Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-19
DAILY SHORT DRY
ROMANCE OF A PRIVATEERSMAN.
[Original.1

priyateering was largely practiced by
| the colonies, there lived in Philadelphia
an old Quaker named Anthony Nutter.
| He was u widower and lived alone ex-
| cept for Edna Pattee, his ward. Edna
| was Il relative of his dead wife and
no blood relative of his. 4 fortune of
| some $1,000 was awaiting her when
| she came of age, and her guardian was
keeping her out of the world. proposing
| TO marry her and secure the money.
| When he was sixty and she seventeen
| lie announced his plan to her, and, she
| demurring. he practically shut her up
within the house and the garden. The
| latter was rs safe as the former. for
| gardens in those days We're surround
| cd by IL high wall. Old Nutter'S gar
den was filled with flowers. of which
he was very fond, and there were sew
eral fruit trees. One-an apple tree
| stood very near the wall.
Now it happened one September day
that Clinton Rackle. a young priva-
| teerSman, barely nineteen years old,
seeing an apple hanging high on this
| tree coveted il, and. being sailor,
| found il easy 10 throw Il rope over Il
| projecting branch and climb to the top
| of the wall Looking down into the
| garden he saw vision Of loneliness re
| Ginning in Il hammock. The sailor lad
| appeared equally attractive to the girl.
| He was n handsome boy, and the brass
button on his short jacket cut to the
| waist and his cooked hat were Deauti-
| full i'll her eyes. He apOlogiZed for his
| intrusion in Il frank. engaging way, adj
| hitting he was after the apple and,
| plucking it, threw it down to her.
RomancerS do not usually depict the
| birth of love with the lady munching
| an apple. but it was so i'll this case.
| The youth sat on the wall, his legs
! dangling. his hands under them in lieu
| of a cushion. Nutter was in the front
of the house reading a newspaper.
Clinton Rackle did not remain very
long on the wall. but quite long enough
to get the girls autobiography, the
only interesting feature of which has
| been given. His ship was in port re-
| fitting. and he was living with his
mother directly opposite Mr.. Nutter's.
| He climbed the garden wall once more.
| then his ship sailed away, to return
| the following December with fat
prizes Meanwhile Edna was protest
| ing against her confinement and beg
| ging her guardian to give her amuse-
ment. He finally consented TO take
her to ball in the town hall. it being
| expected that those attending would
| go in character. He gave her Il monk 5
| costume and made her promise to keep
| her cowl over her face. All this he
thought would keep her from the at
| tentionS of men.
1t happened that the ball came off the
night of Rackle's return, and, standing
on his mothers doorstep, he saw a
bishop in full canonicalS and Il monk
leave old Nutter'S house. He followed
them, saw them go into the town hall,
where it was evident 4 ball was to
take place, and, dressed in his simple
privateer's uniform, purchased an ad-
mission and entered himself.
One glimpse of Edna'S face she gave
him assured him of her identity, and,
Siding up to the bishop. he entered in
To conversation, addressing an occa-
| sional remark to the monk.
Young SIR said the bishop, "why
do you keep company with two men
when there are so many pretty girls to
be courted?'
Indeed, sir" replied Rackle, I'm no
hand for the girls, preferring mems
society. Your companion is monk
indeed. Why do you not send him off
to the dancers?"
HE knows none of the girls to serve
for a partner" replied the bishop.
az will introduce him.
Nutter was ready to do anything to
-. Il - civ, 1,r. 70
introduce his ward to girls, surely no
harm could come of it. So the sailor
and the monk went skipping off to the
thickest of the crowd, where. they soon
managed to get lost to the bishops
view. Nutter followed to regain sight
of his ward and was just in time to
see a sailor and a monk go downstairs
to the street. Rushing out of the hall,
he espied the pair Swimming along
ahead of him, but before he could
catch them they had gone into the cot
tage of Rackle's mother, and the door
was slammed and bolted in his face.
When colonial house was closed to
outsiders it could not be entered with
out a battering ram, for door and door
case were of oak, and there We're al
ways bars within. Nutter banged for
awhile then went off to report the
matter TO the watch. Going to the
watchhOuse, he called upon them to
come with him, declaring that a young
monk of his acquaintance had been
kidnapped. There was no love between
the Quakers and the Catholics of those
days, and the chief of the watch took
his time before sending man to help
Al
bishop and a Waterman knocked at
Mrs. Rackle's door and the Waterman
demanded the person of the monk.
Clinton threw open the door and de
clared that there was no monk in the
house. Edna stepped forth dressed in
her own apparel-for she had only to
throw off the frock-and Nutter claim
ed her. But she drew back.
You brought me here" said the
watch testify. .'to recover monk. and
now Won claim n woman shall on To