The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-09-22
TALES OF TEN TRAVELLERS. TIE YEs1MAKEH's APPRENTICE.
BY EDGAR L. wAKEMEs.


 broad St. croix-a sweet, tuneful nest where life is measured in cadences or dreamfui sounds from murmurins streams, lush meadows, fields of way ing grain and tender skies.
 Not a half thousand of the millions between the two great oceans ever knew of this Alton hamlet; but these two light-hearted idlers from Chicago had found 1t, and were jealously guard ing their pleasant secret in quietude and repose.
 They were journalists a-summering; and here in an old stage station hostel- " they had stumbled upon heaven of June and jasmine. To the simple souls of the village. one day they were counts; the next, counterfeiters; but upon all days they were personages Of very high order; for they occupied the front room at the hotel and never counted their change.
 Ned Watson was generous and splendid egotist with earnest literary aspirations, with a fortune in his own right and with the added power of an editorial position. Bob White, his companion and friend, was locally dis tinguished as an "irrepressible report err" in wearing double concave quizzers over his bulbous eyes; In calling things by their right names and from a chronic, reckless, almost brilliant pov- erty.
 In every way opposites, the eccentric ities of the one became the complement of the others nature; and since their accidental acquaintance, which had merged into indissoluble friendship, they had spared along with alternate antagonism and reconciliation, like many husbands and wives, with in creasing regard for each others abili- ties and genuine good qualities.
 At this restful retreat Watson's pen chant was shown in his daily grand and solitary march through the little village, with Tupper under his arm and fifty-dollar trout-rod on his shoul- der to a hill stream, mile beyond, where the coy fish gleamed and splashed around his hook all day long, while mocking his dreamful musings.
 The indolent and philosophic side of Whites nature showed itself in his ut ter absence of enthusiasm for trout and his habit of reclining for hours in a great easy chair before the jasmine covered inn windows, with his gaunt legs protruding like ready guns from an ambuscade; a source of dire insult to the villagers. These long siestas, for he smoked necessarily, chumming with the stage-helpers in the stable yard and constantly badgering his vil- lage acquaintances, were his sole and seemingly satisfactory diversions.
 But now there was trouble-and a wo- man.
 Ned Watson had become entangled in his trout line and enmeshed by the charms of the little school-mistress of the village, who had come suddenly upon him while angling.
 He had immediately made great show of dexterity, which had resulted in whipping his hook into his neck, from which the fair pedagogue had obliging- ly and dextrously extracted 1t. She had daintily bound up his wound with her handkerchief, and composedly caught half dozen trout before his eyes. Then with laughter and merry taunts she had left him dazed with her winsomeness and beauty and chafing over his own petty humiliation.
 Bob White had summarized succeed ing events in his choppy and exaspera- ting style and hung his blue penciled manuscript sheets against the walls of their room at the inn. They read as follows:
 Immolated upon the altar of friend ship, MT. Robert White makes inquiries in the interest of MT. Ned Watson. Derided by small boys and hustled by muscular relatives, he finally ascertains that the Aftonian goddess is named Mildred Hicks, "Milly," for short. She is the village school-mistress. Stipend, "thirty dollars per month-and found."
 Goddess is also a Chicago product. Writes about Minnesota isotherms, mill products and agriculture to the Chicago papers. Resides with brusque farmer uncle. Pretty, but probably coarse and common. MT. Ned Watson gradually succumbing to paresis on account of her. Rude awakening of some kind ne- cessary.
 But shortly after it became Ned Watson's turn with the blue penciled sheets. His friend returned late one evening from long tramp into the country and found him finishing with triumphant flourish this Latest" bulle- tin of the situation:
 Thursday, g p. m.-Grandly success full. MT. White dozed at the hotel and tramped among the farms. Miss Hicks sailed and MT. Watson rowed frantically upon the lovely St. Croix. Delightful little squall struck Miss Hicks boat, capsizing 1t.
 The plucky lady clung to the boat, however, managing it so deftly that the wind drifted it and herself across the current toward the land.
 MT. Watson, fortunately near in his boat, rescued her; also saving her little craft and towing it safely ashore.
 Family rejoiced and grateful. Called this evening. Passed a delightful hour. Cousins surprisingly superior young men; sturdy and honest sons of toll.
 Thus hath the despised Bohemian be-