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

uerr1D TO think their work want good
enough fur you to follow in An I'm q
lonely old woman, Joe-say that you'll
stay an keep me comp'ny. 'Twon't be
fur very long.
Mother said Joe very gently, Il
want to do what is right by you and by
myself Give me an hour or so to de-
eide. l don't want to be 4 bad son to
such good mother. ]"
You couldn't DO bad if you tried.
Joe,' said his mother fondly. At that
moment Jenny's young voice called mer-
rily, Supper, support" and Joe. having
aroused the sleeping man and relin-
quished the tiller to him, sat down with
the two women aud ate the plain, care
lessly served meal. Then the man on
the towpath came on board for rest and
refreshment, surrenderlng to Joe the
guidance of the mules
He could have laughed at his situa-
ton, only that its grotesqueness was so
inseparably nfingled with pain and per-
| plexity. He thought as he walked along
Of the i'll matched team Ulysses GROVE
Of Apollo's magnificent Noursers' OF the
snowy Paphian, doves that bore venus
| through the blue ether, and the more
of these classical steeds and drives he
recalled the more incongruous and alb
surd his own position seemed. He felt
that he was better fitted to teach my
thology than to drive mules. And yeti
would break his mothers heart if he
left her. She had said he would not
need to stay long He shrank frorI spec
ulating on her deal, put if she were to
live 10 years, for instance? What high
hopes and aspirations might he not for
get. what vile habits of thought ap1
speech and manner might he not acquire
in 10 years?
At o'clock he gave up the lines to
one of the men, who walked and drove
till H. Then, as their working force
was not sufficient for an all night jour-
ney, the men moved the boat on the heel
path side and put the mules into their
quarters, there to rest till daybreak. The
two lanterns fore and aft. which would
serve to reveal the boats presence to
captains who pushed on throughout the
night, were attended to, and the two
men turned into their hunks. Jenny and
her mistress had long since retired, and
only Joe was left awake. He paced up
and down the deck in the starlight, try
ing to come to q resolution. Should he
go-and Kill his mother? Should he stay
and kill his own pride and ambition
and bright prospects? Finally all his
learning seemed to resolve itself into
the memory of Captain Lawrence's no
BILE words, Don't give up the sh1pf'
And at last lie said aloud, Il will not, :"
| and the long struggle was ended The
canal life, with its small, slow gains,
its ho1nely duties, would be his while
l his mother needed him.
7 He went straight to her bedside. She
} heard him and reached out q hand
) through the darkness to clasp his.
, "Mother, 1 have decided-I'n stay
, and help you.'' he said, bending to kiss
t her withered cheek To his surprise it
? was wet with tears. ''What, you re cry
t ing-you haven't been awake all these
q hours?"
I 81 couldn't sleep, Joe, but 1 will
now. Thank you, my boy. You'll never
be sorry. Good night, Joe. "
Good night, mother, ;" he said ten
t DERBY, and then, tired out, he sought his
bunk and fell soundly asleep.
An hour or two afterward he found
himself sitting up in bed, tearing the
v clothing from his throat and gasping fol
10 breath. In a moment he discovered that
the cabin was full of q dense smoke.
i Hurrying ON some garments, ne dashed
out and saw that the whole after part
4 of the boat was in flames, past all chance
J of saving. The lantern had exploded,
It and the ignited oil had scattered far an6
e wide. He loudly called Jenny and the
i men, and taking his mother in hi:
3 strong young arms carried her on shore
, Then he went back for quantity o.
/ bedding, folded it carefully round hel
and put her gently down on the ground
q her head against a tree. Jenny sprane
70 ashore. Joe helped the two men to re
II lease the mules, quivering with terror
70 and in a few minutes men and mules
were safely off the boat. Then Joe
Re though it was Drawing death to do 1t
c rushed back through the binding, sting
1T ing smoke into his mothers cabin anC
y brought out the old daguerTeotype anC
% the little chest full of relics He car
l. ried them to where she sat motiOnles
against the tree.
D Here they are, mother - all tn
9r things you care forl'' he cried.
re ''All but the boat itself, Joe-nobod.
t kin save that, kin they?' She lookeE
E. at him with helpless appeal
II Nobody, mother" he said sadly
t. Indeed the poor craft was already from
L stem to stern one beet Of flame TIL
1t Wandering Willie would never wande
E. more But we can build another. y
TX She shook her head and made no an
at swer. Anything like the tragic despai
m Of her set face Joe had never seen.
le 'Tain't asked Of you to stay, Joe
as But you'd made up your mind to any
as how. You was willin. I'm glad O. that
L So was Joe; so wound he always be.
he 1.-The insurance, Joe-it's all right
e, It's all yours, - she said quietly.
S, A strange fear crept over him. Fl
. knelt by her and rested her head on hi
es shoulder and covered her closer froI