The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-29
 THE ADVERTISERS DAILY SHORT STORY


 It grew dark earlier about old Chaf- fees cabin than elsewhere on the planta- tion. The reason was obvious.
 Old Chaffee's cabin of rough hewn logs was surrounded on three sides by tai thick growing forest trees, some or them sombrely alive, the majority mere black ened skeletons that had been charred 'n the making of the small clearing; on the fourth side raced the Mississippi River
 Old Chaffec was the ferryman who rowed occasional seekers after transit to or from Brownsville, the county seat whose spires loomed immediately oppo- site to his cabin in the woods.
 It was a drearily lonesome spot where the ferryman lived and yet there had sprung and thriven there as pretty and sweet a girl as all the country side could boast.
 One often finds flowers of delicate beauty growing among the neglected herbage of the roadside or the fence COT ner. Bella Chaffee wac an anomaly of that sort.
 In the gloaming of soft spring even ing she sat on the cabin door step sew ing on something white. The fieeting day light lay in pallid patches on her work. Old Chaffee was not as liberal as the sun in dispensing light and was given to grumbling disagreeably if the great jumbo lantern that swung from the por- tico ceiling was lighted by his women folks for any other purpose than to guide him from his starting point on the town side, to his own ramshackle pier, to which small fleet of untrustworthy row boats was always anchored.
 Passengers were irregular but always welcome as source of revenue. WitI startling unexpectedness one Of these came out of the black woods behind the girl as she sat sewing on the door step. So intent was she on the white garment spread over her lap that 1t was only by the sudden increase of darkness she was made to look up.
 A man stood between her and the fad ing light. A tall man young and with a certain ease of manner that made Bella promptly pronounce him a gentleman. She crumpled her work into shapeless mass It was the petticoat she was to wear under her wedding dress on the very next day and she blushed with a sense of the unseemliness of a mans eyes resting on it. She got nimbly to her feet.
 But the man had no eyes for her or personal business. any hindrance to which might be fraught with grave con- sequences He doffed his hat to her sex as he asked abruptly:
 'Is this where Chaffee, the ferryman. lives?''
 Bella said "yes." rolling her petticoat into tight cylinder.
 T want him to put me across the river at once.'
 Quailing a little before his imperious
 
 sorry. sir, but fathers gone for the night went with the man to select tim Der for his new boat. Folks so seldom want to cross on such a night
 Whats the matter with the night?"
 Nothing much with the night;~but the rivers high and the drift woods terrible thick, and the fog bEyins to thicken al- most as soon as the sun goes down."
 They were scarcely more than two voices to each other. standing there in the twilight gloom. with the maddened river rushing by with audible fury.
 'Notwithstanding, l must cross the river tonight"
 Must? My. but you sound masterful. Nothing but wedding or a funeral ought to make folks so bent on a thing.
 The man laughed unpleasantly.
 Tt is to stop a wedding even if I turn it into a funeral Is there no man about who can take old Chaffee's place at the oars? I am willing to pay him twenty five dollars"
 "Twenty-five-dollars." Bella repeated the magnificent offer in short gasps of amazement.
 ''I mean what I say"
 The girl looked beyond him towards the surging river. It was too dark now to see them-but, she knew that myriad black, Irresponsible logs were beins borne recklessly upon it's yellow bosom towards the sea, each one a menace tc any small craft carelesslv steered. Also. there was the chance of being run down in the fog by passing steamer. To steer a direct route to the Brownbille landing in face of all these impediments was an achievement A task full of difficulty and danger.
 On the other hand, twenty-five dollars! Why it would more than pay for the simple white gown that the village dress maker, over in Brownville. had promised to send home tomorrow in time for her to be married in at s o'clock in the even- ing. She could even afford the added splendor of white satin ribbon for her neck, and bow for her hair. If she earned that money. But if she failed !? She shuddered and spoke with some as perity:
 There isn't a man within miles of us. I've put hundreds of folks across the river myself. but how can I tell if it is so urgent. You might wait over until pa gets back tomorrow morning,
 That may be too late. Perhaps if tell you the whole story you may be moved to earn that money by putting me across. I have a young brother over there-he is buying lumber. Back in De- troit where his people live a sweet girl is ready to marry him and make hi. whole family happy. Last week I got a telegram from a friend in Brownsville saying: Jan about to make a fool of himself. Marries nobody on the twelfth. That's tomorrow. I must put q stop