Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-09-19
An Intelligent Boatman
IOriginal.1

motor. Miss Ives sat with her book IN
her lap looking at the scenery. Pres
| emily she remembered that she had her
tonic in her pocket. Raising the bottle,
| she read the printing on the label. 1t
| seemed to puzzle her. Presently she
| said to the boatman:
"Did you ever go to school?"
"Oh, yes.''
'Study Latin?'
"Some."
I'm puzzled at the meaning Of
word. Perhaps you can help me. Not
that 1t needs much knowledge, only
what schoolboy should know"
"Whats the word?'
| "Ferrated''
1T means ironed.'
'Ironed? Like clothes from the
wash?'
mo. Iron in it."
"Oh! Now l understand. Thanks"
Miss Ives relapsed into silence Pres
emily she asked:
did you study any Greek at your
school?'
"Some Of us did"
"If you could 60 on in it's study SO as
to read the Greek poets you would find
them very rich, so I'm told.''
Il don't need to read them in the
original, since our modern poets have
been drawing on them for centuries"
Miss Ives was astonished. What did
this common fellow know about po-
etry? Yet Burns was plowman, and
he 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 I read it,"
"What do you mean by your line?
What is your line?'
Running this launch just now"
"Do you always run it?''
mot In winter I'd have to turn it
into an Ice boat If did"
There was more silence, during
which the boatman curved his craft
around the end Of the lake and start
ed back. Miss Ives had grown trife
afraid Of him. She couldn't make him
out.
II suppose" she asked haltingly-
suppose you have a favorite poet,
haven't your
mo; don't know that 1 have"
"LOngfellow is mine.'
He had way of taking other peo-
pies productions and infusing into
them a certain sweetness that was all
his own"
~ 10 oe,to 1r>I
an owl had given criticism on the
book Of Job. For the rest Of the trip
she shut herself up like a steel trap
When she reached the landing the
boatman stepped on to the boards and
held the launch's nose while Miss Ives
also made her exit. She went up to
him and handed him half a dollar
feeling very much as If she were of.
fering tip to a gentleman. He took
1t, put 1t in his pocket and tied his
boat, while she walked demurely tc
her hotel
Miss Ives the next morning was sud
denly called back home and did not
get out Of the city again during the
summer. Her curiosity had been ex
cited, and she resolved to go again
the next season to the lake in order t.
solve the riddle Of the boatman. Whe1
July came she did so and the morning
after her arrival went down to the
landing to hire the launch. The launch
was there, but in the hands of anothe,
man.
what has become of the man who
ran this launch last year," she asked.
Il bought the boat Of him; hope I'll
do as we'll as he did He paid for it in
July and made $500 in August"
"Why doesn't he run it this year?"
'Oh, he's a grad.'
"A what?"
1.-THE corporation Is to send him
abroad to study to be prof. Of the 70
mances."
"'Prof.' Of the romances! What dc
you mean by that?'
guages."
Miss Ives caught her breath.
HAS he gone yet?'
mo; he doesn't go till fall. He'll be
here presently to give me little coach
Ing on this motor. There he Is now"
A respectable looking young man II
a blue serge suit came sauntering dowr
to the dock. Miss Ives envied a frog
she saw plunge into the lake and dis
appear. The boatman Of last year rec
ognized her. There was an amused
expression on his face. Miss Ives was
badly ratified.
1--WE been thinking Of you ever since
last summer" she said, then paused
and blushed Fl mean that I've beer
wondering how boatman could criti
else great poets"
"He can't; he only thinks he can
Nobody can do that. Large masses Of
readers are the only critics."
why didn't you tell me?"
"What-that was what the country
men about here call 'one O. them stu
dent chaps that scratches for knowl
edge In winter and money in sum
mer?''
Miss Ives unintentional admission
that she had been thinking of him TO,
a year started what in youth needs but
little impulse. When the professor Of
the romance languages returned to take
his chair at the university he also took
upon himself VOWS which can only b.
broken in those states having easy di
vorce laws. AIRLINE PHILLIPS.