Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-06-16
DAILY SHORT STORY
A CHANGE OF PARTNERS.

John Baron aud Lille Beck. BartIe
Farr aud Margaret Ferris. IT any one
would have told them that within
very short time there would lee trans
position among them a. flnna.es they
would not have believed -. NeVerthe-
less such ii change came 10 pass.
John Baron was one of those phleg
matte taciturn. undemOnStratiNe fell
lows who usually choose their Oppo-
| sites. and in Lille Beck he found ex
actly the girl To attract him. Bartle
Farr was gay. devil may care young
| man. who found in Margaret Ferris
| those steady qualities that Il man 81
his character seemed to need. Every
body said that both couples wOnld
make an admiral BILE match.
1t was In the days when nitrOglyc-
erin was supplied from above Pitts
burg on the Allegheny To the oil fields
| In Pennsylvania, Roated down in sii-
letto-like boats some thirty feet long
| by four feet wide. Each boat carried
| enough nitroglycerIn to blow anything
| il struck 10 the clouds. Ii was run 10y
| two men, who had strict orders to lie
| up al nightrall. In daytime they could
he seen far enough ahead TO enable
out OF the way, and, since they did not
| run at night. there was no necessity
| for accident.
The party in the skin had pulled far
up the river during the afternoon. in
tending to drift down Ielsurely with the
current In the twilight Bartle Farr,
who never took thought for the future,
insisted on rowing up much farther
than was Intended. Margaret Ferris
had endes vored 10 check his enthuSi-
assn, but on this occasion was unequal
| TO the task. or. rather, she permitted
| him 10 have his way. only warning
| him that in case they We're caught out
on the river In the dark and anything
| happened she would hold him RESPONSE
BILE
| Twilight WAS fading into night and
| they were still several miles above the
| city drifting down with the current.
Margaret proposed that the men
should take tn the oars and was sec
onded by Baron. WhereupOn Farr de
| clsred that they were having the best
| part Of their excursion and as for him
self he proposed to enjoy it. Baron
| took pair OF oars aud began 10 row.
| At this Farr made Il curt remark about
his tiunidity at being out after dark
| without a protector. Baron made no
reply. but kept ON pulling.
| When the night settled down upon
them Farr and Miss Ferris were in The
| bow, Farr with his back between The
| two gunWales, Miss Ferris sitting on
| the foremost seat, facing him. Miss
! Beck was at the tiller. Baron Oh the
stroke" seat rowing. Suddenly some
| thing black OH the river appeared
within a few yards OF them, and u
voice shouted. Get out of the way for
| your lIves!" and two Splashes followed
as OF persons jumping into the water.
In another moment John Baron rec
oguized the dim outline of a nitroglyc-
erin boat coming straight for the
| skifT At the same moment Farr. who
had risen TO see what was coming, rec
| ognized the danger. He plunged into
| the water and dived TO avert the com
| ing explosion. Baron, putting all his
| strength into one supreme effort. gave
two strokes with the port oar. and he
fore he could give ii third the nose of
the nitroglycerin boat rubbed the stern
of the Skiff. For few seconds the
side Of the explosive craft slid along
the stern OF the Skiff. then the danger
had passed.
Baron took in the situation at once.
The men on the boat had been running
her too late into the night, and on com
ing upon the skif, after shouting
warming had jumped overheard. The
situation after the danger had passed
was this Farr was swimming for the
skiff, Miss Beck was lying in n faint in
the stern. Baron was resting on his
oars while Miss Ferris was sitting
quietly on the forward seat. Her
cheeks famed at the cOwardice Of her
lover. who had left her 10 die while he
saved himself
Baron knew that the nitrOgiycerin
boat being without guidance would go
on down the river, liable at any mo
ment To cause great loss Of life and
property He was n good swimmer
and resolved To catch it, Plunging into
the water he swan Justify. gaining on
il all the while till at last he caught it,
Pulling himself upon the deck, he seized
a rope fixed to the bow, tied the line
around his body. and plugging again
into the water. swan for the shore.
In this he ran fearful risk. A rock
up the boat aud him with il. Landing
on point he allowed the boat To swing
downstream with the current. then fas-
tened his rope to a stump.
The next morning john BarOn's feat
was known in Pittsburg aud Allegheny
sud ne became hero. As for the two
men who deserted the boat neither ever
showed his face In that region again
The day after the party reached home
Miss Ferris wrote FaTr u note breaking
their engagement. Baron had noticed
his fiance's collapse. aud that Miss Fer
rIs retained her equanimity. From that
moment he showed the latter a prefer
ence. which resulted In the breaking OF
his engagement, aud lie afterward be
came engaged To Miss Ferris
Bartle FsTT. when he found that lac
had lost Miss Ferris either to show