The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-08-13

lightship when you're used to it-a
matter of four mile. l can't say Nd
more. Hands over the t~eiescope.)
Can't read it. Oh, you soon would with
a little practice. (Takes the telescope
and points it to the More lightship.)
Why. it's as plain as anything. No
Are! (Wonders why the stranger
departs so abrrptly!)
Mr.. Ampstead donkey proprietary
-Wot do l think about the sea? Well,
if tell yer strife. guv'nor, 1 think it's
a bloomin' nuisance, an l wish there
wasn't none. People seem to think
they must go messin' abart all day OF
the bloOmin' sand. or maxim their
selves sick In them bloomin' boats,
when they're darn ere. 'Ere's Il han
imals-just look at 'em.-all saddled
an ready, an standin' hide. Wot for?
Because of the bloomin' sea. If I was
on the bloomin' cath, where there
wasn't no bloomin' water, all them
ere blOomin' people wot's wastin'
their blOOmin' time over the bloOmin'
sea would be ridin' my bloomin' dom
49, Oh putin q lev DlOOlllu cup
pers in my bloomin' pockets,
Why do l come ere? Well, a bloke
must go somewhere; an the 'eath's
! that crowded there amt arr a chanse.
IN the missus likes the seaside. All
women is contrary. An there's arr
a chanse when its low tide. Donkey.
miss? Right yer are,
Mr. ENiphtr Tho ea,'- Ill -;-l4
when you understand it. I don't. It
served me a nasty trick last week
me and the Larkin girls. Tell you
about it? Well, on the Q. T. you know?
Ii was ike this. Flo, and Mollie Lark
in-i dare say you know them? No,
I'll take you over and introduce you
tomorrow. Well, they came over
from Layham one afternoon, and
wanted me TO take them out in q boat.
| wanted to take half of them-one ar
a time-but they wouldn't: so | took
them both. in a little boat that | hired
from old Salt. with a little brown sail.
l don't know much about sailing, but
it looked simple enough. You put up
the sail, don't you know, and the wind
blows you along. 1t blew US along for
about three hours; and when we had
eaten all there was to eat. and got
right out in the channel. and were sea
sick, we thought we'd GO back. So
I put the rudGer over. but the con-
founded BOAT wouldn't go the reverse
way. They tell me it depends upon
the direction of the wind. or some
thing, Anyhow. the wretched boat
would sail in any direction but home.
when she wasn't standing still, with
the sails tapping in the wind.
The girls said we'd better row.: so l
put down the sail. and rowed.> Then
they had a turn. Then l had another
turn. Then they had one more. Then
they said they had had enough. and l
must do the rest. Five hours the rest
was. Rowing a sailing boat isn't like
pulling an outrigger. let mt tell you.
About II o'clock. we got near the land.
opposite the Royal Oak, about five
miles from the town. l couldn't pull
another stroke, so we resolved to land.
1t was low water, and We ran on the
mui flats, about a couple of hundred
Yards from the beach. and l said I'd
carry the girls ashore. First. l took
Noble. 1t vas very dark. and as oon
as we got a little way from the boat,
Flo got frightened, and commenced to
2rT alCuG-very loud. She kept it up
all the time | was gone, which was
about 90 minutes. because l was walk
ing ankle deep in slippery mud, and
had 10 20 slowly. When | left Mollie
the beach. she cried very loud also.
There might be robbers. or cows, or
black beetles along the beach and
cliffs, she said. won't tell you what I
t wasn't half so bad as what l
thought and didn't say!
Well. I got back to the boat, pretty
well done up. and took Flo on my back.
tall and stout-about 13 stone!
staggered along with her somehow
ill we had gone about halfway. Then
I slipped on some muddy seaweed and
down we both went. You couldn't see
us for mud. She said some very nasty
| won't repeat them, because
she wrote and apologized next day. and
said | had been very kind indeed. But
f | had said what l felt-well, I
shouldn't have been friendly with the
girls any more!
We got to the town about me in the
morning. or course, they couldn't go
nome till the morning. The last train
caves at nine. So l had to take them
10 my place. The mater has barely
to me since. Their father came
over next morning, and said l ought to
marry them. But they couldn't agree
/ was glad there were two.
Ills well that ends well! Isit! Idon't
NOW what you call ending well, but l
The boat went out to sea next
ide, and was never found again. Five
pounds ten l had to pay for my trip or
he sea. Know better next time?
-mph! Therell DE no mex time foI
ne!-St. Paul's.