Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-07-02

=
mouth. As the pair came strolling
toward him he shifted his hands to his
trousers pockets and stood watching
the Young couple with sort OF half
smile.
"I s'pose if Jerry was here now.~ he
unused. he'd think his scheme was
workin'. Well, maybe it's, maybe Ills.
You can't never tell. Well, / swami
The exclamation was called forth bv
the sight of Captain Perez and Miss
Patience, who suddenly came into view
around the corner of the station. The
captain was CALAMITY assisting his
companion over the rough places in the
path. and she was leaning upon his
arm in a manner that implied implicit
confidence. Captain Fri glanced from
one couple to the other, and then
grinned broadly. The grin had not en-
tirely disappeared when Captain Perez
came up and the latter rather crisply
asked what the joke was.
ooh. nothin'w was the reply. 81 was
Jest thinkin' we must be playin' some
kind of a game, and I was It,"
'It% queried Miss Patience, puz-
zled.
"Why, yes. I'm kinder like 'Rastus
Bailey used to be at the dances when
you and me was younger, Perez. Old
man Alexander-he was the fiddler
used to sing out, Choose partners for
Hulps vict'ry,' or something like that,
and It always took 'Ras so long to
make up his mind what girl to choose
that he gin'rally got left altogether.
Then he'd set on the settee all through
the dance and say he never cared much
for Hulps vict'ry anyway. Seems to
me I'm the only one that amt cho0Sed
partners How bout 1t, Perez"
more fool you, that's all I've got to
say" replied Captain Perez stoutly.
Miss Patience laughed SO heartily at
this rejoinder that Perez began to think
he had said very good thing indeed,
and so repeated 1t for greater effect.
you want to look out for him, Miss
Davis" said Captain Fri. Hes the
most fascinatin' youngster Of his age
ever see Me and Jerry's been thinkin'
we'd have to build a fence round the
house to keep the girls away when he's
home. Why, MISSY Busted fairly
"Oh, give us q rest, Erip' exclaimed
Perez, with even more indignation than
was necessary. "M'lissy Busteedw
Just then Ralph and Elsie came up,
and Captain Fri explained that he had
hailed them because it was time to be
going If they wanted to get across to
| the mainland without swimming. They
walked around to the back door of the
| station and there found Mrs. Snow and
| Captain Davis by the hen yard. The
! lady from Nantucket had discovered q
sick chicken in the collection, and she
was holding it in her lap and at the
same time discoursing learnedly on the
relative value of Plymouth Rocks and
Rhode Island Reds as layers
'See therew exclaimed Captain Fri
delightedly, pointing to the suffering
pullet. What did tell you? D. you
wonder we picked her out for nuss for
John, Luther? Even sick hen knows
enough to go to her"
|
all and slowed the living freight aboard
somehow, although Captain Perez pro
tested that he had eaten so much din
ner he didn't knows he'd be able tt
hang on the way he did coming down
Then they said farewell to Captain
Davis and his sister and started TO
home. The members of the crew, sucl
of them as were about the station
waved goodby to them as they passed.
Things kind of, average up in thi
world, don't they" said Captain Er
refectively as he steered Daniel alon;
the soft beach toward the ford "We'r
all the time readin' bout fellers tina
work for the gov'ment gittin' high sal
ries and dom next to nothin'. Now
there's a gang-the life savin' crew,
mean-that does what you and M
would call almighty hard work and gi
next to nothin' for it. Uncle Sam git
square there, it seems to me. A fey
, dollars month and find yourself ain
gilt edged wages for bein' froze an
drownded and blown to pieces ate
, months out of the year, is it?'
The tide was higher when they cam
to the crossing than it had been whe
/ they drove over before, but they mad
the passage all right, although Their
was some nervousness displayed by til
feminine portion of the party. Whe
they reached home they found Capital
Jerry contentedly smoking his pip,
the sick man was asleep, and every
thing was serene. Josiah appeare
from behind the barn, where he ha
been smoking a cigarette.
They pressed Mr.. Hazeltine to sta
to supper, but he declined, allegin
that he had been away from bushes
too long already. He had been r,
markably silent during the homewar
ride, and Elsie. too, had seemed bus
with her thoughts. She was full {
fun at the supper table, however, an
the meal was a jolly one. Just as
was finished Captain Jerry struck ii
table bang with his palm that mad
the knives and forks lump and S