The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-08-31
A Dog in a Manager

While spending "A Tcw weeks at a
fishing village on the Atlantic coast
made the acquaintance Of one Of the
villagers, with whom / used to sit on
the dunes and chat. One afternoon a
young fisherman came in from Off the
water, and us he passed up the beach,
seeing my companion, his face lighted
up with pleasure, and they exchanged
Il few words cordially
Gle seems to like you" remarked
after the young man had gone.
"Well. yes" responded my compan.
| ion. IL did him II favor once, but ii
was nothing more than duty"
pressed him for the story, and he
| gave IT,
My friend Cap'n Joe milford when
he died asked me to look after his lit
tie girl Molly. About the time Molly
grew to be woman she met with the
two greatest misfortuncs that can hap
pen to a glrl-she lost her mother and
she got mixed up In love affair with
man that was no gOOd-that Is, he
was in love with her, and she, not be.
ing In love with any one else ut the
time, listened to him. Then along
comes John Ruddock, fisherman
from down the coast, and settles here,
looking for better fishing ground than
what he'd been trying. Johns son
Paul was then twcnty.thrcc years old
and rs likely young fellow ms one
would find anywhere. AS soon as
Molly milford sees him she falls in
love in earnest and that leaves the
other fellow, RUFF Scott, out in the
cold.
Scott acted very ugly. lie didn't
trouble Molly much. nor did he trOu-
bic Ruddock, for he daren't. He just
took 1t out In sulking whenever he met
either of them. 1t struck me that If
were Paul | wouldn't like TO meet him
out alone In the dark unarmed. But
time went on, and Scott didn't do any
thing TO show how he felt except by
his looks, which were plain enough.
"Onc day sudden squat came mp,
and n little while after II had blown
over Molly milford come to me white
as sheet and says:
"'InClc Phil'-she called me uncle,
though | was no rclation-'TnCle Phil
she said, Paul Ruddock's boat has been
blown over by the sQuall and sunk"
81 ran into the house, grabbed my
glass and, going to the beach, only Il
few hundred yards away, brought the
glass to bear on the ocean. | could
make ont man nearly two miles out
swimming for his life. | watched him
for minute or two and made up my
mind that he was labOrlng hard and
would never get to the shore unless
some one helped him. Tossing the
glass to Molly, | ran down to the
shore, where n lifcboat was kept. The
only person | met was RUFF Scott. |
told him OF Paul Ruddocks fix and
asked him to help me get the boat be
yond the breakers. He hestated n
moment but couldn't stand the look |
gave him, and, taking hold Of the boat,
together we got her nose down into
the surf,
"Gct in | said. I'll shove her out.
"This meant for him to 90 with me,
He was about to make some ugly re
ply, refusing to do so, when he caught
sight of Molly coming Then he got
into the bow and took up nm oar.
Watching my chance to run the boat
out when the waves came In lower, ]
jumped in at the stern, seized my oar,
and together we pulled beyond the
foam into deep water.
"Rufe being for'ad and | aft, II
wasn't necessary for him to pull as
hard as /. But | noticed that he was
doing good work, which relieved my
mind, for was afraid he would shirk
But soon found by looking ahead that
the scoundrel was pulling me around
Indeed, Rufe having the port oar,
could look over my left shoulder and
see paul-that ls whenever he rode the
crest OF & wave. / stopped rowing
turned around, stood up and, raising
my oar, said:
"'You miserable dog, If You do that
again I'll brain you and throw your
I carcass overheard" Then sat down
, and kept my eye on the stern of the
, boat and Molly at the same time
! keeping the two in line. Then sudden
ly RUFF stopped rowing, | turned OIL
him again, and he had his oar up
ready to fight.
81 haven't any call to help Pau
. Ruddock, and / won't. That Is all there
is about it.
"'You won't eh?'
, II dropped my oar, caught his on my
:, arm, got at him, and before he coult
get grip on me tumbled him over
D board.
"'Therc,' said. Swim back to thu
| girl you're trying to get even with
, PLEADING the boat toward Paul,
|, took both oars and pulled ahead, max
y ing big squirt, Having my face to
ward RUFF, saw him swim for |
g point below Molly, and it was eviden
n he didn't want to meet her. She wa
q too intent to see whether | would sue
p coed or not to notice him, and, land
ing a quarter of mile away from her
he skunk up the beach and disappeared
j. behind dam. That's the last h
@ was ever seen in the town. He kney
we'll enough that 1t would not be bes
IN show hiS fncn thorn after the StOr