Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-07-30

MISS fnoeDes tlnkl1ng laugh died
away as a pink flush rose to her deli
cate cheeks. II might If you asked
me, captain" she said demurely.
Il thought mebbe you wouldn't want
to leave this pretty house of yours.
Phoebe" said the captain tenderly as
later be occupied a place on the sofa
beside his fancee.
II figured" began Miss Phoebe
dreamily, and then she stopped, with a
sudden shocked expression in her mild
eyes-'1 mean," she went on hastily,
Il should think we could move this
house right down the bluff and fasten
it on to your cabin, you know"
"Surest way, my hearty" sang Cap.
tain Ebenezer blithely. "And now"-
you better be going along, captain"
interrupted Miss Phoebe briskly. 81
see the wilder going down the road.
and you don't want to keep her wait
ing"
Captain Ebenezer stared, aghast. He
had forgotten the Widow Banks and
the proposed trip to Bar island.
I'm an engaged man now, Phoebe"
he said, hopping his forehead and
looking at her out Of troubled y
"Oh, go along, Ebenezer. dol" she
said. with playful impotence. II amt
a mite jealous. You wasn't engaged
when you asked her to go. Bring me
a mess of blues. and you can come to
tea and eat EN-"
Captain Ebenezer's blissful smile
faded from his face as he proceeded
down the road to the beach, where he
could see the red knitted jacket of
Myra Banks moving toward the land
Ing where the Saucy Liz dragged at
her anchor. What the Widow Banks
might expect from him as q result Of
this marked attention he could not,
dared not. imagine. If he had only
gone to Miss Phoebe's first! He tried
to recall if he had ever uttered a re-
mark to the keen witted widow which
might have committed him in m way
to an avowal of love. There was none
that he could remember. He had been
wary indeed.
"Here l be a-waitin' for you," began
Myra Banks playfully as she deposited
a heavy basket on the landing. g" ex-
pect We'll have to eat up all the VIC
tuals SOS l can put the plums in the
basket. Where's Phoebe?"
phoebe. she - Miss Phoebe amt
a-comin'. She thinks it's too rough
for her." exclaimed Captain Ebenezer.
%reddening under the keen gaze of the
widow. Nov. Mrs. Banks, jest step
into the dory. your foot right in the
middle-that's it-easy now-umph-
SOL" With surprising agility the big
captain took his place in the rocking
boat and with a few quick, long
strokes brought them to the side Of the
Saucy Liz.
1t is needless to record this voyage
over the careening seas, for neither
one of the occupants Of the sloop cared
to remember the u~npleasantness of
that day. To the widow it was one
long, nauseous period Of terror. To
Captain Ebenezer it was a dark and
gloomy passage. The successful out
come Of his woolng was counterbal-
anced by the fear Of what the widow
might expect from his marked atten-
tons in the past. He trailed his lines
and pulled in myriads Of shining,
steely bluefish ere they grounded on
the pebbly beach of the quiet COW
The widow tottered ashore on Cap
tain Ebenezer's arm, and they sat
down, and while Myra Banks languid-
~ discussed the contents Of the lunch
basket, which the captain attacked
with a right good will. the widow
seemed to be revolving some weighty
matter within her mind, a matter that
might excuse her want of appetite aft
er the bracing voyage.
"Tll help you get your plums, Mrs.
Banks" said the captain. looking kind
ly upon the pallid face and disheyeled
hair of his guest.
Myra Banks turned a gloomy eye
upon her host and then looked back
over the tossing sea Of green water and
shuddered.
81 guess it was a little too rough"
ventured Captain Ebenezer uneasily.
The continued silence of the Widow
Banks was disconcerting and ome
what alarming.
Suddenly the pent up wrath Of Myra
Banks found vent, and she shook quiv-
ering fingers In the air before the as
tonished visage Of the captain.
Rough, indeed! And what do you
mean by a-askin' frail wimmen off on
a voyage like this. a-temptin' them
with
"Sho-sho-Mrs. Banks" expostulat-
ed the captain Indignantly. whatever
do you mean? 1 didn't hold out no
temptations when l asked you to 60. 1
jes' asked you to go-that was ALL"
II want to go home," retorted Mrs.
Banks bitterly in reply to the captains
last remarks, and home they went,
beating before the wind, mounting
green heights of water and diving into
valleys fecked with foam. While the
captain was dropping his anchor Myra
Banks looked dercely about the harbor
at the flying smacks, the high wooded
bluffs and around the deck Of the Sau-
cy Liz. and 'et she said never a word.
Silently ,he accompanied Cantain