Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-04-19
Prisoners and Cdpfives
-=lM=-
By III. s. MERRlMAN

ones best handbag.
The recipients of her charity were a
race of men overlooked by charity or
CARNATIONS, ignored by those bland dis
tributors of leafet literature who call
themselves the Sailors Friend. Very few
people find themselves by accident in the
London Dock or the ST. Katherine's
Dock; in fact, both these basins are rath
er difficult to find.
The shipkeeper is a strange, amphibi-
Gus creature. His calling is afoat, his
business on the waters, and yet he is no
sailor. In buster times he rarely spent
more than two months on board of one
ship; now there are men living week
after week, month after month, year after
year on the same vessel. Many of them
never set foot outside the dock gates
some there are who remain afoat always.
Miss Winter had heard of these ships,
and from different sources she gradually
learned that there were men living on
board of them; men whose lives were al
most as solitary as that of sailor cast
upon some desert island. It seems strange
that within the roar of city life, almost
within stones throw of the crowded
streets, there should be men living day
dLlCA Jay NIIAOuL SpGdhlDS NOIu "
their fellow creatures For if they do
not choose to come ashore, certainly no
one will trouble to go on board and see
them.
In course of time she evolved the idea
of going to the docks to see if it was
difficult TO get on board these ships, and
there she discovered that there was moth
ing easier. 1t was merely a matter of
paying, IS it is in every other part of the
world.
At first her advances caused consterna-
tion but, woman like, she gradually made
her way, never being guilty of one retro
grade step. A few distrusted her motives,
some thought she was merely fool. 9TH
ers concluded she had got religion"
These latter were the first to welcome
her. The explanation was SO simple,
and it had served to account for stranger
conduct than this.
One and all appreciated the butter and
the sausages. Some made use of the soap,
and a few read the newspapers she
brought them.
Soon Miss Winter found that her adj
vent was looked for. The responsibilities
of benefcence began to make themselves
felt. She commenced TO know personally
these quaint old hermits, and found that
there were sincere and insincere shipkeep-
s-shipkeepers who were interesting and
othrs who were mere nonentities On
the whole, she gave preference to those
who took the butter and the sausages and
left the soap. These latter were old fell
lows who had never washed, and did not
see the good of changing their habits in
oil This ind
character worthy of admiration, and supe-
rior to that of such as asked for more
soap and limited at tracts.
She became more and more interested
in this work, and lapsed into the habit
of going to the docks once a week, at
least. As Claud Tyars frequented the
same spot with an equal regularity, their
meeting was only a question of time.
They had missed each other several
times by the merest chance, but at last
they came face to face in a most unde-
niable manner. The morning was rather
foggy, and in consequence the dock was
more silent and sleeper than usual. Miss
Winter having just left boat, was
mounting the steep wet steps from the
edge of the Shiny water, when a tall
man, emerging from the fog, came to
the top of the stairs and hailed the boat
wait a minute" he said; 81 want
you"
he came down a step or two and stood
to one side to let Miss Winter pass.
In doing so, he looked at her, and she,
glancing up to thank him, gave a little
start
'Ah!' she exclaimed. "You-here-
Mr.. Tyars?"
He raised his hat without betraying
any surprise.
Yes" he answered, "of course. The
docks have natural attraction for me
sailor"
Il forgot, she said, looking calmly
at him, that you were a sailor"
She had been betrayed into surprise
but in moment her usual aIertness re-
turned to her. She passed on, and he
followed her.
Are you alone?" he inquired
"Oh, yes" she replied, lightly. Il am
quite at home here. l come nearly every
week and interrupt the mec.tations of
the ship keepers. l look after their tenn
poral welfare. 1t is quite my own idea,
l assure you, that / have no connection
with any philanthropic society"
Tracts" he inquired, shortly.
"No; no tracts" she replied "Sau-
sages, butter and essentially of this
world"
He was walking beside her, suiting his
step with an implied sense of protection
almost of appreciation, which annoyed
her.
There may be-" he suggested, half
ironically, "a hidden motive in the soap"
But there is not" she replied, sharply
Il advocate cleanliness only. Personally
1 prefer the dirty ones"
Probably" he said, you do a great
deal of good. These poor fellows lead a
very lonely life. You must seem to them
like being from another world"
80 l am, Mr.. Tyars," she said, still
upholding her work. Quite another
world"
Then she suddenly laid aside her gray
ity with that strange inconsequence which
is one of the many important differences
between the male and female mind.
you speak feelingly," she continued,
in thinly yelled mockery. Perhaps you
have been a ship keeper yourself You
seem TO have been a good many things"
YES" was the calm reply. Il have.
I was once a ship keeper in the Southern
Atlantic
She was silenced The details of his
terrible experience on board the fever
stricken merchantmen had never been
vouchsafed, but it was not difficult to
imagine them from the official account he
had been forced to publish.
Suddenly this cheerful little lady had
realized the pettiness of her own exist
ence, the futility of her own small ca
price. She glanced up at him. almost
meditating an apology. Observant and
analytical as she was, she had not yet no.
ticed fact of which Tyars was fully
aware; she had not noticed that in her
intercourse with Claud Tyars she inva
riably began in an antagonistic vein. and
that with equal monotony this antagon-
ism melted after few moments.
In one respect Tyars was a common
place man. He possessed the genius of
command. which is the genius most often
encountered in the world. 1t is merely a
genius of adaptation. not OF creation. Its
chief characteristic is a close but un-
| conscious observation of human nature.
10 Nd Ill