Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-02-11
The Resourceful
Mr.. Hotchkiss
BY C. PLUH1MER

Copyright, by Daily Story Pub Coz
Capt. Ezra Chapman came out of his
own doorway with an agility very cred
table to a man of his years. Behind
him came a tin dishpan which took
The mariner fairly between the shout
ders and fell with clang on the road
way. Behind the pan came the face
Of an irate woman.
Capt Chapman, with detected mien
and with slow steps, wendell his way
% the schooner Magic lying at Aliens
wharf. Entering the cabin where his
mate, Mr.. Hotchkiss, was enjoying a
pipe, he sat down YEARLY, and ex-
claimed: Il won't stand it any long
er, George"
What's up?" asked Mr.. Hotchkiss.
exhaling a perfect nimbus of smoke.
"Ssiry Ann gets crankier every day."
moaned the mariner. "'jest because l
WAS dollar short in my freight
money! spent it with you. George, m
Tom Giles tavern-she carried on
scandalous. She even went so far
as to hit me with dishpan."
Its your own fault" proclaimed
Mr.. Hotchkiss, with placidity, you
didn't start right"
Capt. Chapman had a well-founded
idea that Mrs. Chapman had done the
starting but he only groaned.
IF you wants to mend matters"
continued Mr.. Hotchkiss; I'll give
you a plan"
George" exclaimed the captain, 'if
you know of a way to make my life
anything but miserable, jest say the
word and I'll follow"
Die" said Mr.. Hotchkiss.
Il don't think you ought to joke
about such a thing, George" expostu-
lated the skipper.
I'm not jokin, I'm in earnest. OF
course l don't mean for you to die
really, but only for show"
'Whatd be the good of THAR" asked
the skipper.
you reckolecks Capt. Borum's
wife?" said Mr.. Hotchkiss, in reply.
I've seen her broomstick her husband
out O. old John Glenn's tavern and
rail at him all the way home. When
he was lost on Hog island she put on
black and had stone put at his
grave with to my bluvved husband
on it,"
w nat bOTuIn vile SOl u w
with me?" growled the skipper.
Jest, have it reported that you are
drowned and you'll see Mrs. Chapman
the sorriest woman on the bay. Then
she'll begin to vally you"
How could you manage it?" asked
the interested skipper on whose mind
the spectacle of the adamantine Mrs.
Chapman wailing over him had its ef-
feet.
IT'S simple, VERY simple" replied
Mr. Hotchkiss. Were to sail for
Baltimore tomorrow morning, and
with this wind we'll make Solomon's
island by night Well run in cluss
to shore and you'll stand your watch
on deck. I'll come up and pull you
ashore and you can stay at Asa Hen
sons cabin till we come back. Then
Wen pick you up and you can say you
fell overheard and swum ashore. In
the meantime I'll hail the steamboat
that goes to Oxford and tell EN- to re-
port that you have fell overheard and
is drownded. Your wife'll hear the
news right away when the steamer
gets in" rs
But the crew." urged the skipper
evidently much impressed, they'll
tell the whole thing"
"Oh, I'll fix that all right. I'll send
the niggers below, save Jim, and he
always sleeps on his watch. You
can't wake him with cannon"
The mates scheme worked Ike q
rope through a well creased block. He
ran the schooner close to the island
pulled the skipper ashore and had
the boat on board again without inter
rupting the SHORES of Jim. Then he
raised a hue and cry aboard that the
skipper had disappeared. The star
board negroes came stumbling OF
deck, but their search revealed moth
ing. When morning came the mate
declared that the skipper had falleT
overheard and hosting anchor made
sail for Baltimore. A few miles OF
their course the oxford steamboat wal
sighted and Mr. Hotchkiss reported
the evident drowning of Capt. Chap
man.
"Pm a genius" chuckled Mr.. Hotch
kiss to himself as the steamer bort
away for Oxford; Mrs. Chapman'l
hear the news before noon"
Luck, however, deserted Mr.. Hotch
kiss. as calm set in which great,
delayed his reaching his destination
and when the Magic was moored In
Long Dock he was slightly dismayeC
to see Mrs. Chapman step over th'
gang plank. -