Semi=weekly graphic., 1896-08-12
CHAPTER TT

CHAPTER II.
When the river reeeded into its prop
or channel, the Schiller was ten miles
from nayigable water Gottlieb pur-
chased the little field On which his boat
had stuck, together with small tract
of adjoining land, and decided to raise
cotton and corn. He hired party Of
men and dug under the Schiller until
she had been sunken into large exca-
walton. Then at the cost of great labor
and perseverance he had water hauled
in barrels and poured into the excava-
ton Again the magnificent steamer
was ahoat, but had to content herself
within only few inches Of play. One
of the crew, an engineer, had been re-
tanned, and nearly every evening after
his work in the field was done for the
day he would raise steam and set the
ponderous machinery in motion. Mrs.
Langbuerger soon became interested in
raising chickens, and every night she
carefully housed her brood ON board. In
addition to agriculture Gottlieb estab-
lished a school. He experienced no trou-
BILE in procuring scholars, for every boy
and girl IN the neighborhood was
charmed with the idea Of going to
school on alboat The captain not only
taught theN ordinary branches but in.
structed thelboys in the aIt of river nav
igation, II highly interesting feature,
for nearlyleyery boy who lives near q
navigable river entertains an aspiring
hope that he will one day be steam
boaman Among tho scholars was a
bright boy, Henry Rusworm. The cap
tain conceived such friendship for the
lad, partly due to the fact that he was
an orphan. that he adopted the child.
There was, though, II tender affection
awaiting the lad for rs the years crept
along little Ida, Gottlieb's daughter,
learned to love him. Her love was not
Ill bestowed, for Henry worshiped her
with that intense ardor which steals in
to boys life ut an early age.
The years kept rolling ON, as indeed
they should, for no man of sense could
have expected halt of time simply be-
cause steamboat had run aground.
The Schiller was kept in excellent re-
pair Every year she was freshly paint
ed and every unsound piece Of wood
was replaced with betitting material
0ne Sunday when the captain and
his wife had gone to church Ida went
up into the pilothouse, where Henry
sat at the wheel They had both arrived
at the shy age, and, at times through
very excess of love, avoided each other
q didn't know you were here, said
Ida, blushing.
IF you had known it, you wouldn't
have come up, would you?"
Eyes, | would have come but
wouldn have come SO soon. "
you would have come sooner if you
had thought Web Jones had been here, F."
meaning boy when Henry knew she
disliked.
mo, l wouldn t either
you like him better than anybody,
anyway. "
s''You know / don t, her eyes beam
| ing with tenderness.
"Then whom do yen like better
Somebody. Law look ut that bird
on the jackstaff
Never mind the bird -
Hes gone now. -
Are you quite sure you saw bird?'
why shouldn { l be-"
II don't know. 1 see a bird any time
when l look at you. -
I'm not bird. 1 can't fly.
Eyes, you can, You have, You have
flown into my soul and fluttered against
my heart - She looked down and toyed
with tassel that hung from rich
cord around her waist. Don't you
know that worship you?"
No, for you avoid me.
You avoid me. -
Don't you know WHY"
Eyes, and he caught her in his arms.
What glorious day it was for them.
How many little words Of sweet moth
ingness passed between them rs they sal