The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-07-10
ON A FALL RIVER BOAT.
A Story Told by Oscar King Winds
UD in a Cloud of Mosquitoes.

at was on a Fall River boat that this oc.
Cured" said Lieutenant Oscar King at the
LOtOs Club, land it's worth telling"
of ii isn't funny, cut it Short" said Colonel
Robert Gordon.
but 1t is funny" replied Lieutenant King,
"and Pm going TO tell il. When we pulled out
OF New York there was nice little sea run
niDg-just enough TO knock the Formally out
of evrry one on board. Ii was the usual crowd,
you know and one yonng couple, evidently
bride and groom, attracted my attention. He
was one of those busy little men. and she
looked very new. Apparently i: was their first
experience on a boat. They were timid at
dinner, and they nad some diinculty IN lOcating
their stattroom Another PASSENGER pesiues
myself was interested in them lie lOoN eu IKE
a bad detective. His mustacheS were hedVy
and black and his bat was drawn over his eyes.
You snow The type. colonel
"YeS, yes; buI 20 on" said the COLONEL
''What was il? An elOpement"
F.'Don't crowd" said Lieutenant King This
Is my best story. You remember that spring
out on The Platte, colonel, when there was
such shooting? Those were the days when
Now look here, King" interrupted the
colonel; you got well started on Fan river
boat, bride and groom, detective, elopement
ana all that sort Of thing"
"CerTaiuly-l remember. Well. as L started
10 say, tie bride dropped her fan, and before
her husband could get il this mysterious man.
whom took 10 be a detective, bounced ON IL,
opened IL ana redu SOUielDluS NIlttcu lusiuC'
Then he handed It quickly 10 the BRIDE. Say.
colonel, do you remember the day you bred
both barrels into flock and didn't get bird
How YOU"
king. you are wandering" said the colonel.
Don't you remember-Fall River boat. brlde
aud groom, elopement, directive and fan"
ITO be sure l do" continued Lieutenant
King, land / propose 10 finish It"
The three men al the able drew near.
"Wel." he said, "it struck me as funny al the
time that the bride didn't seem angry al the de-
tectlye'S insolence she palo no attention 10 IL.
l don't think that her husband noticed that the
fellow opened the fan. That was my impress
sion then and have no reason 10 change H."
Lieutenant King was king slowly and con-
servatively. He had interested his listeners.
at was an unusually rough night. with
nasty westerly wind that brought rain. re-
member it well. After smoking pipe turned
in about midnight. For some reason found il
hard TO get asleep. ielt that somel hing was
going TO happen. What are you fellows going
10 have"'
"Same's before; but go on" said the colonel
and his friends in chorus
yes, remember hat my restlessness was
the same restlesSness that seized me the night
before that brush with the Ciees, when you
got tapped in the shoulder. coOue Ii was
The same feeling of uneaslness. You know II,
cOlOnel?'
Eyes, yes; but go on. What about the bride
ana groom. and the detective?"
LAS impatient as ever, colonel, see. Wei,
tossed and was tossed around for hours. Tb II
/ fell aSleep. | was aroused by sudden shock.
The sun was shining into my slaterOom and the
boat had Opped-er-what are you fellows
gong TO have?"
King, what on earth had bappened?' asked
the colonel. No, nothing more"
We'll. did not know" continued Lieutenant
King. II rang for steward and said TO him;
w here are we now ~
AT ran River ne replied
~ thought So sale l. L have never seen
mosquitoes so thick
Lieutenant King paused. His listeners looked
al him. Thru be arose aud SAID: We'll. gen
tenen. l musl be going. Goodnight" Before
any one d recovered he was gone.
"Bul-but-but," stammeed The colonel.
when he recovered his speech, was that all Of
the stOry?"
Must nave been" said another listener.
"He evidently wound il up"
"But l don't see The point Bride and groom,
detective. fan. sudden stop, Fall River-I have
never seen mosquitoes so thick. Was 1t funny?
What was it?'
DON'T know. Pm sure" SAID the third man.
"LepS 90 OCt-now."
They look as If King had been telling them
his Fall River story" remarked Chandos Full
ton, as three daZed-looking men walked out
into the Gark.-New YOrN Sun.