn
, profits Of even one trip, fur You we1
at college, you know, Joe. But he &C
u worse an worse, an at last I made up m
? mind as soon as ever we got to Buffal
l would take him to the tavern an te
egraph fur you.
"One afternoon in August we was e.
;, in into Buffalo, jest passin along undo
. the bluff, with the lake an river on til
y other side, so broad AN blue you couldn
,, | tell where Cno lake elluS III VIC river W
! gins. Willie lay back in Il big easy cha.
;, under an awnin, jest where We're 81
tin now, an I was holdin the tiller-
:. hain't ever had the strength to do
seuce. Joe; I've been all broke up lat
- ". There had come an awful gray loo
- on his face in the last mile or two thu
!, frightened me so didn't dare ask hi
how he felt, but now an agin he'd sm1
=, at me with his big blue eyes, that w;
= jest as pretty that day, Joe, as they w;
!, the fust evenin 1 saw him. At last
. says, as the cool, strong wind off tt
l, lake blew over us, It's nice breez
amt it, Willie?' An he says, Yes, las
but it's takin my soul along with it
:, An had only time to drop on my kne