Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-06-08
CHAPTER |.
TWO YOUNG PEOPLE. A SHIP, AND A

LII IuC VI
Bridgetown, in the island of Barba-
does. The seventeenth century was
not II years old, but the girl who
walked slowly down to the river bank
was three years it's senior She car
RED a hshing-rod and line, and her
name was Kate Bonnet. She was a
bright-faced, quick-moving young per-
son, and apparently did not expect to
catch many fish, for she had no bas-
ket IN which to carry her finny prizes
Nor, apparently, did she have any
Dalt, except that which was upon her
hook and which had been affixed there
by one of the servants at her home
not far away. In fact, Mistress Kate
was too nicely dressed and her gloves
were too clean to have much to do
with fish or bait, but she seated her
self on little rock in a shady spot
not far from the water and threw forth
her line. Then she gazed about her;
a little up the river and a good deal
down the river
There was a bunch of white flowers
IN the hat OF the young girl; not a
one, but of such size as might be
easily seen from the bridge, had any
one happened to be crossing about that
time. And, in fact, as the wearer of
the hat and the white flowers still con-
tinued to gaze at the bridge, she saw
some one come out upon it with a
quick, buOyant step, and then she saw
him stop and gaze steadily up the
river. At this she turned her head,
and her eyes went out over the beauti-
full landscape and wide terraces rising
above each other towards the sky
1t is astonishing how soon after this
young man, dressed in brown suit,
and very pleasant to look upon, came
rapidly walking along the river bank.
This was Master Martin Newcombe, a
young Englishman, not two years from
his native land, and now a prosperous
farmer on the other side of the river
AS Master Newcombe stepped near
his spirits rose, as they had not al
ways risen, as he approached Mistress
Kate, for he perceived that, although
she held the handle of her rod in her
hand, the other end of it was lying on
the ground, not very far from the bait
and the hook which, it was very plain,
had not been in the water at all. She
must have been thinking of something
else besides fishing, he thought But
he did not dare to 60 on with that
sort of thinking in the way he would
have liked to do it. He had not too
Of IN = ho
was very much in love with Kate Bon
net
lis this the best time of day for
fishing, Master Newcombe?" she said,
without rising or offering him her
hand. For my part, l don't believe
it isl
He smiled as he threw his hat upon
the ground. LET me put your line a
little farther out" And so saying, he
took the rod from her hand and
stepped between her and the bait,
which must have been now quite hot
from lying so long in bit of sunshine.
He rearranged the bait and threw the
line far out into the river. Then he
gave her the rod again. He seated
himself on the ground near by.
This is the second time I have
been over the bridge to-day" he said,
land this morning, very early, saw
for the first time your fathers ship,
which was lying below the town. 1t
is a fine vessel, SO tar as l can judge,
being landsman.'
YES" said she, land l have been
on board of her and have gone all
over her, and have seen many things
which are queer and strange to me.
But the strangest thing about her, to
my mind, being a landswoman, is
that she should belong to my father.
There are many things which he has
not, which it would be easy to be-
lieve he would like to have, but that
q ship, with sails and anchors and
hatchways, should be one of these
things it is hard to imagine"
Young Newcombe thought it was
impossible to imagine, but he ex-
pressed himself discreetly
1T must be that he is going to en-
gage in trade" he said; has he not
told you of his intentions?'
Not much" said She He says he
Is going to cruise about among the
islands, and when l asked him if he
would take me he laughed and an
swered that he might do so, but that
l must never say a word of it to
Madam Bonnet, for if she beard of it
she might change his plans.'
The wicked young man found him
self almost wishing that the somewhat
bad-tempered Madam Bonnet might
hear of and change any plan which
might take her husbands daughter
from this town, especially in vessel;
for vessels were always terribly tardy
when anyone was waiting for their
return. And, besides, it. often hap
pened that vessels never came back
at all.
II shall take a little trip with him
even If we don't go far; it would be
ridiculous for my father to own a ship
and for me never to sail in her" =
THAT would not be SO bad" said
Master Martin, feeling that a short alb
sence might be endured. Moreover, il
q little pleasure trip were to be made,
It was reasonable to suppose that
other people, not belonging to the Bon
net family, might be asked to sail as
guests.
What my father expects to trade
In said she, contemplatively gazing
before her, II am sure do, not know.
1t cannot be horses or cattle, for he
has not enough Of them to make such
s. venture profitable. And as to sugar..