The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-05-01
THE NEW SKIPPER o.
1 OF THE NANCY.
ssssasssosssssss. esseaseseeeseseses1

"She is a beauty, Joe, and no mis-
take"
eyes, and fast, too"
"Thats her best point, in my estima-
ton"
With skillful turn of the wheel, that
was so little as to seem almost toy,
Joe Parsons brought the trim steam
launch gracefully around the end of
the pier and up beside the floating
stage, with a maneuver so clever that
the paint on the side of the little craft
was not scraped.
Fred Allen sprang out upon the
stage, and then, running his eye along
the lines of the boat repeated his re-
mark:
"Shes a beauty, and, as you say, fast.
Jove, she cuts the air at such rate
that she carries a cool breeze with
her on the hottest night"
Then. with a cordial Good night"
Allen lightly climbed the ladder that
led to the pier, while Parsons, after
preliminary toot of the little steam
whistle, backed slowly out into the
stream, and then kept up the North
river at full speed.
"a beauty, indeed" he kept repeat
ing to himself, thrilling with strange
pride at the thought of being owner,
master and crew of such a saucy little
marine creature.
For the Nancy seemed almost alive
to him. He was a bOokkeeper in a
downtown bank, a sober, industrious,
loyal, and good-hearted fellow; who
preferred the pleasures that do not
appeal to the general run of young men
Two years before he had conceived
the idea that for at least six months in
the year it would give him great pleas
ure to spend his evenings and holidays
in just such a craft as he now possess
ed
The Nancy had consumed $1,000 OF
his by no means extensive savings. but
Joe was happy. and what is money
compared to happiness.
First the launch spurted ahead al
her best speed, then slowed down tC
hardly more than half speed, all the
while her shrill whistle footed mucl
more frequently than is required by
the laws of navigation. Joe was play
ing with his boat as some men do will
q fine horse, as a woman does with he
laughing first born.
In and out among the larger rive
craft the Nancy glided. Several times
he all but got in the way of tugs ant
ferryboats, but these experiences onl.
made his miniature voyage the NOR
exciting.
One of the maneuvers carried hin
close to the piers on the New Yorl
side of the river.
Suddenly Joe looked ahead just i
time to see a human figure shoot iron
the end of pier and strike the waite
with a splash.
At that moment the Nancy was nc
more than twenty yards away.
- suicidew burst from Joe's lip:
Then: "But I'll spoil the game"
The launch sped quickly to the spo
then hesitated and almost stood sti
under the influence of a sudden +,
versal of the engine.
III that pause of an instant Joe leal
ed over the side and found himse
grasping a young woman.
The next moment the Nancy bega
to 90 backward through the water, bl
Joe had lifted the sylph-like form int
the boat and now the young lady Ia
between him and the engine.
Her wide open eyes stared at him in
peculiar fashion.
"Do you do this often?" he querie
not knowing what else to say.
sigh was the only answer.
81 must scold her." thought Joe.
So he began:
miss, don't you know that suiciC
is one of the wickedest things in Il
world?"
The expression on her face change
to one of relief.
eyes," she answered.
''Then why did you jump into t
waterT
$50 you didn't see me"-she bega
but stopped in sudden confusion.
81 saw you just as you struck t
water" he answered.
A sigh-thls time one of unmistaI
BILE relef-escaped her.
"Why did you try to-" he went {
sternly.