Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-02

on the rock Lodges like penguins in
the pictures of Antarctic travel, which
Phll brought her. For with his scanty
earnings he had made shift to join
q circulating library. A little box Of
books came down every week. He had
them sent to the Office. He knew his
family too well to permit them to
have the benefit. Let them join
libraries for themselves. Besides. they
did not care for reading, anyway.
They were too healthy. 1t vas a mat
ter between Vida and himself all
he could do for her, indeed, or let
them go and find Vida for them
selves.
OF course they called him names
when they found out especially the
twins, Willie and Wilhelmina. They
ever tried on several occasions to
break into the office during his abb
sence, bringing with them a whole ar
ena of housebreaking tools, includ-
ing some dental instruments belong
ing to their father. But that unfeeling
brother. Phil Calmont, warned the
night Waterman and the day tine
keeper. Whichever happened to be on
duty was to loose the yard bulldog
upon any Of the race of Calmont who
should approach the engineers office,
his father only excepted.
After Vida had explained all about
%penguins, and how you could kill
them with a stick. Dick Lin his boat,
the water dripping lightly from his
oars, paused to point out the guile
mOts overhead.
They're no like thae penguins,"
he said stolidly, they're nervous
beasts, guillemots.'
Come, let's scare them!" said Vida,
and when Immediately below the
cliffs she rose and clapped her hands.
No more was needed. A beating rush
of wings, a great white V with it's
apex toward the sea, and all Rough
Island seemed to fly up into the air
and pass overhead. Vida laughed her
delight. One or two clear, %greenish-
blue eggs would roll over and fall
with a yellow splash on the rocks
beneath.
Then Dick Finnan, who had lived
his life - Dr. the most part of it -
on desert islands and lighthouse
platforms. with a glass at his eye, ex-
planned to the young people the the
DRY and practice of bird life on such
places. Vida and Phil seated Gloss
together in the stern.,a big water
proof rug lined inside with flannel
covering them. were pleased with the
lengthiest explanation.
For a model Dick used Rough
Island itself. under which ahey were
gliding.
Up on the grassy top where the
h,,rnI., rohlf&. GL>4ol,oJb aol lo--oI
and bent their ears at twenty angles
IN as many seconds. were the puffins.
Dick was fond Of them.
"Eh, but they are queer beasts, the
Tammie-Nories good eating,
though" said old Dick. up yonder We
can hear them deep under sod. yam
merin' and ohunnerin' anti learnin'
their BARNS the Catechism, I dootno!
And what a bite We will get if We put
in you hand to pu' yin cot - and
scarf - scarf like the dell, they wull!
Ow,, aye they bide aye sotl the tap
where the rabbits maxi thu holes
but We are no listening - Jtou twa!"
Old Dick would pause al his ears
and suspend instruction.
rye are maybe ss9no comfortable.
Trim the boat, laddie! Ye will hae
Vida in the water"
For Phil had gradually been en-
croaching Gas is the duty az his sex)
till Die, at the oars, felt tt-s drag on
the starboard side. But, being a man
without guile, and Of little feminine
experience, he failed to connect cause
and effect.
At last Vida. for the sake of peace
and because. when all was said and
done, he had come so far to see her,
allowed Phil to hold her hand for a
little = a harmless amusement. much
practiced by the young. but apt to
prove insufficient and unsatisfy'ng to
the hand-holder, just when 1t is be-
ginning to interest the hand-held.
Still during these days this made Phil
ridiculously happy. He forgot rain and
the salt drive of the spray in his face
even Dicks bird lore, in dreaming
of the warm s%oftness of that little
girlish, ungloved hand.
And let those who have never been
young cast a Vida and Phil the first
laugh. Why, even Jacob Romer sulk-
ing at CORN Castle, and Gregson. the
Immaculate waiting tremblingly upon
him. knew better. At least they had
lived out their youth. such as it was.
and once q year or so Gregson forgot
to serve the caper sauce with the
boiled mutton for at least two sec-
onds because he was thinking of the
housemaid who had left him for love
tokens only a hatpin and an empty
soap dish.
"An' them under the caves O. the
Isle are the Auks (what some folk caa
Razor-bills, as if a. thae seafowl
hadna nebs that bite like razors, On
account O. the fish they catch.) Trim
the boat, laddie! Or else TAX the oars
yourself And then come the guile
mots, and the bonny wee white kitti-
wakes sittin' like leddies. on nests
that are nests, and no bit scrapes O.
cauld stane like the fule craiturs
aboon them. The suns game doom. and
you two that cauld, wi the sea-cloak
up to your chins. What wad Billy
say? I maun haze We bath learned to
take an oar apiece - that will keep
Draw and warm!"
Nevertheless Vida assured Dick
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