Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-11-16


cheerIy as she churned her home
ward course, the passengers joining
in song in happy content after the
pleasures of the day.
Click! click!
He's a monkey on a stick,
they sang! and the shadow of a smile
stole across the doomed mans face
at the appositeness of the "Geisha's"
words. Oh. if he could only get rid of
that suffocating gag. his cries might
be heard. But no sound came from
his aching throat, and the pleasure
steamer glided on her way.
And as he looked a light appeared
seemed to go out Tor an instant; then
1t appeared again; again disappeared,
and once more flashed into sight.
what did it mean? Suddenly it
struck him that it was something on
the surface OF the water which kept
coming between his eyes and the
light. Could it be a boat? He
strained his ears, and fancied he
could hear the rattle of the oars in
the rowing locks. Yes, yes, it was .
boat; coming straight toward him,
zoo. And at last struggling moon
Beam came slanting across the sea,
and doubt gave place to certainty,
Tor, although still a long way off, he
could distinguish a figure in the boat
"a figure that caused his pulses to
throb wildly, the figure Of a girl.
Would she, could she do it in time ?
He was standing now ON the very tips
OF his toes, and even then an occa.
sional wave, higher than the rest,
would wash into his nostrils, and give
him foretaste of what was to come.
Nearer and nearer came the boat.
and higher rose the water. Could he
bold out? The strain was awful.
Whatever can have come to those
two? queried Jessie, as the shadows
iengthened, and still NO Will appeared.
Throwing a shawl around her she
etrolled out into the evening, and
looked away over the sea. She could
not make out the mast of the wreck
In the falling light, but something
bo6bing about at the foot Of the cliff
arrested her attention.
1T looks like q. boat" she gasped,
with sudden foreboding. And in an
INSTANT she was speeding down the
path. A moment more and she had
reached the shore, and there, not 20
yards away, she recognized Jem Bar
cfay's boat-empty; and something OF
the truth flashed upon her.
"Merciful heavens" she moaned.
The boat has got adrift and left
them on the wreck"
There was no time to run to the viii
Iage for help. What had to be done
must be done quickly. With a fervent
prayer the brave girl dashed into the
water, clambered over the side, I'M
shipped the oars, and in another min
ute the bow was once more turned
seawaru and the little boat was
speeding to the rescue.
At last. after a lifetime of doubts
and fears, she turned and the sunken
mast standing out in bold contrast
to the silvery pathway caused by the
rising moon; and ant the base, on the
surface OF the water, there was some
thing else-some thing round and
dark.
With redoubled energy and painting
breath she tugged desperately at the
oars, needless of the blisters ON her
little hands.
Ut was, indeed, a race for life or
death. and 1t seemed that, after all
her effort had been in vain, for as the
boat bumped against the mast the
head OF her lover dropped forward
and sank out of sight. Wdth a pierre
ing cry she flung herself forward and
caught him by the hair; then, NOV
Ing her hand lower she grasped his
collar and pulled with all her might.
In an instant the gag was removed,
and then poor Jessie was plunged
into despair again, as che found his
hands tied and she realized chat her
little fingers were powerlees to loose
the knohted rope, and she had NO
knife. Then her eyes caught sight
OF Barclays knife sticking in the
mast above the victims head. With
cry OF delight she seized it, and IA
another moment the bonds were ser.
cred. AT the risk of capsizing the
boat she dragged the precious burden
slowly aud painfully on board; and al
last he lay, unconscious still, but
breathing, with his head pillowed on
her lap.
As Will Preston and his wife stood
before the picture of the year at the
ensuing Academy she looked up at
him with a little smile and said:
"And what have you called it, after
all, dear?"
''Well, whought Of giving it the
title "A Monkey ON Stick but it's
been catalogued On Board the Bon
ME Belle, by w. Preston"
"R. A., proudly added Jessie, a.
they turned away homeward.-Chi-
cago Times-Herald.