The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-02-24

Tneu ,Ar a~~Suo4 y..--e. lie swayeu,
sank TO his knees and cried like a
/ child, hiding his face in her apron
And Ike child she soothed him.
+ stroking his wet hair and crying silent
/ II In sympathy.
/ oh. my dear" he pleaded over and
over again. "I've behaved like fool
ish child Can You forgive mey'
She smiled. IKE the sun shining
through the last drops or n summer
shower. 1T was my fault more than
yours" she said 81 was selfish and
/ so silly. but / didn't know--I didn't
/ know"
"But you know now? You're sure?'
The answer was not In words alone
and was entirely satisfactory.
When he got home Bradley swallow
ed the last drop OF the pepper tea"
provided by Miss Tempy-he was in
mood where nothing short or a gallon
would have daunted him-and hasten
ed upstairs TO put ON dry clothes. When
he came down he went through the
motions OF eating breakfast and an
/ swered as best he could the hundred
and one questions regarding the float
/ ing OF the Freedom that the old maids
and Clara asked. He had been up prac-
tically all night. but was too excited to
think of sleep, and. remembering how
unceremoniously he had deserted Cap
/ tain Titcomb. decided to go down TO
/ the postoffice and telephone to the
Point
The storm was In full blast by this
/ time. The wind screamed through the
| treetops, and the thick ropes OF rain
! shot downward with savage force Az
he entered the postofiice the postmas-
| ter called TO him through the little win
/ dow in the center OF the frame OF mail
/ boxes.
"Hi, Bradr' he hailed. Us that you?
/ jest sent a boy uptown after you.
| Cap'n Ez has been keepin' the tele-
phone hot for the last ha'f hour. He
wants to talk TO you the worst way"
Bradley was alarmed. Had anything
happened TO the Freedom? He entered
the telephone closet, stood his drench-
ed umbrella I'm n corner and gave the
four rings which made mp the Setuckit
Point call.
The wire buzzed and hummed like
an overturned beehive. The receiver
at his ear walled and screeched IKE
banshee. At length q faint '.Heiloys
answered his call.
.'Hellov' he shouted THAT you, Cap'n
Knowlesg Yes. this Is Brad Nickerson-
1 want to talk with Cap'n Ez. Can you
get him for me?"
The life saver laughed. There were
more buzzlng and humming. Then Cap
OF a
| music Of the storm.
Hello, partner!" Il called. THAT
you? You don't say! Well, this 10 Tit
comb. No; the Freedoms all serene.
She'll ride it out az slick as a duck In
bucket. But there's a Teller hsre
wants to talk with you. Prick up your
ears noww
Bradley heard his partner laugh.
Then another voice began-a drawing,
high pitched voice.
rs that you, Bradley" Il droAed.
''This is me tallSin'. Do you hearT'
Me? Who's mer'
me. Peieg--Peleg Myrick. Cap'n
Ez wants to know what ia better do
with the dynamite I've got buried un-
der my shanty. I'm scarf to death
of it"
THE dynamite? What dynamiteY'
1.-THE dynamite took Off the Divin'
Belle the day afore she was burned.
Cap'n Ez ordered me to take II all
out, SO 1 done it the next forenoon
Whatll do with it, I've been tryin'
to tell you an the cap'n about II, but
you never give me no chance. Skee-
ticks is the divil to dig. and IL he
scratches that stuff up, why
"Stop!" Bradley shouted It. "wait
minute. Pcieg, what are you talkin'
about? Do you mean there was no
dynamite aboard the Diving Belle
when she burnedy'
in. Whatll'-
Again Bradley shouted. "Stopw He
wanted to think. II there was no
dynamite aboard the schooner. why
why then the Insurance could be col
lected. If His heart sank again.
I'm afraid that won't do, Peleg,"
he called. "She certainly blew up.
heard her and felt the shock under
water. Everybody on the hill beard
the explosion and saw 1t too. No, Pc
leg. Much obliged, but 1 guess you
must have left some OF It"
The wire whirred and sang. Then
the drawing voice went on. 1t satde
"Cap'n Ez waats to know IL the ex-
plosion want pretty small for a dyna-
mite one. now that you come to think
Of It. He says what about the gaso-
line tanksY
The gasoline tanks! The gasoline for
the engine! 1t had been slowed In the
bow OF the schooner.
The receiver fell from Bradley's
hand. He stared at the calendar on
the wall Of the telephone booth.
THE END.