Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-02-18
ON THE ICE.
By CHARLES +. MCCLURE.

a glare on Mendoza the like of which
had not been seen in years. From Madi-
son shore to Governors Island, from
the Yahara to the meads of Middleton,
the CLASSY plain reflected a winters
sun by day, the winter stars by night.
Skaters were in ecstasies. Yelling
curriers' swept imaginary obstacles from
the polished path of the whirling
stones. Varsity athletes played at
polo, pull away, cross tag, or skin the
devil, as occasion prompted or fancy
willed. Proper youths glided about in
company with the fair co-eds and maid
ems from the town. Small boys swarmed
and played at shinney. The ice COM
panies came. They fenced off large
acreage and began the harvest of the
crystal crop, leaving each succeeding
night new expanse of yawning black
ness, which, at each recurring dawn,
presented an innocent sheen of thin
skinned temptation whereon daredevil
townies and hare-brained props trifled
with destiny.
The sails of Peg Wellington, pennant
winner of the umpty-five regatta,
dropped in a melancholy way off the
foot of Francis street; and her owners,
Carmichael, Sanborn and Denslow,
gathered about the fireplace in the long
room of the Psi Epsilon lodge on Men
dota court and growled.
"Are you not going home for Christ
mas, 'colonel?'" asked Denslow.
mot I. 1 am going to stay right
here in this house, and 'Dood' Mayne
and Bert Dorey are to stay with me;
and we will take care of Peggy for you
IL there is blow.
"You see," he continued, with the en-
thusiasm of an underclassman, the
mother and sister are somewhere in
southern California, the father is in
Washington, and the paternal roof is
quite devoid of prospective Christmas
cheer The pater, in a letter contain
ing a Christmas check, suggested that
it would be a commendable proceeding
IL his beloved son would devote certain
regular hours of the short vacation to
general polishing up in Greek. The be-
loved son thinks he sees himself buck
ing out of term-time, he does!"
Christmas races came on. The lodge
on Mendoza court joined the neighbor-
ing chapter houses in proclaimipg that
silence which is said by long-suffering
residents of the classic neighborhood
to be actually audible during vacation
time Peg Wellington was anchored in
the offing.
A few days existence under the new
order of things saw the library con-
yerted into a sort of Bohemian paradise.
In this retreat the three underclass-
men whiled away such hours as were
not spent aboard Peg Wellington. Here
ing of the fifth day.
'Hear the wind" cried White.
..Won't the dainty Peggy go up in the
air to-day!"
"How dark it grows" said Mayne,
looking across the lake. And what
wind! 1 hope it won't snow"
eOh, it can't snow" said Dorey.
In half an hour they were out on the
lake making ready the Peg Wellington.
The wind came bowling out from
bank of copper-colored clouds. 1t was
cold, and keen, and biting. The sun
had a ring. Things had dirty, yellow
light on them. The sail tapped and
creaked in the gale as they stood the
yacht against it. Dorey crawled in.
"Colonel" wrenched on the tiller. Mayne
caught the plank as she moved away,
and came back into the box.
"We'll wish we had some of the fell
lows out on the runner plank to-day
shouted Dorey, pressing his cap down
over his ears. "We'd better stop and
reef as it is, 'Dood.' She'll lift clear off
the ice when we get out towards the
Point and into the full sweep of this"
81 can tell you one thing" "ColoGel''
shouted, land that is that we don't go
out beyond the Point to jump that crack
to-day. We were only too lucky to
make it yesterday where it was only
three feet wide. 1t will spread in this
wind so we can never jump it. Gee.
But we are spinning!"
The sun went under the mounting
clouds.
"No wind at ALL" scoffed Mayne.
sWe are enough weight for Peg in this
pun. just WndC we neeueu 10 go Win
the ice. If Carmichael and Sanborn
and Denslow and some of tho other
fellows were here we'd have to knock
under and give 'em the boat. We'd
better enjoy good thing while we've
got it."
They were running nearer to the
Point. The wind seemed to be gaining
in velocity. 1t came in fitful sweeps.
The third runner came up in the air
with one of them, and seemed inclined
to stay there.
"It is stronger out here, 'Dood,' tel
you. We'd better go back, and scare
UP some fellows for ballast. And we'd
better come up into it and reef right
now"
'What's the use of reefing in this
cold?" complained Mayne. We'll freeze
to death, and to no purpose. She'll
stand all this blow"
AS he spoke, hard squall struck.
The runner went high, the sail lost the
Al Il