Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1906-06-26
Bltting a
Bouse Boat
By CLAUDE PAMARES
Copyright, 1906, by M. N. Cunningham
By CLAUDE PAMARES


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q Copyright. 1906. by NJ. N. Cunningham Is
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Harold Strong was New York artist
and had painted the portrait Of Ruth
Bascomb and fallen in love with her.
Whether she returned his love or not
was the thing he was worrying over.
Harry Stevens was a New York scufp-
tor, and he had desired to bring out a
marble bust of Miss Bascomb and also
had fallen in love with her. As to
whether she would consent to be
"scuiped" and marry him was mat
ter that gave him headaches Both the
artist and the sculptor had sisters that
we're friendly with Ruth Bascomb, and
this was the general situation for the
playwright to build on.
The present situation was that Ruth
Bascomb's mother, who was a fairly
wealthy widow, had become possessed
of house boat and had determined to
float around Princess bay and up the
Shrewsbury river for month or so.
Her guests were to be the artist and
his sister and the sculptor and his sis
ter and two or three other persons
A day was appointed, a tug engaged
to tow the house boat down New York
bay and leave her at her first anchor
age, and all was going merrily when
the villain hidden in the thicket show
ed his hand.
1t always has been suspected that he
was a villain belonging to the same
club as the artist and sculptor. He
became aware of the house boat party,
and out Of pure deviltry and from no
desire to see the sculptor get ahead Of
the game he worked his little trick.
The day before the boat was to sail
he fixed up telegram calling Harold
Strong to Philadelphia to see about
painting the portrait of millionaire.
The artists return was indefinite.
He knew that he was leaving a rival
behind him, and he knew that the Co
lonial Dame, as the craft was called,
would scarcely have come to anchor In
the bay and the moon risen above the
waters when that cheeky sculptor
would be talking soft nonsense to Ruth
Bascomb, but the artistic spirit was
strong within him.
He arranged with his sister to inter
rupt If the sculptor tried to take advan-
tage of the occasion. Feeling himself
as secure as any man ever can feel
where a woman is concerned, he de-
parted on his mission, and the stately
Colonial Dame also departed on hers.
Sometimes a millionaire can be found
sitting on his front steps and smoking
a fairly good cigar and waiting to be
interviewed. Again he is as elusive as
the midnight mosquito. The one the
artist sought was elusive. 1t took q
whole day to run him down, and when
he was finally brought TO bay his reply
was.
Young man, don't try any Of your
confidence games on me if you want
| to keep out of jail. l didn't telegraph
you. / want no painting of any sort.
don't like the look. of you. If you are
honest, then some one has made fool
of you; if you are confidence man,
then try the first corner grocery"
Harold Strong had been bunkoed. II
was only natural that he should believe
the game had been played by his rival
He didn't wait to devour even a sand.
witch before catching a train for New
York. For three hours he sat Ia a
chair car and murdered the sculptor
He killed him in seven different ways
and was planning the eighth which be
arrived at a good sized town in Penn
sylvania and was asked by the porter
| ii he wished to stop there He had goi
into a car that had been switched of
| at a junction on to another road while
he was doirS the numbering act
/ 1t was noon when the artist reached
New York. 1t was 2 o'clock before
he began his hunt for some craft te
| take him down to Princess bay and lay
him alongside the house boat. The
sculptor had had one moonlight nigh
in which to weave his net of romance
around the victim, but he should moi
have another. The artist tried to char
ter all sorts of crafts, from an Albany
| day boat to sand barge. but the after
noon wore away and night was coming
on before he landed at the foot 81
| Thirty ninth street, Brooklyn, and in
terviewed Captain links of the Merry
| Sal
Can you charter me to find houss
boat in Princess bay tonightr repeat
ed Captain links as he. bent his heas
to scratch the back Of his neck. yes
| sir, reckon you can IL you've got {
| twenty dollar bill about you. You've
got a schooner right here which Is no
much to look at compared with som.
schooners, but if there is anything OF
land or water that she can't pick VI
I'd like to see it. That's her great holt
young manipulating up things. There
goin' to be fog tonight as sure's yol
live. but If / don't hit that house boa
plumb center before midnight then II
never sing gospel hymns off Cape Hat
teras ag'in"
Harold Strong closed with the offer
The crew of the Merry Sal consisted
Of the captain and a lunkhead of |
young man and boy Of ten who has
run away from home and was tryin;
life ON the pillows. The captain look
ed upon tile artist as husband pursu
ing an clipping wife; the lunkhead look
ed upon him as an idiot for giving VI
$50 when the captain would have tax
en- SO, and the runaway boy figures
1t out that he was some sort of giraffe
escaping from the police
The opinion of the crew did not affec
Mr.. Strong. however. He helped to cas-
of the schooner and cant her head tn
right way and hoist the mainsail, AMI
presently she was careering down tn