The Cairo bulletin., 1907-11-17
ON A RAINY
DAY


| steady nerves. Il foresee happy ~
hours. All the magazines in the
house are read and there are no sup
plies to experiment with In the
chafng.dsh line, all through our
nerveless habit OF cat.lg at the no
tel The bridge fiends will begin TO
get in their deadly work presently,
and then shall go quite mad! Would
that somebody would ask me 70 40
something sensible SO that J might
really enjoy myself"
There was sharp ring at the rh-
raj telephone. After brief and ex-
clamatory conversation with that IN
strument she rushed madly In various
directions, grabbing an elderly mack.
intosh, rubbers and other outdoor sup
plies and falling into them simuita
neously, while she answered the irri-
table questions OF the rest OF the
household
WELL gasped the girl who was
curled up in the window seat IN
silk and chiffon house gown, with
box Of candy near, I'm glad 10 as
cover your idea of sensible amusf-
ment on a wet and horrid DAY!
You're crazy
"gosh," politely replied the girl III
the ragged macintosh and dlsrep'
utable sou'wester hat just before she
slammed out of the door and splash
ed down to the dock extending mo
the inland bay Were not going to
fish in here-they'rc going to sail the
Black Cat out into Lake Michigan
And the perch are biting fine"
Out OF the wet grayness the Black
Cat swept up to the dock, her sails
dripping. her crew iubilant. Az the
tiller sat the skipper, disguised from
head to foot in violent yellow oil
skins. Perched by the mainmast in
attire matching the first young WON.
ans was the girl with the aggrayat-
ingly curly hair The tai man and
the man with the pipe, being green
hands and city landlubbers. did weird
thugs with ropes under the impress
sion that they were helping sail the
boat
Down the bay the boat fed as II
anxious to leave behind the dreary
monotony Of the shore. As she melt
Cd through the channel out into the
big lake and began TO dip down int
the swells. while the fresh Dreeze
struck them full in the face, how hel
crew sighed with Joy Out hal
mile they went to the end Of the
huge government breakwater ina
doomed above them like the wall o
a sky-scraper Then came gym
nastic interval while they escaladet
that forbidden height. Finally al
five landed on the great board wall
on top of it, breathless
Ii was ten minutes later that tn
girl with the curly hair TOOK com
prehensve survey of herself and tn
others and chuckled.
The five sat in a decorous row a
the extreme end of the breakwatei
their feet dangling 20 feet above Tn
waves. Five fishpoles bent outwar
and a slanting rain beat against thei
rubber coats and brigandish hats. Bt
fore them stretched Lake Michiga
TO n faint horizon line, as venture
some craft marring the threatening e.
panse of its forbidding waves, ina
were tumbling and hammering agalns
the stanch wall beneath them.
shrieking gull flashed across the
heads and shot out into the lake.
And to think" murmured the 81
in the ragged macintosh in the awe
tones of one delivered from greet
horror. that back at the cottage
that shut.up room they are playir
bridge and thinking they are havir
a good time oh, something has ca
en- the minnow OFF my hook!
The hours wore on and the lal
grow rougher. The capricious pert
had business elsewhere, and sturdi
refused all lures.
Fish" remarked the man in u
yellow oilskins, decisively, ARE real
The least necessary thing when "
20 fishing. don't care II / new
catch any
The man with the pipe Jeere
you're Jealous he said. for he aio
had a bite. ITO be sure, I've rooD
the cradle of this fourinch perch' Q
shall string it on an inch rope
take II home. II represents a h
davis hard work by five insane In
yiduals. and SO st merits conside
ton"
Down the slippery wall they 8
10 the deck of the Black Cat and W
one accord headed her directly
into Lake Michigan for breathe
spin.
The wares rolled over her side
smashed her dragged crew. She
ned her nose under the wafer a
recovering, shook herself like wa
dog before she plunged again. !
sails strained in the lively wind.
skirper hauled at the tiiler, the gr'
hands jumped faithfully for the m
and lib sheets at his shouts.
there was nothing in the world
cushing water and wind and tn
selves diving through it.
The girl in the ragged mackint
o,epnd the cottage door gayiy
s-fr hn~