The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-02-01
DADS JO.

Just noon of a warm, bright day at
Block Is and. Ga The broad, shady
piazza OF the great hotel there Is an
unbroEcn stiffness. The roses clam
herring over the railing nod l&2lly Iii
the breeze: the lace curtains at
the lodg windows sway gently to ana
frC: the parlors be ond are sll Mt and
deserted Up at the beach the waves
are s'ecpily tapping the gllstenlng
sands, where the brlgnt-colored suits,
driving IN long lines behind the bath
ing houses are the only reminder or
the merriment that existed less than
half an hour ago. One or two OK
teams are slowly creeping along the
road, loaded with trailing Seaweed
Of v%ariegatcd hucs: here and there Is
agroup OF bron ed fishermen mend
ing their nets. These are the only
signs Of life.
Everybody is down on the pier.
The ''BlOck Island is overdue more
than twenty inmates, and the ri H.
ETY. bolris crcak and trem6ie aS the
anxious crowd press 20 the very edge,
each one eager to catch the first
glim : OF the steamer as she rounds
CITY Head.
The excitement increases The
fishing boats huddle closer I gcthcr
behind the breakwater. and hack
men. growing impat ent, vociferate
loudly; the marine band in the pa
yilion on the hill strikes up; and yet
''iIcrc comes Jo.' some one shouts.
depend ont the b0atll he in soon
now" say, "A gri2Zled old fisherman.
standing close by. ".jo's a sure sign.
\ gh on to a year she's watched that
boat come in very day, and | never
knew her to round the Head unless
10 was here"
All eyes turned toward the ROAD.
An antiuuated specimen o. a car
riagc is coming down the hill as
ran dly as the lean and Gony horse in
front can drag it along,
Ii draws up on the wharf bcSid
thu more p%rctentious vehicl S,a young
girl Jumps out, ties the horse, LAYS
her arms lovingly around his n ok a
moment, then hurriedly pushes hcr
way through III thron- TO the end
OF the pier.
A tall, angular girl. clad in a home
spun dir s. OF the coarscst material,
scant and patchei, Yet very clean,
with'a rough straw hat ticd down
over hcr BAR which is long, straight
and decidedly red. y girl with uDth-
inc pretty an attractive about her,
but there Is such Il brave, pathetic
look III her great blue eyes that one
inyoluutarily turns ana oks at her
again aud again
Nw fly a d sile tly she passes
along to the farther end of the pier.
and, lifting Il hand to shield her
eyes from til sunlight, ga es stead
tasty at the distant hOrlzoa.
II know he will come to-day" she
says, sc mingly unconscious that s c
is sp aking aloud. "JuSt a e a ago
he went over there, dad did. lie
went b. get some 1iXing's 70. me, and
he promised to come back soon, but
it has been 50 long. Oh he will
surely com to-day, won't he?" She
asks, turning to a " ather-beateu old
sailor who is 4aZln ; at her with Just
"a susp clio of moisture in his eyes.
Aye, lass, that he will" he an
SwcfS.
'Ivc got extras for dinner to-day"
she goes Oh, Frightening up. cause
he'll have a mighty appetite after be-
ing at them Turin places so long:
and Ivc a cushion tor his chair that
sets by the window. ! brushed up
the team, too, and old BeSs seemed
10 know he was coming for she
brought me owe in no tim :"
'Quite likely he'll come TODAY"
says the old skipper; and he'll bring
you so many things that I'm afeard
you won't be 10 any longer"
Yes, will" replies the girl. 'In
always be 10 to dad, anyway. Dear
Old dad. He's told me many a time
how he picked me out of the water
that dreadful night; and when no ore
seemed to want me he took me home
with him-me. a helpless babe with
nothing in the world but a ring on
my finger, with '.Jo' scratched on it.
Oh, | wish / could do something big
for him, SO he would know"
"Well, cheer up, lass; he's waiting