Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-12

Is that all you've, got to say" he
inquired, with sarcasm. "after gittin'
me intola scrape like this? Well, now,
tell you one thing, r.
Now, hold on, hold on, Jerry! She
ain't goin' to marry you unless you
want her to, faint. likely. More l
think of it the more like the woman's
way of dom things. She's got sense;
there's no doubt of that. You can't
sell her cat in bag. She's comm
down here to see you and talk the
thing over, and 1 glory in her spunk."
Wants me to pay her fare! 1 see
myself dom it! I've got ways enough
to spend my money without payin'
fares for Nantucket folks
If you and she sign articles, as she
calls it, you'll have to pay more than
fares" said Captain Perez in mat
ter of fact tone II think same as Fri
does-she's smart woman. Well
have to meet her at the depot, Of
course"
We'll, won't! Cheeky thing! Let
her find out where am! I carlate
ohC Al Adfc W w bOluC AuALlA
Now, see here. Jerry" said Captain
Fri, ''you was Jest as anxious to have
one Of us git married as anybody else
You haven't got to marry the woman
unless you want to, but you have got to
help us see the thing through. / wish
pesky anxious to give her the latitude
and longitude and had took some sort
Of an observation ourselves. But we
didn't, and now we've got to treat her
decent. You'll be at that depot along
with Perez and me-"
Captain Fri did not go fishing the
next morning, but stayed about the
house, whiting at the model Of a
clipper ship and tormenting Captain
Jerry. The model was one that he had
been at work upon at odd times ever
since he gave up seagoing. 1t had new
reason that when one part was finished
the captain tore another part to pieces
and began over again. 1t was sort
Of barometer Of his feelings, and when
his companions saw him take down
the clipper and go to work they knew
he was either thinking deeply upon a
perplexing problem or was troubled In
his mind.
They started for the railway station
Immediately after supper. AS they
passed John Bakers house they no.
ticed light in an upper chamber and
Vu0y60po<1 $Io nj
tain Err would have stopped to find
out. but Captain Perez insisted that
It could be done Just as we'll when
ney came back and expressed fear
that they might miss the train. Cap
tain Jerry hadn't spoken since they
left home and walked gloomily ahead
with his hands in his pockets.
4 Mr.. Web Saunders, fat and in his
pink striped shirt sleeves, sat upon the
steps Of his saloon as they went by.
He wished them an unctuous good
evening
The response from the three captains
was not enthusiastic, but Mr.. Saun-
the fishing and the cranberry crop I'm.
til a customer came and gave them a
chance to get away.
The train was nearly an hour late
this evening, owing to q hot box, and
the "ex-seafaring man" and his two
friends peered anxiously out at it from
around the corner Of the station. The
one coach stopped directly under the
lights, and they could see the passen-
gers as they came down the steps.
Two or three got out, but these were
men. Then came an apparition that
caused Captain Jerry to gasp and
clutch at Perez for support.
Down the steps Of the car came q
tall, coal black negress. and in her
hand was canvas extension case, on
the side of which was blazoned in two
inch letters the fateful name, m. B.
Snow, Nantucket"
Captain Fri gazed at this astounding
spectacle for a full thirty seconds.
Then he woke up.
Godfrey domino! he calculated.
BLACK! Black! Run! Run for your
lives fore she sees us!'
This order was superfuous. Cap
tain Jerry was already halfway to the
fence and going at rate which bid
fair to establish record for his age
The others fell into his wake, and the
procession moved across country like
steeplechase.
They climbed over stone walls and
splashed into meadows. They took
every short cut between the station and
their home. AS they came in sight OF
+, the latter Captain Perez's breath gave
out almost entirely.
CONTINUED in Next Issue.)