Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-08-01
CAPT. COFFlN'S
OPPORTUNITY
BY ]. c. PIuMMfR.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
tcOpyrisA,. BY Daily story Pub, Col

On October l the Fairfield Beacon
contained the following news para
graphs;
The schooner Bluebird. Capt Tom Cot
fin. sailed yesterday for the Rappahan
mock 10 finish diseharging, The Blue
bird will return TO Fairfield and load
a cargo Of grain for baltimore.
Next Monday Capt. Holiday will
take party down 10 Mattaponsett In
let on his fast sailboat for fishing
bout, Fairfield is sure OF some big
fish or some big stories,
On Monday night Mr., Pounce Of Bal
timore will deliver the final speech In
favor of prohibition In Clark's hall,
The election is on Tuesday,
Apparently these items bear no rela.
ton, Really. they are links In an i'm,
portant chain of events.
Two days before he sailed Capt. Cot
fin had been sternly informed by Capt,
Holiday, In response TO an earnest re.
quest for his daughters hand by the
former. that his suit was refused and
that he would crafty Capt Holiday
by ceasing his visits TO Miss Mamie
Holiday, Capt Coffin would have
been unworthy OF the name Of lover
had he not disregarded this decree,
and he saw Miss Mamie the next
night. but was depressed by her re-
fusing to entertain any clandestine
methods of attaining their mutual hap.
piness,
She sweetly babe her lover wait un.
Ill her obdurate father should relax
his opposition. She, on her part,
would wait for him forever. On his
journey to his vessel Capt. Coffin bit.
terly arraigned his sweetheart as of
adamant and entirely heartless, but
remorse had him for its prey by the
time he had weighed anchor and he
sailed down the bay more in love with
Mamie than ever.
Bright and early the trim sailboat
of Capt Holiday bent its course to
Mattaponsett Inlet with jolly party
aboard. With Capt. Holiday went
Mariners Lusby and Wright, Ship
Chandler Joyce and Shipbuilder lns.
ley. Last, but not least, was Joe.
sable of countenance and wide Of
grin, the crack cook of the western
shore, whose triumphs with the crab,
the oyster and the corn pone were
discussed with watery mouths by
those who had partaken of these
dishes. The start was made Monday
morning and the programme was as
follows: Reach the inlet at ten o'clock,
fish all day, sleep in a cabin on the
shore, fish until ten the next morning,
and arrive in Fairfield by two p. m.
Tuesday.
1t was highly important that the
town be reached before the closing
of the polls, as the election was to
determine whether Fairfield would go
wet or dry for the coming year.
Each year the prohibitionists had
sought to get the ascendancy, and
while they had been beaten it was by
such small margin that the users
of liquor felt uneasy until their vic.
tory had been won.
Every man on the sailboat consist.
emily believed in the doctrine that as
long as a man had the money to buy
1t drink should be obtainable, and
they were anxious to record their bal
lots against such oppressive, and, to
use the words of Capt Wright: "un-
constitutional interference with mans
liberty"
Are you sure you'll get us back
in time to vote, William asked
Capt. Wright, swallowing as if his
throat was dry.
I'll get you to Fairfield in time to
get your dinner and then vote, Ezry."
replied Capt. Holiday, "and III do it
If have to tack every mile of the
way. You don't know this hyar
boat"
By the time the inlet had been
reached ana the party were hauling in
fish the schooner Bluebird had fin
ished discharging her cargo at point
on the Rappahannock and having
taken in sufficient ballast spread her
sails to sou-west wind for Fair.
field.
The wind went down with the sun,
and Monday night found the Bluebird
off Mattaponsett Inlet barely making
steerway. Capt. Coffin leaned over
the spokes of the wheel plunged in
deep thought. In fact, the mein of
the captain had been so melancholy
during the voyage that Mr.. Wedge,
the mate, had several times shifted
a jig tune on his lips to AUD Lang
Syne," out of Difference to the evil