The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-09
The Skipper of Phantom Tug.
"a Story from Answers. In Two Parts.)
PART L

| "a Story from Answers. In Two Parts.)
! PART
| A dark-eyed girl was standing on the
starboard side of cutter rugged smack
Her gaze was fixed upon a small black
object that danced on the choppy waters
a boats length ahead. A young seaman
was stationed at the helm. He was d.
viding his attention between the girl and
the black object.
Ready" said he.
"Ayw
She had barred her brown, rounded arms
to the elbows and adjusted her red cap
| that held in check her unruly hair, and
she now bent over the bulwark, her hand
outstretched in readiness to seize the
| floating thing as the smack skurried
by.
"a black bottle" she cried, and the next
moment she had it in her grasp and vas
holding it aloft, the water dripping from
her arm. Look, steevie! 1 wonder if
there's anything inside?''
Stop bit, Lottie; We'll soon see.'
Stephen Armstrong fixed the tiller and
then sat down upon the deck at Lottie's
side. The splendor of the sunset fell
slantingly upon their eager faces. The
man looked at the bottle and then at the
girl.
It's tightly corked," said he.
Then he held it up between his bright
eye and the golden light.
Its letter." said Lottie. peering over
Armstrong; shoulder through the glass,
Why don't you break it?'
He struck the bottle against the bulwark
ana slip of paper fell upon the deck at
their feet. At this moment an edge of
the tarpaulin that lay across the bow was
cautiously raised and red-bearded man
i
The girl picked up the crumpled slip of
paper hurriedly unfolded it, and read as
follows:
In another half-hour I shall be drown
ed, Here I'm a-layin', drove ashore in
a dense fog on the East Saltwin Sands,
with a fresh breeze ALLOWING from the
southeast. She was drove on to these
sands at 4:30 a. m, about low water. The
tide is rising now and breaking over my
craft, and I'm alone aboard. The man
what finds this document 1 solemnly make
him my sole heir. In the cupboard of the
aft cabin he'll find a pile of golden SOW
ereigns. For I'm an old miser-God par
don me-and I've boarded my thousands
for no earthly good. A just punishment
has fallen upon me at last
BEN TARBUCK, Captain
Armstrong stared at his sweetheart,
Lcttie Sanderson, in blank amazement.
For a moment he was unable to utter a
word. AT last he whispered:
Its the phantom tug-hush!' and he
glanced toward the tarpaulin. mo word
10 anyone and our fortunes made
de buttoned UP the scrap of paper in
the breast pocket of his pilot coat, and
cast the broken bottle overheard. Then
he resumed his place at the helm, and
the smack went numbering on its tack
ing course toward the shore.
The man beneath the tarpaulin lay
seemingly sound asleep until the smack
neared the entrance TO Saltwin harbor,
when Armstrong shouted:
Relay there, Redshaw, Harbor lights!"
The night had nearly closed in.
AS soon as the smack had run into the
small harbor and brought alongside the
stone quay, Armstrong went ashore with
his girl, leaving Redshaw aboard. They
made their way through the town, and
a lane behind the sheltering sand
dunes, presently came in sight of a cot
tage where a light showed in the win
dow as If to welcome them.
"Iottie,' said the seaman, "the War
rem farms for sale. l was just a-thinking
what a snug home it'd be for me and
you
"Ah, that was grandads once" said
the girl, and now l come to think of il,
granny prophesied years ago that the
farm would be mine some day; and she's
a wonderful gift o prophesying, amt she,