Milford chronicle., 1905-03-10

Good night, Moran"
Three hours later Wilbur who haC
not closed his eyes, sat up and looked
at Moran. sleeping quietly, her head in
pale glory of hair-looked at her and
then around him at the silent, deserted
land.
Il don't know" he said to himself.
cam l a right minded man and a thor
oughbred, or a mushhead. or merely a
prudent, sensible sort of chap that val
ues his skin and bones? I'd be glad to
put a name to myself" Then more
earnestly he added. DO l love her too
much, or not enough, or love her the
wrong way, or how?" He leaned to-
ward her, so close that he could catch
the SAVIOR of her breath and the smell
Of her neck. warm with sleep. The
sleeve of the coarse blue shirt was
drawn up, and it seemed to him as if
her bare arm, flung out at full length,
had some sweet aroma of its own. viii
bur drew softly back
NO" he said to himself decisively;
''no, l guess am a thoroughbred after
ALL" 1t was only then that he went to
sleep.
When he awoke, the sea was pink
with the sunrise, and one of the bay
heads was all distorted and stratifed
by mirage. 1t was hot already. Mo
ran was sitting a few PAGES from him, |
braiding her hair.
Hello, AIoranr he said, rousing up. |
'How long have you been up?"
''Since before SUNRISE" she said. /
1--WE had bath in the cove where the
creek runs down. l saw a jack rabbit"
"Seen anything of Charlie and the
others?"
They've camped on the other side of
the bay. But look yonder," she added.
The junk had come in overnight and
was about a mile and a half from
shore
1.-The deuce" exclaimed Wilbur
'What are they after?"
Fresh water. 1 guess" said Moran.
knOtting the end of a braid. Wed bet
ter have breakfast in hurry and turn /
to on the Bertha. The tide is going out
fast"
While they breakfasted they kept
an eye on the schooner, watching her
sides and flanks as the water fell slow.
ly away.
Don't see anything very bad yet"
said Wilbur.
ITS s0mewheres in her STERN" re-
marked Moran. S
In an hours time the Bertha Millner
was high and dry, and they could ex- :
anime her at their leisure. 1t was No
ran who found the leak.
."Pshaw!' she exclaimed, with a half .,
laugh. "We can stick that up in half I I
m hour" "
A single plank had started away ~
from the sternpost; that was all. 9th y
erwise the schooner was as sound as ~
he day she left San Francisco. No :,
an and Wilbur had the damage repair AZ
ID by noon, mailing the plank to its =,
'lace and calking the seams with lamp -
wick. Nor could their utmost care ~ ~
ul search discover any further injury. aI
We're ready to go" said Moran, 80
Don as she'll float. We can dig away -
round the bows here make fast a ~
inc to that rock out yonder and warp -
er off at next high tide. Hellol Who's ,to ,s
his?"
1t was Charlie. While the two had ue' us
cen at work he had come around the % -
hore unobseryed and now stood at ~, ~
ONE little distance, smiling at them e.
almly, ~ -.
''Well, what do you want?' cried Mo "a
IN angrily. 'If you had your rights, -
y friend, you'd be keelhauled." - ~
Il tinkum velly hot day" P''
"YOu didn't come here to say that. 9r' NC
hat do you want?" t,,l
Il come hab talkee-taIk" tt-e s'e
eve don't want to have any talkee- ~ y
Tx with such vermin as you. Get II
it,"
Charlie sat down on the beach and ~ ~
iped mis- forehead "a. =.
Il come buy one piece bacon. China ou
Y no hab got" a.. ~,
we aren't selling bacon to desert -
s." cried Moran. "And I'll tell you
is, you filthy little monkey: Mr.. Will
r and | are going home-back to
isco-this afternoon, and we're going
leave you and the rest Of your vipers
rot on this beach or to be murdered
beachcombers." And she pointed mel
lOWafu the JUNK. Cnarlle dld not CLOS
en- follow the direction of her ges- Of e
e, and from this very Indifference "l
lbur guessed that it was precisely ''Hf
cause Of the beachcombers that the as v
chiavelian Chinaman had wished to go
at with his old officers. men
No hab got baconY he queried, lift Il
his eyebrows in surprise. excl
Plenty, but not for you" "F
harlie took a buckskin bag from his Cha
use and counted out a handful Of com
er and gold. "V
buy um nisi two piece tobacco" asho
Look here" said Wilbur deliberate Oh
don't you try to 1imfam us, Char nigh
we know you too well. You don't ole /
1t bacon and you don't want tobac- ct
Nor;