Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-01

ieNei BE sure you water 'em a-DIenty
Inc boat went gliding almost raDidiy the
water in the four-nile Io,ei ~ ... ..ie
nush, considering the level on the other
side of the lock Ne'
That night the boat tied up. along with
three others, at Seven Locks and The Mt
morning the negro grinned again when he
oalled rat The sun was streaming into
the widows OF the cab. as the boy rubbed
and then opened his eyes
Give you late sleep, boy" said Ren
your paps been worryia' about vo,,r
throat. The dyphtherea posters is up every
where through the town"
Apiarently Captain Connel was worrying
aEout nothing, except getting HIS cargo
with al speed, into the city. He and Ren
MAD been working since 3 in the morning.
Inc boat was moving swiftly down that
Fart OF the canal known as Log Wall"
when rat having eaten his breakfast an
peared on deck. ~
The canal here is said to be bo.tomless.
ana 1t is clear and shining like the waters
or a river. Capt Connel was fairly sxing
Ing along, slashing his whip For seyersl
miles the captain kept up his hurried mace.
. ..n ne sent forth his imperative call:
'Coo-o-o-o-or'
Tered "Capt'n Pat" at the top of their i'm
pudent little voices: even the men around
the locks tried to stir the boys ire: but for
some reason or other. Pat stubbornly re-
iused TO become excited. He was indeed
making his last trip on the canal The
captain never gave a false promise never
under any circumstances went back on his
wore Ben mad said that morning: 80 you's
goin, TO leave boatin' and go to farmin'
Pat?' and Pat had given a grunt and an.
swered, II blieve So"
The negro astride the rudder was count
ing on MS fingers very slowly Three
more trips, amt IL. Pat?" he asked: THAT
Is. bein the Ice sets in airly."
Pat. N
You goin' to farmin' along with Rub.
PATTI" ~ 'uo'
Pat smiled serenely you bet. no. I'm
work where can be sure of my money.
ben regarded him admiringiy. "You'n
set along, Pat, he said In a positive yay
You'd get along at anything; you could
boatin'" -
Pats mother for one. was glad when she
heard the news. given sullenly by the cap-
tain, 1oyfully by Pat All the moroseness
had vanished from the boys brown eyes: he
went dancing In a clumsy fashion over the
i,a men n loot. rat was his mothers favor
lte and sech a boy for the farm"
Bllly was made ready for the next trim.
lne patches were se@ed on his clothes with
double thread; he was given a change of
undergarments, and told TO put 'em ON
sunday mornin. Billy was I'm a fever of
happiness. Mrs. Connel hoped In her heart
that he would Ike the canal There had
oeen three boys before Pat; none OF them
mad relished "boatin'."
Boys ought to choose their work. re-
marked Mrs. Connel sagely: ut makes 'en
SO different Now, Pat since he's workfn'
Tor Mr.Rawlins. why he's a-whistln' all
the time. She laughed. She had pretty
| dark eyes. like Pats. He used 10 he 50
| gum on the canal"
The captain looked at her and smiled Il
DO what L can for en-" he said. but Pat
ne was rather young to turn loose / wish
as one of 'em was TO stick by me-" he added
sadly; I'm Altered o. Billy; ne Amt sot
The go o Pat. Pat seemed to understand
the work, a-body would although he was
hranr IT,
kr owed there was such a thing as farmin'."
OF all the canal folks IL was Capt Con-
| mel alone who caught the dyphtheria which
continued TO rage In the low part OF the
town. he caught IL on the water during
| his last trip one days Journey from his
home. He was laid on the shelf all win
Ter In the spring he came out too early TO
see to purchasing the mules and caught
another disease. so the people said. When
! the boats started running Capt Connel
his bed.
The boys'n help" said the mother. softly.
''they's all good boys"
They got their wives" said the sick man
hopelessly.
Patti help" assured the mother.
"How's ffteen-year-old boy a-farmin'
the sick man.
Mr.. Rawlins is goin' to take Pat west"
Mrs. Connel added I'm an awed whisper
Pat he's expectin' some day for to own
Il amt a-goin' to get out o. here in a hur-
~, said Connel, irritably: there's more
the matter with my back than the doctors
lettin' on.
-Cap'n Connel may never run a boat
again. The news went from neighbor to
neighbor. and there were gloomy head
shakes over il and dire prophecies i'm re-
gard 10 Mrs. Connel and the childer The
news came to Pat and stunned him for an
instant. He was standing I'm the kitchen
door OF the Rawlins farm, twirling his can
In his hand. In a week he would be miles
and miles away. No more stones TO pick
up and haul on the billy fields; he was go-
ing TO the broad prairies; he expected some
day TO own ranch. Captain Connel may
never run a boat again" who's a eoin'
TO run IL Them muttered the boy The
glimpse Of the broad prairie vanished sud-
denly. Pat was running down the road
Very quietly Pat entered his fathers
room. He had never seen Captain Connel
look like that, so despairingly hopeless
The sick man tried TO smile. You come
to bid me goodbye. Pat?" He held out his
wasted hand. the hand that for TWENTY-FIVE
years had taken its turn at the rudder
NO. said the boy, with a quick sob
I've come TO tell you I'm goin' TO run the
boat; can do II.
Then the boy was on his knees. the white
trembling hands were on his head and with
a glad culver Of suppressed passion Con-
nels weak voice pronounced the words.
Cap'n Pat. Capn Pat"
LOUISE r. BAKER.