Evening journal., 1905-09-21
A CHANGE OF
PARTNE RS
lorIrlna1l


One summer evening a rowboat con-
tanning two young men and two young
women was drifting idly on the Ale
gheny river above the city Of Pitts
burg They were two pairs Of lovers, q
Jchn Baron and Lille Beck Bartle
Farr and Margaret Ferris. If any one
would have told them that within a
very short time there would be trans
position among them as lances they
would not have believed it. Neverthe-
less such a change came TO pass.
John Baron was one Of those phleg- y
matte. taciturn, undemonstrative fel-
lows who usually choose their oppo- z
sites. and IN Lille Beck he found ex- y
actly the girl 10 attract him. Bartle
Farr was gay. devil may care young ]
man. who found IN Margaret Ferris
those steady qualities that man OF /,
his character seemed to need Every
body said that both couples would 4
make an admirable match
1t was in the days when nitrogiyc-
erin was supplied from above Pitts
burg on the Allegheny to the oil fields
In Pennsylvania, foated down in st-
letto-like boats some thirty feet long
bv four feet wide. Each boat carried
enough nltroglycorin 10 blow anything
, II struck to the clouds. 1t was run by
, two men. who had strict orders to lie
q I'D at nightfaH In daytime they could
4 be seen far enough ahead to enable
q such craft as they came across TO get
A out Of the way, and, since they did not
a run at night, there was no necessity
3 for accident.
n The party in the skin had pulled far
up the river during the afternoon, in
d tending to drift down lesurely with the
g current In the twilight Bartle Farr,
ID who never took thought for the future,
& insisted on rowing up much farther
= than was intended. Margaret Ferris
y had endeavored to check his enthusi-
10 asm, but on this occasion was unequal
rs TO the task. or rather, she permitted
ls him to have his way, only warning
rs him that in case they were caught out
ne on the river in the dark and anything
e. happened she would hold him responsi-
bic.
Twilight was fading into night, and
they were still several miles above the
CITY drifting down with the current.
o. Margaret proposed that the men
H. should take to the oars and was sec
We onded BY Baron. Whereupon Farr de-
no clared that they were having the best
ne part of their excursion and as for HIM
self he proposed to enjoy it. Baron
"a "a took a pair OF oars and began to row.
he At this Farr made a curt remark about
,ld his tlmidity at being out after dark
ow without a protector. Baron maze nc
,rs reply, but kept on pulling.
"a When the night settled down upon
ig- them Farr aud Miss Ferris were in the
icy bow, Farr with his back between th'
la' two gunwales, Miss Ferris sitting OF
~ ~ the foremost seat facing him. Miss
on Beck was at the tiller, Baron on th'
oeo "stroke' seat rowing. Suddenly some
,le thing black on the river appeared
rth within few yards Of them, and
are voice shouted, "Get out Of the way TO
vour livesr' and two splashes followe
as Of persons jumping into the water
In another moment John Baron rec
tom oonized the dim outline of a nitrOgly'
hen erin boat coming straight for II
ace skif At the same moment tarr' WI
lins had risen 10 see what was coming, re
i'si' ognized the danger. He plunged in
- the water and dived TO avert the COZ
ara ing explosion. Baron, putting all d
ape strength into one supreme effort, ga'
ack. two strokes with the port oar and b
the fore he could give a third the nose
the nitroglycerin boat rubbed the ste
lack of the skin. For a few seconds I
had side of the explosive craft slid alol
run the stern of the skin, then the dang
Il at eno S'oi"
snre had passed.
esb Baron took in the situation at on
ack- The men on the boat had been ruhnl
took her too late into the night. ana on co
stin ing upon the skifr, after shouting
4 the warning, had jumped overheard.
the situation after the danger bad pass
sive- was this: Farr was swimming Tor
then slSif. Miss Beck was lying in RANT
iinso the stern. Baron was resting ON
'l','e oars. while Miss Ferris was slit
p ns quietly on the forward seat /
,v.,ns cheeks famed at the cowardice OF
ms II lover who had left her to die while
t sill saved himself.
a fell Raron knew that the nitroglyct
'agely boat being without guidance Wouiu
cared. ON down the river, liable at any
n oul ment 10 cause great loss OF lie
W. property. He was good swlml
eo''0 and resolved to catch it. Plunging
the water. he swan Justify, gaining
su- II all the while till at last he caugh
pulling himself upon the deck, he Sc
over- rope fixed to the bow, tied the
,feaer- around his body. and. plungng al
,preme into the water, swan for the shore.
Rich In this he ran fearful risk. A
,s ever or a root OF a tree II struck would
/. up the boat and him with it. Lam
y topic on point, ne allowed the boat to s'
be per- downstream with the current then
Iu of tened his rope to stump.
Of Ala The next morning John Baron's
in exc was known In Pittsburg and Allegh
or was and he became hero. AS for the
n OF men who deserted the boat neither
should showed his face in that region a
ked on The day after the party reached
ing the Miss Ferris wrote Farr note brea
rrupted their engagement Baron had no
at Hhl his hance's collapse and that Miss
sooner ris retained her equanimity. From
an hi' moment he showed the latter o pi
II WIN ence, which resulted In the breah
s'"ss his engagement. and he afterwar
oens came engaged to Miss Ferris.