The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-02-20

bciC SOOu cAlA. SthA tiC ~.
stoutly ''She came in and took my
part when she didn't have to. and
like her And | won't promise not to
speak to her, neither"
The captain looked down at the lads
square jaw and whistled.
Well he said, Il don't b'lieve you
need TO promise. but don't whoop too
loud about it. Run as close to the wind
as you can. and don't carry all sail in
two reef breeze jest TO show you
amt afraid to. Catch my drift?''
Yes. sir" answered R-adley. rather
doubtfully. You mean be chtms with
the girl, but don't tell Miss Prissy and
Miss Tempy about it,"
moo" Captain Ezra looked some
what put out by the literal interpreta-
ton. THAT amt jest it, Be-well, be
easy, and Oh, thunder. Let it go at
that | guess you know what | mean.
How do you think you're goin' to like
your SCHOOL,
/. Bradley answered, Pretty we'll, !
guess, when | get more used 10 it,
but, although he did not say so. he was
certain that it would take some time to
get used to it AS matter of fact.
however. that very lively first day was
1 the only serious trouble for him during
the entire term. He was quick to learn
and so found little difficulty with his
studies and advanced as rapidly as
other boys of his age. As for his he
hayior, it was no worse than that of
any other healthy youngster. At the
end of the year he was promoted
that is he was no longer member OF
the fourth class, but instead proudly
left his seat when the third was called.
Gus was promoted" also, much TO
the surprise of the ''old maids who
could not believe there was any good
in the dog girl They gradually ceas-
ed TO urge the boy not to have anything
to do with her. for the very good rea
son that in this matter their urging was
of no avail. They grew to understand
their colt better as the months passed
and they learned just how tight a rein
it was advisable to draw
Bradley also grew to understand the
sisters He discovered that Miss Prissy
was the business woman and that she
paid all the bills bought all the house
hold supplies and did it without con-
sulting Miss Tempy, whom she treated
as a sort of doll with a mechanism that
must not be Jared
Bradley made friends among the vii
lage boys and did not make any viru-
lent enemies He had his interrupted
fight "out" with Sam Hammond and
emerged a conqueror with black eye
and swollen nose, which We're the
cause of his being in disgrace at home
for a week. Also he joined the Jolly
club a secret society that met on Sat
urday afternoons in "Snuppy' Black S
barn.
During the long summer vacations
there were chores to do but there VIZ
also all sorts of fun along shore, dig
ging CLAIMS on the fats. spearing fiaI
fish along the edge of the channels 0
rare and much priced trips to the fsl
weirS where the nets were hauled
Captain Titcomb came home III Angus
for an intended stay of two week,
and he made the boy happy by tak.n:
him for an all day sail and blue fshin:
excursion off Setuckit Point.
That fishing trip had unexpected
and fateful results. The captain haC
called on Miss Prissy and her stste
the morning of his arrival in Orhan
and, as was his custom, had broueh
each of them a present exactly alike
of course He had promised to dine a
the Allen house the following Sunday
But it happened that Peleg Myricl
wanted to make one Of his infreCuen
visits to the mainland that week. an,
he seized the opportunity to hail th'
catboat containing Bradley and CAP
tain Ezra as it passed his quahaU:
dory and beg for passage up.
Mr.. Peleg Myrck was hermit III,
lived alone In little two room shanty
on the beach about half a mile from
Setuckit Point. He owned a concer
tina that squeaked and walled and /;
Mexican dog-gift Of a wrecked skip
per-that shivered all the time an(
howled when the concertina was play
ed. Peleg was certain that the howl
ing was an attempt at singing ant
boosted that Skeezicks-that was the
dogs name-had an "ear for music
Jest like human"
Among his other accomplishments
Mr. Myrick numbered that of weather
prophet He boosted that he could
"smell storm further n a cat car
smell fish" 1t was odd, but he really
did seem able to foretell or guess what
the weather would be along the Or
ham coast, and the longshoremer
swore by his prophecies.
He was a great talker when he had
any one to talk to and was a gossip
whose news items were usually about
three months old. Captain Ezra ap
preciated odd characters, and he vel
coined the chance to get little fun
out of Peleg.
"Well, Peleg," said the captain as
the catboat stood about on the first
leg Of the homeward stretch, whats
the news down the heach2 Anv of the