Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-14

as he said, Jerry, Twelve got some.
thin to say to you bout Mrs. Snow"
Then it was Captain Jerry's turn t.
be confused.
Now, Err" he protested, "'taint
fair to keep pesterin me like this. !
know amt said nothin' to her yit,
but I'm goin' to. 1 had a week, any.
how, and it amt hat over. Let me
alone till my time is up, can't your
! II was jest goin' to tell you that You
won't have to ask. I've been talkin' to
her myself, and
The sacrifice sprang out Of his chair.
Fri Hedge" he exclaimed indignant.
", II thought you was friend OF
mine! I give you my word I'd do it in
week, and the least you could have
/, done, seems to me, would have been to
wait and give me the chance. What
did she say?" he asked suddenly.
'She said yes to what 1 asked her, ~
was the reply, with half smile.
Upon Captain Jerry's face settled the
look Of one who accepts the melan.
choly inevitable. He sat down again.
II s'posed she would" he said, with
a sigh. "She's known me for quite q
j spell now, and she's had chance to
see what kind Of a man be. Well,
what else did you do? Amt settled the
Weud1n day, have your This with
marked sarcasm.
Not yit. Jerry, you've made mis-
take. l didn't ask her for you"
"DtdAt ask her didn't Whist are
you talkfn' bout theaT'
II asked her for myself. She's goin'
10 marry me-
The sacrifce-a sacrifice no longer
sat silent but curious changes of e1-
preston were passing over his face
surprise, amazement relief and now a
sort Of grieved resignation.
II feel small enough bout the way
I've treated you, jerry" continued
Captain Eri. II didn't mean to-but
there, it's done, and all I can do is say
I'm sorry and that meant to give you
your chance. shan't blame you If
you git mad, not bit, but hope you
won't"
Captain Jerry sighed. When he spoke
1t was In tone Of sublime forgive
ness.
Fri" he said, "I amt mad. I won't
say my feelin's amt hurt, Cause
'cause-well, never mind. If a wife
and a bone amt for me, why, ought
to be glad that you're goin' to have
'em. wish you both luck and good
wage. Now, don't talk to me for a
few minutes. Let me git sort of used
to it."
So they shook hands, and Captain
Err, with troubled look at his friend.
went out. After he had gone Captain
Jerry got up and danced three steps Of
an improvised Jig, his face one broad
grin.
rez's engagement caused no surprise,
that Of Captain Eri's certainly did
surprise and congratulation on the
part Of those let into the secret, for it
was decided to say nothing to outsid-
ers as yet. Ralph came over that
evening, and they told him about 1t,
and he was as pleased as the rest.
The storm had wrecked every wire
and stalled every train, and Orham
was isolated for two days. Then com
munication was established once more,
and the Boston dailies received the
news Of the loss Of the life savers and
the crew of the schooner. And they
made the most Of it. Sensational items
were scarce just then, and the editors
welcomed this one.
The life saving station and the house
by the shore were besieged by photog-
raphers and newspaper men. Captain
Fri Indignantly refused to pose for his
photograph, SO he was Snapped" as
he went out to the barn and had the
pleasure Of seeing a likeness of him
self, somewhat out Of focus and with
one leg stiff1y elevated, in the Sunday
Blanket. The reporters waylaid hin,
at the postofdce or at his fish shanty
and begged for interviews. They got
them,. brief and pointedly personal,
and, though these were not printed,
columns describing him as "a bluff,
big hearted hero" were.
If ever man was mad and disgust
ed, that man was the captain. In the
first place, as he said, what he had
done was nothing more than any other
man 'longshore would have done, and,
secondly, it was nobody's business.
Then again he said, and with truth:
This whole fuss makes me sick.
Here's them fellers in the crew been
goin' out season after season takin'
folks off wrecks, and the fool papers
never say nothin' bout 1t, but they 60
out this time and don't save nobody
and git drownded themselves, and
they're heroes of sudden. I hear
they're raisin' money up to Boston to
give to the widders and orphans. Well,
that's all right, but they'd better keep
on and git the gov'ment to raise the
sal'ries of them that's left in the sery-
ice."
Shortly after O'clock one afternoon
of the week following that of the
wreck Captain Fri ventured to walk up
to the village, keeping weather eye
out for reporters and smoking his pipe.
He made several stops, one of them
being at the schoolhouse where Josiah,