Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-12

stringpiece of the yacht club pier at
Larchness. We were bit grumpy, all
except the Duke. Below us. rubbing her
tenders against the spiles, was the
Gol-i-kel. a thirty-five foot speed launch.
She was a long, narrow contraption that
looked like a cross between a torpedo
boat and a Pittsburg stogie. She be-
longed to Dicke and Tommie in partner
ship. 1t was the first thing they ever
owned together. and I guess it will be
the last. They hadn't done thing but
quarrel ever since she was put into the
water
The trouble started when it came to
naming her. Dickie wanted TO call her
Chickaree, which, he explained. meant red
squirrel. Tommie said it sounded like the
kind of coffee YOU get in England. and
was sure to prejudice racing committees
against the boat Tomme wanted to call
her Go 1t or Slap-Dash. Dickie said those
names sounded like some new kinds of
games for the long winter evenings. &c.
finally. they left it to the Duke. and he
said he'd once heard of Choctaw In
dian word meaning 10 travel fast. They
asked him what it was and he said that,
If he recoleCted Alright, it was spelled ::
6. o. |, hyphen. l. hyphen, h, e. |. So
Tnmmie wrote it down on a cigarette
paper and he and Dickie studied 1t a
bit.
Looks great" said Tommie.
"Cocky" said Dickie. Elbow do you
pronounce it?"
So the Duke told them and they howled
like anything. They were awfully
tickled and didn't draw a sober breath till
they'd got it painted on the bow of the
launch. 1t was terribly funny to hear
folks nice, respectable. dignified old
buffers, sometimes. read the name.
'Goi-eyekel. " they'd say. sort of
thoughtfully. Then they'd say it again
and get a different twist on the o, and
look panied and grieved.
After they'd tried it out few times
Dickie said they couldn't have hit on a
more appropriate name. Said that was
just the way she did go. But they put
a new carbureter in, changed the pro-
pelIer and made some other alterations,
and she went fne-generally. Anyhow,
they entered her at Larchness and the
Duke and l went down to see the fun.
There were seventeen starters and the
race was twenty-five miles in three legs.
Go!i-kel had been measured they put her
down with the Canvasback and the Chase
Me at scratch. That made Dickie and
Tommie awfully angry. but the Duke
said they'd ought to be grateful to the
committee for putting them where they'd
have good view of the race. That wasn't
any Joke either. They stayed behind all
the way and just managed to get where
they Old read the number en- the Catch
Mes flag about the time II WAS ,,i ever.
CThe Catch Me broke down twice.
After luncheon we went back to the
pier Dickie was for getting an AK and
chopping her up then and there, but Iom-
ME said dynamite would be more SatlSfy-
ing. The Duke asked why they didn't
head her straight out to sea, put her full
speed forward and let her butt herself TO
death against the pier. Then they all got
to jawing about her and telling what the
trouble was. AS near as could make out
the only thing that was just right was the
bow hagpole socket: | didn't hear any
one cuss that out once. Then the Duke
said she was out of proportion, and Tom
ME- who had been ripping her wide open
himself got mad and said the Duke didn't
know a motor boat from ham sandwich
and it wasn't up to him to throw expert
criticism about.
Whatever that is murmured the
Duke.
All she needs" continued Tommie in
dicnantly els to have some one run her
engines that isn't afraid of en-
Then Dickie got fighting mad
And some one to steer" he yelled,
that can keep her straight course
two minutes at time. If we hadn't gone
Topping all over the sound, like she had
apple Jack in her tank instead of gasO-
line. we might have made showing"
You did Dckie you did said the
Duke soothingly.F You made a wonder
full showing. Annie and | enjoyed it all
hugely.
(My name is Annismead, but the others
always call me Annie. l believe they
think it's funny.)
nut Tommie and Dicke were too busy
. rowing to hear the Duke. They call
ed each other all sorts of names until the
Duke told them that the house committee
would hear them and put them off the
club property. After that they Gained
down bit and we all climbed down to
the launch and Dickie explained for the
twentieth time that she wasn't getting
enough air pressure, and Tommit came
back at him with a long yarn about the
propeller pitch. The Duke looked know
ing and said il was a great mistake TO
allow pitch 10 accumulate on the propeller
Then Tommie and Dickie turned on him
and | got tired of much noise and
lighted a cigarette. After a bit T heard
the Duke say:
''IS that so? Now I'll tell you what I'll
do with you two ancient mariners. I'll
take the first plain. garden variety of
puff-puf | can beg. borrow or steal at the
public landing and race you for ten miles.
And III bet YOU just exactly fifty miser-
able dollars I'll beat you
''Oh don't be an ass" growled Tommie
And furthermore, continued the
duke. TN handicap myelf by taking
Annie along with me.
No YOU won't" said |.
The duke looked at me reproachfully.
Annie | thought you'd trust yourself
anywhere with me-. he said.
Not in a gasoline launch, said l.
You don't know anything about them.
DO your?
No" said l.
Then it's not kind to reprove me for
my ignorance II is not like you. Annie.
One of your greatest charms has al
ways been your sepse of fair play, An
ME | have honored you for il. envied
YOU its possession. Annie. And now
now He shook his head sorrow
fuily-'now you have-hurt me deeply.
oh. rot l muttered. I'll go If you
like"
Thank you. Annie for your display
OF enthusiasm. he said. We will race
this afternoon"
Well 90 nothing of the kind said
Tomme. But if you really want TO lose
your money we'll race you tomorrow