Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-08-04
The Josephine was under motion

The Josephine was under motion
at last, wheeling sullenly from her
moorings. It seemed hours to David,
though, fortunately, the fires were
we'll alive, and the start was only a
matter of minutes. The tug forged
ahead briskly, as sne fell in with the
wind, her lights cutting a narrow
furrow through the black night. An
other flare famed up, and another,
as though the Andalusia was grow
ing impatient of her plight, as indeed
she was. She seemed to have shifted
her position; possibly David surmised
drifting before the wind toward the
open lake. He had boyish impulse
to plunge through the glass front Of
the pilot house, and drag the Joseph
inc faster, faster than the grunting
engine was carrying her along. He
must not be too late-he, the fellow
who had waited for Farquar these
two days, and slept at his post like
land lubber at the last critical mo
ment.
David was not too late, but it was
a close shave. Once, the Josephine,
caught up a huddle of rollers at the
stern, threatened to transfx the An
dalusia amidships. Once, the Anda-
; lusia darted away like q wild thing,
straight for the open water, but the
gust lulled to let the tug come up,
and heave her cable; then, the stout
cable parted, between mighty puff
of wind offshore and the strain Of
starting the tow, and David held
what little breath he had left until
second cable was made fast.
1t was hard pull after that, the
engine below grunting and snorting
and Kissing, like black giant in
pain; the Josephine splitting the big
rollers into thin spray on her wealth
er bow; and the new cable straintng
and creaking, as though its first SER
vice might be its last; but it was over
in due time, as the hardest things
are sure to be, and the few shippers
in port pointed wondering fingers at
the Andalusia next morning, as she
lay at her moorings, veritable ice
ship, coated from stem to stern with
the frozen spray, like an old veteran
bearing the scars of battle.
$50 you waited for Farquar, eh?"
that eccentric individual inquired
later the same day, when David came
on board the Andalusia, by appoint
ment, to collect his fee for the tow. :"
oval, young man, if you hadn't, 1
reckon nobody 'ud "a had the trou-
BILE O. waitin' for F'arquar any more.
amt what you might call reel
timid"-the stubby chin wrinkled
grotesquely at the suggestion-"but
I don't mind ownin at my back hair
begun to curl-some little"
"Bad night" David admitted laco-
nically. 1t appeared a small thing,
now it was all over. Eyes, did hold
back day or two, though I didn't
much expect you'd put out after the
weather broke. No" y refusing a
proffered roll of bills-"just the usu-
al charge. We have to take the Bit
ter with the sweet.
"Jud" Farquar was eyeing the
young face before him thoughtfully,
as his money disappeared from sight
in the depths of David's wallet. He
was rather an undersized man, with
sharp, restless, beady eyes, and lip
and chin which indexed his obstinate
self-wilL
"Were short man down below"
he began tentatively, jerking stub
by thumb in the general direction of
his last nights adventure. "One o.
them big concerns swallered i'm up
month ago, slick an clean, like as
Jonah did the whale" The remark
able comparison, apparently, gave
him courage to make the plunge, for
he went on briskly: "Bookkeeper we
called Simmons, though, 'twa'n't all
books. He checked sales, f'r in
stance, and put my letters into shape
for sendin'. Don't s'pose you'd care
to pen up under roof Win Sucn
Jobs that, providin' a man would
make it wuth your while?"
Indeed 1 should like nothing bet
ter" David responded promptly:
Wasn't it almost exactly what he had
dreamed of ever since his school
days? 81 could give it trial, any
how, while there isn't much doing
on the lake. l can't thank-you enough,
Mr. Farquar."
"Oh, that's nothin'." Dayid's out
spoken gratitude appeared to embar-
rass Mr.. Farquar. He chuckled soft
Iy to himself moment, then added:
"It JUS struck me at I'd like to try
a fellow onct who'd Earned afore-
hand how to wait for Farquar.
Christian Union Herald.