The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-07-19
A BOATING PARTY.

f1t was a character III iIS d1ilc
way-the skipper par excellance of
the little seaport or l.
We were great friends, he and l.,
and many a long summer day had
spent beside the bent old ( ann.
watching his rough fingers mend
nets or sails with the defines grown
from long practice, and listening 10
his tales with keen enjoyment
But there was n incident OF his
life on which he never touched. nor
could any amount Of coaXing induce
him to approach it.
1t had happened while | was in
Europe. l found him greatly changed
or my return after a. six years ab-
sence.
This afternoon. for the first time,
he betrayed a willingness TO coutde
in Me.
1T was nigh five years ago. The
year before The hotel was built The
cove was crowded. 1t ,eemed like
we all had morn we could make
comfortable and the bosrderS was
crowded inter old Miss Hollis ia a
wa that did seem wonderful when
we heard how they lived in their Big
city homes.
Il had ust bought a new sallboa-.
a ffty.footer, an a reg'lar goer. |
calculated ter make a heap out @
pleasure parties an sech-an' l did.
Il tux the same crOwi pretty reg
lar, an' ia time | got TO knew EN-
wei. They were as nice a lot Of
young Things as ever came in nv
path, b I they was careless like, and
they dldn't al.ays think.
The sailing bothered me. They
were al over the boat at one an
nothing would do but l must learn
ZEN t. sail.
II grew powerful fond Of EN- all,
but there Wa one little girl l tux a
special shine TO. She wasn't very
strong-I heerd tell she was est get
tin over a ever. She had a sicHly
Look. but you could see she'd been
Donny.
II remember a trick she had o.
takin' of her cap an lettin' the
wind bow her short hair, an il
the dav was damp it would curl Up
tA-hl - az lGd : A0kClS luIO
1t an pull it out straight TO see how
1t was CROWN.
"A | said, she warn't very strong.
an when they all got TO larkin' il
seemed ike she couldn't stand il. or
she'd leave the rest, an with her lit
tie polite bow she'd come au' say So
gentle like. Uncle .'erry do you m.ld
/ | stay here with YOU
''Gradually the rest Of 'em kinder
forgot her. and by and by she'd cone
right away from the start. an | got
50 USED TO havin' her lere at my
right hand that when she stayed
hon. | felt rea' .oDes1ne.
''She hegCr- r' ;y learn her how
to steer. III whe' saw she meant
it | shG we'd her one thing and
another n somehow she never Tor
got VIA i old her.
IAN o.e ddy size saws to M:
'Jnc.e Jerry, l believe l could sail a
boat as we'll as Ii one if | were ONLY
stronger Bless her heart Id have
trusted her sooner'n any Young fell
low in the party II she'd had a little
more muscle in he" arm.
There was a young fellow in the
party named Grey. He was a likely
chap, about Q. l reckon. He had lots
O. money. an i heerd from some OF
the ladies gas that he used TO be a
great friend q Miss Mays before she
was sick, but he was a great sport,
an u ter she began 10 70 about, an
he found she couldn't do things as he
did, he Ju>t naturally slipped away
from her an TUX TO gO.n' with Miss
julie Webb
Miss Julie was mighty pretty,
with frowserly light hair. a mouth
bic enough 10 swallow a doughuut
hun. an rows OF teeth like pearls
! heere1 NJ u ey say. She had a
voice Ike a steam whistle. There
wa Mt nothin' she couldn't do except
keep still. an beiL what NJ. Hugh
was always doin himself. they spent
most Of their time together.
Miss May used 10 watch 'em with
that heart breakin' look on her face.
1T vas on the 10Th 0. August
The III nth had been very h t and
we hadn't had any saiIin' breeze for
four days. but that mornin' a nice
stitf lrce~e begun TO come in from
the sea.
"Well. | was settin' in my door
mcndin' a sail for III cat boat. when
l hee.d the crowd a comm l AZ
ways knew 'em by Miss ulie's voice.
l most generally could hear that by
the time they le.t Miss Hollis door.
The bad d couple OF CITY fellers
down from the city FOR the day. -Ed
sal n.