Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-12-19
adams brIdgem queried Elsie, puz-

Then as Daniel stepped rather GIN
gerly into the clear water he explained
that at time ranging from three
hours before low tide to three hours
after one may reach the outer beach at
this point by driving over in an or
binary vehicle. The life savers add
to this time limit by using a specially
built wagon, with large wheels and q
body considerably elevated.
"Well, there noww exclaimed the Ia
dy from Nantucket as Daniel splashing
emerged Oh the other side. 81 thought
I'd done about everything body could
do with salt water, but never went
ridin' in 1t afore."
The remainder Of the way to the sta-
ton was covered by Daniel at walk.
for the wheels Of the heavy carryall
sank two inches or more In the coarse
sand as they turned.
The little brown life saving station
was huddled between two sand hills.
There were q small stable and hen
house and yard just behind II. Cap
tain Luther Davis. rawboned and
brown faced, waved welcome to
them from the side door.
"Spied you comm, Fri" he said In a
curiously mild voice, that sounded odd
coming from such a deep chest. I'm
mighty glad to see you too. Jump
down and come right In. Pashy III be
out In a minute. Here she Is now"
Miss Patience Davis was as plump
as her brother was tall. She impressed
one as comfortable sort Of person.
Captain Fri did the honors and every
one shook hands. Then they went into
the living room Of the station.
What particularly struck Mrs. Snow
was the neatness Of everything. The
brass on the pump In the sink shone
like fire as the sunlight from the win
dow struck II. The floor was white
from securing. There were shelves ON
the walls. and on these. arranged In
orderly piles. were canned goods of all
descriptions. The table was covered
with figured oilcloth.
Two or three men, members OF the
crew, were seated In the wooden
chairs along the wall, but rose as the
party came in. Captain Davis intro
duced them one after the other. Per
haps the most striking characteristic OF
these men was the quiet, almost bash
full way In which they spoke. They
seemed like big boys as much as any
thing, and yet the Oldest was nearly
fifty.
Ever been in life saving station
afore!' asked Captain Fri.
Elsie had not Ralph had, and so had
Mrs. Snow, but not for years.
"This Is where we keep the boat and
the rest Of the gear" said Captain Da-
Wis, opening door and leading the
way into large. low studded room.
"Them's the spare oars Oh the wall.
The reg'lar ones are in the boat"
The boat itself was on its carriage in
the middle of the room. Along the walls
on hooks hung the mems suits OF Oil
skins and their sou'westers. The cap
tain pointed out one thing after an
other-the cork jackets and life pre-
servers, the gun for shooting the life
line across stranded vessel, the life
car hanging from the roof and the
"Lreeches buoy"
81 don't b'lieve you'd ever git me into
that thing" said the Nantucket lady
decidedly, referring to the buoy. Il
don't know but I'd bout as liefs be
drownded as make sech show of my
self"
"Took off bigger woman than you
one time" said Captain Davis. "Wife
Of Portland skipper, she was, and he
was on his fust wage in brand new
schooner Jest of the stocks. Struck on
the Hogs Back off here and then drift
ed close In and struck again. We got
'em all, the woman fust. That was the
only time we've used the buoy sence
I've been at the station. Most of the
wrecks are too fur of shore, and we
have to git out the boat"
He took them upstairs to the mems
sleeping rooms and then up to the little
cupola on the roof.
With the telescope In the cupola they
could see for miles up and down the
beach and out to sea. An ocean tug
bound toward Boston was passing, and
Elsie, looking through the glass, saw
the cook come out of the gallery, emp
ty q pan over the side and 80 back
again.
"Let me look through that minute"
said Captain Fri when the rest had had
their turn. He swung the glass around
until it pointed toward their home
away up the shore.
"Perez," he called anxiously, "look
here quick!
Captain Perez hastily put his eye to
the glass, and his friend went on:
"You see our house?" he said. Yes.
Well, you see the dinin' room door!
Notice that chair by the side OF it,
"Yes, what Of it,"
"Well, that's the rocker that Elsie
made the velvet cushion for want
you to look at the upper southeast cor
ner of that cushion and see II there
amt a cats hair there. Lorenzo's pos
sessed to sleep in that chair, and
"Oh, you git out~ Indignantly ex-
claimed Captain Perez, Strengthening
up.
"Well, 1t was pretty important
thing, and l wanted to make sure.
left that chair out there, and l knew
what I'd catch If any cats hairs got on
that cushion while l was gone. Amt
that So Mrs. Snow?"
The housekeeper expressed her opin-
lon that Captain Fri was a ease"
whatever that may be.
They had clam chowder for dinner-a
New England clam chowder, made
with milk and crackers and clans with
shells as white as snow. They were
what the New Yorker calls ''soft shell
clans, for a Fulton market chowder Is
a "uuahaug soup" to the native OF the
Cape.
Now, that chowder was good. Every
body said 80. And If the proof OF the
chowder, like that of the pudding, Is In
the eating Of 1t, this one had clear
case. Also there were boiled striped
bass, which is good enough for any
body; hot biscuits, pumpkin pie and
| hoach nlum preserves. There was q