The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-01-12

lently waving one hand above his head,
while with the other he pointed sea-
ward, was Levi Skullcarp. The SEN
timental man at the catboats helm
waved a hand to imply that he saw the
speck of sail to which he was point
ing, and turned to the business of
navigation. Away we went in pur-
suit.
When the Miriam had at length set
tied down TO work and was with clock
like regularity sticking her nose into
the solid green waves, and then saucily
throwing it up in the air again and
sending the water skirting along the
rail or flying over me, my new COM
panion broke the silence by appearing
for the first time to recognize that 1
was human. -
'Mister-r-r?"
"Kemp, 1 answered, bowling stiff
ly.
''My name is Archer"
''I think have seen you about the
hotel"
''This must seem strange proceed
ing to you," he said, laughing, Evi-
IDENTIFY the popularity had just dawned
on him
Rather" replied, thawing just
enough to smile.
"And perhaps an explanation is
DUE" said he.
"Not as long as you can sail, I an
swered
On that score 1 confess 7 felt no un-
easiness, for / soon saw that, sturdy
fellow that he was, Archer was
fully competent to handle the boat,
for all the power there was in
the breeze he got out of it, and
though time and again the Miriam
keeled over till her lee rail was well
awash and my heart was in my mouth,
she always swung back again without
swerving an inch from her course.
"There is a girl in that boat that /
am most anxious to see, Mr.. Kemp"
said Archer, after pause.
$50 1 should Judge" said L.
"I have spent nearly all my life in
London, he went on. 81 should be
there now had 1 not met her. She
sailed for home about two months ago
and ostensibly by accident but really
by intention l came over on the same
steamship. BY the fourth day out
from Queenstown we had fixed every
thing up nicely. Then l happened to
remember another engagement-sort
of a marriage of convenience-and
like a fool 1 told her. She shut her.
self up in her stateroom for the rest of
the voyage and cut me dead at the
pier. 1 humbly followed her to her
home in San Francisco. She fed
back East All trace of her was lost
and came down here to sulk."
"Do you think we'll catch emp" I
asked with suddenly awakened inter
est.
"Thank you, he replied. This sim
pie acknowledgement of his gratitude
for my own evident sympathy in his
venture won me completely and l
scrambled to the mast with reckless
ness that surprised me, that might
get the bearings of the craft we were
chasing.
"How far off do you make them?"
he called to me.
"About two miles.
"They are beating along the bay, "
he cried, "and think if we hold this
course we'll just cross their bow.
The mans Judgment was superb, for
fifteen minutes later we were so close
to the other boat that could see. its
two occupants plainly. One was a
man, regulation small-boat man, at
tired in combination of golf and
yachting clothes. The second was a
girl. l felt that were she as interest
ing as she appeared as she sat there
on the windward rail, fearless of dan
ger, her face aglow with the excite
ment of what she evidently realized
was race. Archer was excusable for
forgetting his other engagement. L
was meditating on this when my COM
panion, who had been hidden from
her view by the rail, exclaimed:
"Jove!''
"We're all right, said I. "We'll
catch them and you can go on board. "
"That's just it" he growled. 81
can't go on board. Why, she would
cut me dead or toss me over"
AS he was best posted as TO the
young woman's character, silence on
my part seemed BETTING. He did not
speak again until we had drawn with
in hailing distance of the other boat,
when he motioned me to him.
"Well run right across their bow, "
he whispered. Don't you mind me.
/ can see bottom here. Keep right on
and they will have to take me in. Now,
look out!"
We swept across the bow of the
other craft, and bya seemingly clumsy
maneuyre went about; the boom
swung around and an instant later
Archer was Aoundering in the bay. /
grasped the tiller aud the Miriam
scudded away before the wind. Poor
sailor as l am, had necessity demand
ed it l doubt if 1 could have nayigated
the boat back to where Archer was
Topping about in the water, so it was
an easy matter for me to obey his in
functions and sail away oblivious to his
cries. which mingled with those of the