The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-11-18

Cousin doe, and depressing any demon
stration of special interest, she lifted
the scuttle in the roof, threw it back,
climbed upon the platform, and looked
off.
Her heart started up and began to
beat like thresher's fail, for there was
schooner flying signal. She knew
what it meant. Was it Cousin Joe off
there? Whoever it was, signal of
distress" was futtering above the YES
sci. Should Polly run and get Uncle
Ronald? When in summer during the
season of.ciosed doors and vacant rooms
at the station, any disaster might hap
pen on the water, the proper procedure
was to run for the keeper and notify
him. AT the head of as many of the old
crew as he could gather from the corn
fields and fish-houses, the l;cc, cr hur-
ried to the station, operating as might
be advisable. Uncle Ronald, though,
was off on "tater-patch," a mile away.
In the meantime the whole United
States navy, ducking their heads one
after the other, could sink off this very
station.
Wasn't female crew running this
station to-day?" soliloquized Polly. 'I'll
answer that signal myself"
The schooner was so near the shore
that if her sails had been set the appro-
pirate signal would have been the I'D
of the international code of signals:
"You are standing in to danger" butthis
vessel had dropped her canvas, as If
meaning to halt anyway, and then she
had a suspicious look, as if sinking.
''I'll let them know they are recog-
nized, and that they may expect help"
thought Polly, working swiftly.
Turning away from the staff, at
whose head now fluttered this signal
like a tongue of cheering speech, Polly
ran down the short stairway into the
crews night quarters, then down the
stairs, dropping to the kitchen, and
cried, in jerks:
Observation-Disclosures quick!
Danger!"
"What?" '4,t..asaa s,.ss.s.
"Quick!"
She was now darting through the
outer door.
'Git your uncle, Polly!"
''Too-too-far off: Come!"
And Nabby sprang after Polly.
-uncle's-boat, Aunt
Nabby!'
eve go off?"
'Yes-yes!. You can row; so can l."
"Good for ye!" cried Aunt Nabby. 81
am with ye."
They rushed uncle's boat down to the
firm, shelving sands. They pulled it
through the low-running surf, and soon
were alongside the schooner in distress.
"Quick-quick!" said sailor, bring
ing box to the vessels rail- 1--WE ran on
the rock in the night, lost our boat,
though we got off the rock, started
leak, and have been settlin' ever since
there. I'll go back with We. Then I'll
pull off and get another load. Cap'n is
in the cabin gettin' things up. You are
GOOD to come off-women, too. Ready?
Fum-row? All together. PULL"
The boat was rowed ashore, the box,
precious with papers and money, car
ried up the sands, and then the sailor
said:
"Lemme go back alone. will make
more room for the next load, with cap'n
or anyone that comes"
81 won't marry that captain, running
on rock" thought Polly. HE must
oe stupid and homely. Give me hand
some sailor"
She thought of Cousin Joe and the
homely captain perched in state on the
nantel-piece at the house.
AS if looking behind and discovering
her thoughts, the sailor remarked:
1T want the fault of our cap'n that
we were on that rock, or narybody's.
Things VIII happen, you know"
Il wouldn't marry him anyway 81
iently resolved Polly.
As the boat was rustling through the
surf, Aunt Nabby said:
"Now, Polly, we are the crew to-day,
you know, and must do jest as the crew
does to the shipwrecked. I'll start fire
i'll the kitchen stove in the station. I
saw some coffee and sugar down there
IN the pantry, and I'll git some milk and
cake and biskit. Well fix 'em. You
watch by the stuff, as it comes. Rest
of the crew is agoin' to the station"
Load after load was safely brought
from the schooner, which all this time
was settling. With the last boat-load
came the captain. Polly started when
she saw him step on the sands. Why
hadn't she seen it while he was in the
boat nearing the land? If Cousin Joe's
picture had left the mantel-piece, and,
turning up, had stepped out of the
boat, she could not have been more sur
prised. This was Cousin Joe himself.
She sprang forward.
"Why, Cousin Joe, is it you?" she
cried, this short surfman flying up to
him, reaching as high as she could and
throwing her arms about him.
"I-I-I--" stammered the Young
man, blushing, though not displeased.
"I-I-thank you with my whole heart
for helping us SO nobly, but 1 am not
your Cousin Joe, sorry to say!"
Not Polly's Cousin Joe?
"Why, why!" she murmured. in con-
fusion. starting back.
Another voice, though, was speaking
somebody from the station-and
laughing heartily. "Dick Warner, 1 do
declare-ha, ha! Glad to see We hum!
Polly, Polly, dear, come here! This is
Dick Warner"
Il thought it was Cousin Joe-that
picture on the mantel-piece," said Polly,
blushing and hanging low her head.
No, no." screamed Aunt Nabby, "you
made mistake. Cousin Joe is t'other
picture-ha, ha! He'll be hum soon!'
Yes, the real Cousin Joe came home
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