The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-08-05
AN Intelligent Boatman



Miss lila Ives, needing rest aild counr
try ain went to n lake in the mountains
for lhe summer seuspn she took with
Fer some books aud Il tonic that thct
doctor hal given her, ANA the morning
after her arrival, with book under
her arm. went - tile landing % hire
lounrh 4 holtman agreed T. take iler
roupl the lake, and. seating herself IA
virNpr chair. the hoatman went TOR
,yorI took the helm aud started the
motor. Miss Ives sat win her book NJ
her lap looking at the scenery ifes"
only She remembered that she h1d hei
tonic in her pocket Raising tlc bottle,
she read the printing ON The label 4
seemed To puzzle her Presently size
said Ia The boatman:
"nil you ever - y, schooti'
"Oh. yes"
study LatinT
"Some"
I'm puzzled at the meaning Of q
word Perhaps you can help me. Nct
that IT needs much knowledge, Only
what schooIhoy should know
whats the WordF
"Ferrated.
Itneans lroaed"
"Ir55ncdf Lac clothes fron nc
wash"
mo Iron n It.
"Oh, Now / understand. Thanks
| Miss Ives relapscd iuto silence Tres
= emily She asked.
Did you study any Greek at your
SCHOOL,"
some of MS did
IF you could - on IN its study so ~
10 read the Greco; poets you would hha
! them very rich. 81 I'm toll.
u don't need to read them In the
original. since our modern poets have
bean drawing on them far centuries.
Miss Fvcs was astonished What did
This common fellow know about po'
et,yq Yet Burns was n piowman' ana
Ia wrote beautiful poetry Perhaps
this man was one of that kind.
DO you write poetry she asked.
"Oh. dear no! That's not IN my line.
But | read it,
.NVhat do You mean by your llnef
What is your ine?"
"Runnin- this launch Just now
''po You always rum itF'
Not in winter Ia have to turn 1t
into an ice boat If did.
The, was more silence, DURING
which the boatman curved his craft
around the end of the lake and start
cd back. Miss Ives had grown u tritlS
afraid of him. She couldn't make him
out
Il suppose" she asked haltngiy--"l
suppose you have fayorite poet
haven't you?
"No | don't know that ! nave.
"Longfellow is mine"
'.Hc had a way Of taking other PEG
| pies productions and infuSing int
Them certain sweetness that was al
his own"
Miss Ives was as much startled as /
an owl had given criticism on IN
book of job. For the rest Of the tri
she shut herself up like steel trar
When she reached the landing IN
: boatman stepped on to the boards an
held the Iaunch's nose while Miss I've
I also made her exit She went M I
; him and handed him half dollal
feeling very much as II she were OF
| feriug a tip to gentleman, lie too
& it. put IL In his pocket and tied hi
boat. while she walked demurely
her hotel
Kiss Ives the next morning was su'
denly called back home and did ~
get out Of the city again during IL
summer Her curiosity had been q
cited, and she resolved 10 go aSai
, the next season to the lake in order
solve the riddle Of the hoatman. Nhe
80 July came she did so and the mornir
after her arrival went down 10 q
landing to hire the launch The laun'
was there. but in the hands Of anoth
man.
What has become Of the man wi
p ran this launch last year, she asked
e Il bought the boat of him. hope I
. do as well az he did He paid for it
.Iulv and made 500 In August