Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-06-18
CAP'N ERR
BY JOSEPH c. LINCOLN
Copyn-ht. 1904. by a. s. Barnes & Co.. Pub
haheu. $50 Fifth Avcauc New Ycrk.
Al Rights Rop,rvod

rather husky whisper, that you'd like
TO stay with your grandpa for little
Willie, so Ill 80 downstairs and see
about supper. No. no, no." he added,
holding up his hand as the girl spoke
some words Of protest, you amt goin'
nowheres TO supper You're goin' 10
stay right here. If you want me, jest
speak" -
And he hurried downstairs and into
the kitchen. clearing his throat with
vlgor and making a great to do over
The scratching of a match.
Mrs. Snow returned a few minutes
later, and to her the news OF the arriv-
al was told, as IL was also to Perez and
Jerry when they came Mrs. Snow took
charge. of the supper arrangements.
When the meal was ready she said to
Captain Fri:
Now I'll go upstairs and tell her
TO come down. I'll stay with Capn
Baxter till you're through, and then
p'raps If one of you'll take my place
III eat my supper and wash the dishes.
You needn't come up now. I'll intro
duce myself"
Some few minutes passed before
Miss Preston came down. When she
did so her eyes were wet but her man.
ner was cheerful, and the unaffected
way in which she greeted Captain Pc
rez and Captain Jerry when these two
rather bashful mariners were intro
duced by Fri won them at once.
The supper was great success. 1t
was Saturday night, and a Saturday
night supper to the average New Eng
lander means baked beans. The cap
tains had long ago given up this be-
loved dish because, although each had
tried his hand at preparing it, none
had wholly succeeded, and the caustic
criticisms of the other two had pre-
vented further trials. But Mrs. Shows
baked beans were a triumph. So also
was the brown bread.
AS they rose from the table the young
lady asked a question concerning the
location of the hotel. The captain
made no answer at the time, but after
q short consultation with the remain
der of the triumvirate he came to her
as she stood by the window and, laying
his hand on her shoulder, said:
'Now, Elsie-I hope you don't mind
my calm you Elsie, but I've been
chums with your grandpa so long
seems if you must be sort of relation
Of mine-Elsie, you amt goin' to no
hotel-that is, unless you're real set on
ii. Your grandpa's here, and we're
here. and there's room enough. don't
want to say too much, but I'd like to
have you b'lieve that me and Perez
and Jerry want you to stay right in
this house jest as longs you stop 10
Orham. Now you will, won't your
And so it was settled, and Captain
Perez harnessed Daniel and went to
the station for the trunk
That evening just before going to
bed the captains stood by the door of
the sickroom watching Elsie and the
lady from Nantucket as they sat be-
side john Bakers bed. Mrs. Snow
was knitting and Elsie was reading
Later as Captain Fri peered out of the
dining room window to take .fina
look at the sky in order to get lint
ton the weather he said slowly:
xf"Fellers, do you know what 1 wa
thinkfn' when l see them two womel
in there with John? was thinkin' tina
1t. must. be mighty pleasant thing t
know that If you're took sick somebod
like that'll take care of YOU"
Perez nodded. 81 think so, too," b
said.
But if this was meant to infuenc
the betrothed one it didn't succeed, al
parently. for all Captain Jerry sal
was
.Humph! 'Twould take more tina
that to make me banker after a strok
of palsy"
And with the coming of Elsie Presto
and Mrs. Snow life in the little houS
by the shore took on q decided chang
The Nantucket lady, having Statistic
herself that John Baxter's illness wf
likely to be long one, wrote sever
letters to persons in her native tow
which letters, although she did not So
= so, were supposed by the captains
deal with the care of her proper
while she was away. Having apparer
" relieved her mind by this meth'
and evidently considering the marria
question postponed for the present, s
settled down to nurse the sick man al
TO keep house as in her opinion hou
should be kept The captains kne
nothing of her past history beyol
what they had gathered from stray b
of her conversation. She evidently
not consider it necessary to tell an
thing further, and, on the other har
asked no questions.
In her care of Baxter she was me
..aSSa a. sister than hired nurse.
I'D have been more tender
,trations or more devoted
Sr the patients welfare.
care of the house she "
Itself. She secured and sw'
and washed until the rooms were lit
ally spoCless. Order was heavens f
law, in her opinion, and she expect
every one else TO keep up to the stal