The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-01-24

1t Was a Dark Night
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This is how Pennington Grace mar
ried one Of the ugliest girls in Corn.
wall and has been one Of the happiesl
men in the country ever since.
Pen had carried on a filtration with
the charming, CHEEKY hostess OF the
comfortable little inn where he had
spent the summer. How he found his
way back to Petrock I do not know But
there he was, late ia October. seeming
unwilling to leave.
One evening he overheard two sail
ors Ia the bar talking about a vessel
said to be drifting helplessly into the
bay. He went out and asked a few
questions, learning that several watch
ers were already posted on the head
land. and that trouble was expected.
At closing time he found his plump
landlady, with a great white shawl and
great glass OF gin and water. sitting by
the fire In the bar parlor.
"Bedtime?" he queried.
Not until daylight" was the -oply
"Neuralgia?"
mo; shipwreck."
"Where?"
Coming"
May ! keep you company"
If you will help when the poor fell
lows come in"
Pens idea Of shipwreck was some
thing sudden and unexpected, and to
find waterside landlady apparently
prepared to take in half, or wholly.
drowned men at any hour was a novel;
ty. He sat and talked until nearly 2
o'clock a. NJ. then sailed out to inves-
tigate. 1t was blowing great guns.
The sky was like a canopy Of jet. The
sea and wind together made bewilder-
ing concert Of rushing, roaring, boom
ing sound. Down by the quay tub
like boat was tossing in charge Of a
man who was holding on to the stones
with a boat hook AS Pen drew near
a small man in a pilot coat and peaked
cap came quickly up and was about to
step into the boat when a queer-look-
ing figure rushed at him from the
darkness.
Captain Jack, may I go?"
my dear Missile. you ought to be in
bed"
May I go7"
The captain put one leg into -he toss
ing boat "'Tis no night for petticoats
outside" he said as he scrambled in.
The figure, as Pen had by now dis
covered, was that Of a young girl IN
a coat very much like the captains and
shining yellow sou'westsr large
enough to hide her head and face. but,
BY her pose and voice, Pen guessed
her to be about 20. As the man was
pushing OF the girl made a grab at
the boathook and pulled boat and men
toward her.
Now don'tee. miss" shouted the
man, holding on. but afraid OF pulling
her into the water.
Pen, seeing the danger. stepped for
ward and caught her jacket at the
back, jest As she dropped the boat
hook and jumped into the dinghy.
Pen held on, and, consequently.
tumbled in anyhow after her.
Just then a rocl-st scared up beyond
the headland into the inky clouds. and.
making a sweeping curve Of IRE. de-
scended. a glowing spark. into the sea
There she goes again, Tedw said
Captain Jack. dropping on athwart and
pushing out an oar. III # wasn't for
you. missile. I'd leave this young gen
tleman IN the water"
"Tn give the men a sovereign and I
won't get in the way" said Pen. hop
ing to make the best Of the accident
What's amiss?"
But he had no answer, for By this
time they had cleared the arm OF the
harb0r and the sea and wind were lash
ing their faces and no words could be
exchanged
Pen was not aitogethed happy. but
he was soon scrambling up the steep
side OF a tugboat at the heels Of the in
dependent young person in a SOU
woster.
The noise above and below seemed I
as. still following the girl.
be found himself over the engine-room I
hatchway with his back against the I
funnel easing.
IT'S the warmest place on board
said his companion. Ny name Is Jess /
What Is yours?"
Pen gave his name.
II am 20. How old are you3"
Pen mentioned his age.
-HaYe you a cigarette7"