The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-02
CONCERNING A BLACK
 ALPACA COAT
BY !. c. PLUMnIER.

ecopyright, 1905, by Daily Story Pub Col
 sandy said Captain Pole, as he shifted his tiiller so as to pass barge towing down the bay, you'd better ask Kate Haggerty to have you when we get to port"
 sThere's na hurvy," replied Sandy MeDougal mate of the schooner Ajax enjoying his pipe.
 aGo ahead" retortsd the skipper pettishly, you wake up some morn ing and see another chap living of Rates money"
 she's no got 1t yet" expOstuiated MT. McDougaL
 'But she'll have 1t when her uncle dies and he's old as the hills" 'Hoots, only seventy and men are living longer than they did" said Me- Dougal. tits little saprised I'd be Il he lives to be ninety.
 Well" remarked the skipper, ''ii you don't want wife with ten thou sand dollars. all right" There's na hurry" insisted Mo- Dougal, 'if I'd marry her now I'd have to support her, mebbe, for ten years before her uncle dies.' Dennis Haggerty, stwvedore, was worth at least ten thousand dollars and his only relative was Kate Hag- gerty. There was no scarcity of wom- en in the world forty years back, but Dennis and his brother Michael must perforce, fall in love with the same girl and she chose Michael. Dennis never forgave them and carried his resentment to the second generation never nothing their daughter, Kate not even when, her parents dying very poor, she started out to make ofo hErfu old plain as to face and export in sordid economy, only knew she had an uncle because people told her so. She gave no heed to the news when she did hear 1t and went on earning q very scant living with very hard work. Now, Captain Pole knew something. He and fergus McNeal were witnes- ses to Dennis Haggerty's will which left all he possessed to Kate Haggerty. McNeal had immediately sailed on a voyage to Australia and the skipper, practically, was the sole possessor of the secret. He knew Kate and liked her so he did some thinking.
 "Kate's getting old" he unused, and in looks she's more like barge than a racing yacht. but there'll be plenty of good for nothing fellows to marry her when they know she'll have ten thou sand dollars They'll spend every cent of it for her."
 Then he appraised Sandy McDougal. his mate, of the secret and introduced him to Kate.
 He's too stingy to ever spend her money" soliliquized the skipper, land he'll make her a good husband"
 Sandy courted cautiously. Kate. with a dowry of ten thousand dollars was very attractive. but his character istic stinginess, made him hesitate about mourning the expense of a wife until the dowry was possessed. As to Kate, who had never had a beau. she dreamed dreams and watched for Sandy's coming eagerly.
 The inexpensive oourtsnip, for Sam dy never spent a copper on Kate, dragged on like a voyage through the calm belt and Captain Pole chafed.
 McDouEal was overlooking the tar ring down of the schooners rigging when the skipper came abroad much excited. - sts
 "Old Haggerty's sick" he whispered to Sandy, Ines pnenmony and he's too old a man to get we'll Now's your time, Sandy"
 For moment Sandy wavered then he said He may get wulf. there's na hurry"
 Captain Pole coupled Mir. Me- Dougal's name with an adjective and went gloomiIy below,
 Captain Poles watch was a mas sive machine to which he lay great store ana when 1t became out of order there was only one watchmaker in the city who was permitted to repair it. After his abortive effort to excite Mir. McDougal to action he glanced al his watch and found 1t stopped.
 'I'll take 1t to Shoot" he said. and he left the schooner. scowling at the immovable McDougal, who was still working on the rigging. The skipper had left his watch with Mir. Shoot and was about to depart when ne remembered that Dennis flag gerty lived directly opposite the watch maker. He glanced across at the and stared
 It was not the evidence that MT Haggerty was having some repairs done to his front steps that caused him to stare, but attached to Ene bell pull was a streamer of crape.
 He hastened back to the schooner
 He's dead" he gasped.
 "Ye ma mean itP' exclaimed Me. DougaL
 There's crape on the door, that's a landsman's flag at half mast. Get your best rigging on and come, there's not minute to be lost"
 MT. McDougal was soon attired in his best black suit of clothes and the two set out for Miss Haggerty's boarding house.
 'Now," said the skipper. eff she