Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-04-16


pardon this dropping into tho FIRST person,
for 1t became personal then.-but tl;,t did
love that g..i then, and said so.
up haw," she said, you don't love mo.
But like you. Up to this moment you /
have been u gentleman to me. Ill forgive
you this momentGry lovemRking, and Jim
will have TO play his game with some other
party. Come with mo-"
She darted around the pavilion with |
that same light stop that made hor waltz
ing captivating, and wondered as fol- |
lowed her who Jim was and what game he |
was up to. We came to tho bluff that led |
down to the water where the IdA's mast |
could DO dimly seen, u slender streak
against the path Of the moon.
ooh, heavens! They've gonel" my COM
panion gasped.
"Who?"
"Your boat and the men,"
1t was true. Tho Ida had disappeared,
and the streak had thought her mast was
blasted pine tree on tho waters edge.
My friends have taken her out for q
sail They should have taken me. But
never mind"
"Your friends arc few feet away and
coming now. Do you SEQ that white spot
out therep It's your pretty little yacht.
Jim didn't dare take the Mabel tonight,
for the revenue men have been watching
her. Your boat can beat anything but
her in light breeze. But run to the road.
I'll be there in moment. They'll loave
the stuff near Huntington. Get your
friends"
A suspicion that thorc was something
missing in that girl turned to real alarm
for the Ida when the other remnants Of
the Mystic Three met me and informed mo
that they had been unoeremoniously sha-
ken by their girls. With a few words Of
what had happened We hurried to the
road. A wagon was waiting thorO, and
SO was my gypsylike friend. Not word
was spoken as wo drove of through the
tree archod roadway. We must have gone
three miles when our conductor drew up
the tired horse.
"Promise me-" she said, "thAt not one
word Of this night will over leave your
lips, and that you will do nothing to trace
it up, and will save your boat.
But your May not find you agNinT
asked.
She jumped from the wagon, and we
followed suit. Taking the horse by the
bride, she backed and turned him in the
narrow road. "Go home, Sham," she
said, and the animal trotted away into the
darkness. What could we dor Wo prom
ised silence. Then my friend took my
hand and started into the wood. We
reached the shore Two bonts lay nearby.
The graceful lines and low lying dock Of
one were unmlstuEAble. 1t was tho Ida.
Tho mainsail was down and Tapped in the
water ut the luff There had been haste
in leaving her. Tho other boat was skip
jack, one of those incomprehensiblos speedy
boats of ungainy shape that skim all over
the sound A rowboat, another and still
another put out to tho Ida. Two returned
after unloading something.
Nov is your chance" whispered the
girl, for whom, by this time, I'd have
given up the boat. "I'll bring that man
ashore and lose him. Take the rowboat
and get away us soon Rs you can." Then,
turning to mo, she said, "You may, but
forget me-" and lifted pretty mouth. l
did, but have not forgotten her. A man
on the Ida instantly dropped into the row.
/ DOnl, ullu u low pOMDAluA esAeASo bAONb@@N
him ashore. A short discussion, and man
and girl were gone. Little time 1t took
to spring into the small boat and little
longer to reach the Ida and set the sails,
even putting tho jib topsail on deck to set
when we were away.
"By George, they re following us. And
this is Long Island sound and an hour or
SO from Brooklyn"
The skipjack had set sail and was chns-
ing us. She gained We recognized her
now as the Mabel, boat that had given
us brush off Sea Cliff.
"Set the jib top sail, " shouted.
Water was kissing over the bow then.
Back stay SGT, tho little forward sail bulgod
out like u great white balloon and fairly
! lifted tho bow out Of the water. The wind
was freshening every minute and veering
to the south. As it was tho tlller was
hard holding. But we knew tho Ida and
laughed when the cushions rolled off tho
windward seats, while tho dishes ratified
in the lockers ard tho water rushed by the
cabin to lueward. A gust sent the soup
pers deep under the water There was
some heavy weight to leeward.
"Three casks, " sang out one Of tho Mys-
tic Three who had orawled into the cabin.
Zones busted, and, Great Scott, it's
whisky"
"Shift them," 1 shouted, and tho whole
thing flashed across my mind. The Ida
had been used by moonshiners. We were
flying before tho wind now and the skip
lack was gaining on us, as we could not
use our headsails.
Fire the things overheard. It'll Tighten
u.s. and that's all they want" l suggested
as the tiller tugged hard. The Ida luggod
little in q strong breeze before the wind.
Excuse us. This is q cinch. Let
them hustle for 1t. Wen load the toy can
non and scare these behind the time pi-
rates.
The yachts cannon, about foot long,
was brought out ON deck. 1t was tough
work loading It, but it was done, and
bang went q quarter Of pound OF small
nails and tacks. The sklpjack came up
into the wind, shiYered a moment filled
on another tack and in few moments
was lost round point. We had scared
them.
A few weeks ago Deputy Collector Nc
Kinny captured a gang Of mOonshiners
down on Long Island, and q short time
later q note came to the writer.
"You may tell. Farewell. lnez. -
Brooklyn Eagle.
PeerinK Into the Future.
az would Ike to know" said tho corn
1 gtInnnnne