Amador ledger., 1904-07-01
|, WHILE WAITING
FOR REPAIRS
BY WILL BURR
Copyright, 1908, by T. @. Mcclure

So>o>o>o~o<o%%o<o~o%o>o%oS
The ferry at Acton, a small summer
resort lying next most pleasurable
stretch of lake, was operated solely
by its owner, Old Abe, as he was
called. The service had come to be
of such an unstable character that the
villagers had lost all confidence in it
as means of transportation.
However, Marian Ardsley was not
an inhabitant of the village, and SO
she stepped confidently aboard the
boat. assisted by Old Abe. AS he
hustled about, he was softly chuckling
and repeating to himself, 1.-TWO, two"
The rear third of Abe's stern
wheeler was pilot house and engine
room, the central portion was cabin,
and In front was what may be termed
deck. On this deck was seated the
other of Abe's "two" passengers,
Alonzo Allen, of New York.
Allen didn't know, as a matter of
fact, where he was going, nor did he
care. He had seen the old man put
tering about the boat, and, on learn
ing that a start would soon be made
for somewhere, he had listlessly taken
seat for the trip.
With toot of the squeaky whistle
the boat got under way. Marian, wish
ing to stand in the prov, walked
through the cabin. But at sight of
her fellow passenger she turned pink
with embarrassment and quickly re-
treated and sat down on the long,
carpet covered seat that was built
through the middle Of the cabin.
Under the guidance of the jubilant
old man, the boat advanced in a very
satisfactory manner-at least to him
until about half way across the lake.
Here the paddle wheel refused to con-
tinue revolving, and, after some
minutes of drifting, the boat was STILL
At this point a thunder shower,
which had for time back been stead
lily approaching, broke over the lake.
Allen, not desiring a drenching, rose
to his feet and went into the cabin.
In the darkening interior he saw no
one, and sat down on the middle Of
the seat with sigh, putting his elbows
on his knees and face in hands.
Marian was sitting but an arms
length from him. After an awkward
pause spent in cogitation, she coughed
HrrI4 - 1t, n.
rectly, and, with bow. said:
II do beg your pardon, madam; L"
And then flash lighted the cabin for
an instant, and he plainly saw his COM
panion's face
II thought 1 was alone" he added
simply, and awkwardly backing to the
farther end Of the seat he sat down.
There was some reason for these
seemingly strange actions. 1t was but
the previous evening that they had
quarreled, and at the end he had
fiercely taken back the ring she prof
fered, and they had parted forever.
At length, "Why are we stopping
here2" asked Marian Of the boatman,
who sat at his post in perfect tran
quillity.
"Jest a screw loose, MISS" the old
man replied. II figger 1 know where
tbs now, and We'll be goin' again in
a jiffy."
And with that Old Abe, tools in
hand, climbed around to the all i'm
portant paddle wheel. After an ex-
asperating wait of perhaps twenty
minutes, Marian peered out from the
door, and, seeing no one, called, "Mr.
Ferrymanp She was now heartily
wishing she had stayed at the house.
"I'm awful sorry, miss" answered
the old man rather dolefully, but
I'm afraid it'll take teenty bit longer.
You see, it's worse'n thought"
"Do you have to stop like this
oftenf" asked Marian.
"Well, sometimes. But now last
| week she didn't break down, Monday
nor Wednesday, all the hull way overp
And, saying this, Old Abe rose to his
full height, grinning with-pride.
'Well, 1 suppose it can't be helped,
then," submitted Marian, but she ap-
| peared so very much annoyed that
Abe at once leaned down and con-
| tinued his work with a great show of
| hustle.
The rain was not yet over, and Allen
was busily engaged staring very hard
| at nothing whatever. Marian looked
at her watch. 1t was past lunch time,
| and, as she had felt too miserable to
eat much breakfast, she commenced to
feel hungry. A sudden thought bright
ened her conference.-the had with
her a box of candies which she had
purchased for her sisters children.
She could get them another box. She
looked at her watch again. Only a
few minutes more had passed, but her
hunger had now become unbearable.
She loosed the string from the box,
opened She paper, removed the cover
and ate chocolate.
After she had eaten several of the
candies she glanced over at Allen.
Fastened to the wall of the cabin op-
posite him was an old landscape in a
dingy frame, and he was gazing at
this with the concentration Of a stole.
"a landscapew mentally exclaimed
Marian, as she recalled his dislike of
landscapes. "How he must hate me"
she continued, eating another candy,
"when he'd rather look at that than at
mel 1 wonder-what had I ought to
DO? If he and were utter strangers,
lost on a desert isle, and he had a
dozen kernels Of corn 1 should think
him a cad If he didn't offer me half.