The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-07-22

Copyright, b. ]. B. Lippincott Coz

Although no devotee Of Mr.. Rudyard
Kipling, my aunt was in perfect, If
unconscious, accord with a line Of his
which proclaims a geographical limit
10 the Ten Commandments. To her
mind, frost and virtue go as INSOFAR
ably linked as self-indulgence and hot
baths, and while her intelligence has
never denied that a high mercury
might be looked for in the tropics, the
lact of needing a fan on the day after
Christmas filed her with indignant
disgust.
We had made this pilgrimage to
avoid dampness, but on the way from
the boat to our lodging a rain-such
4 rain as never fell in Boston-blot-
ted out every feature of the village.
The whole place was Interestingly I'M
like Fairhaven, Mass.
Our hostess offered apologies. Yes,
they were a trife upset. Carpenters
putting up a bathhouse in the garden,
and 200 guests had Just left (the
house accommodated 49,, sailors
from a gunboat, on three days shore
leave. for Christmas.
They have all left, did you sayT"
My aunt countenanced no belligerents
but herself, and sitting upright On a
couch In Mrs. Brownies mysterious
parlor, she raked the shadowy corners
Tor trace of naval occupation.
-Yes, ma'am. ALI gone, that is,
but one He's quiet enough now, poor
lad" Mrs. Brownies voice neverthe-
less limited at anxiety.
First a lightning-quick patter Of
nnshod feet, then through the door
less doorway burst a rean, cinnamon
colored man, STRAIGHTFORWARD, straight
featured, wild-eyed! OF course time
only showed these details. Our first
vision was a headlong tangle of brown
nakedness and white drapery, radi-
ating terror and haste. An escaping
end of white stuff tripped him, and
with a shrek he fell, rolled over, and
shot under the sofa upon which my
aunt sat waving her fan, just in time
10 escape the onslaught of a large,
black devil who brandished a trident
OF great power and sharpness.
"You Johnson, you siri You ne
groes are a perfect pest!" Mrs.
Browne fearlessly addressed the fiend.
"You scare that coolie man crazy with
your nonsense. Clean crazy!"
The devil burst out In an impolite
genealogy of all coolies; my aunt,
partly treasured, raised a dominant
Massachusetts, voice. At that moment
q young man lounged in the doorway,
q curly-headed lad of some two and
twenty, with thick black hair, bold
black eyes and rosy cheeks smooth
rs a girls. When he smiled, his full
red lips parted over teeth as strong
and white as a sound young dogs.
He o nondescript clothes, suggest
Ing the sea, and a small gold seal
ring, on the little finger Of his left
hand. A fine, lusty creature born TO
work hard, play hard, and satisfy his
keen young appetite upon all the
fruits OF the EARTH
Seeing, after a CLEAN Of amusement,
that my aunt's wordy anger covered
genuine. fright, he babe the intruders
w GOh1f dIdAA6 q SOQCh VI XIII Alye
as the masquerading negro seemed
disposed to linger.
Then indeed my aunt's eloquence
knew no bounds. And doctors
send invalids to this placel A nerv-
u woman might easily have died for
less!
Il shall see"-for all her wisdom
turning In great crises to man, even
70 beardless adolescence-"I shall see
that paper l write for Is supplied
with full details OF the truth about
this islandl My niece shall help me
get of the letter by to-morrow's
boat"
Now why was II that at this, the
lad lost color, grew sullen? The look
he gave Us became distinctly hostile.
nay, worse! Fright. controlled but
unmistakable, showed in his whole
bearing. fright and Encouragement.
Turning on his heel to leave, he
marched straight into two uniformed
officials, one quasi-white, one black,
both wearing stir linen tunics, he'll
NETS. blue trcusers with a stripe OF
red.
Mr.. Frank Liston?" the white man
asked. "Gunboat Hecla?"
Where was the lads spirit, his rat
ural gayety? With a surly nod of as
sent he followed the uniforms through
devious passages, u OF sight.
My aunt, now Interrogation personi-
Ned, TUNED to Mrs. Browne. '"They
cone every dy. Just o see he's all
right. A mere form" the landlady ex-
planned.
DO all strangers on this island
live under police surveinance?" My
aunt had passed into regions far be-
yond surprise.
Before Mrs. Browne had time to re-
assure her, a gong summoned us to
. repast whose oddity struck me as q
merit and outraged my aunt's tradi-
tion and digestion.
Appeared b Of high perfsc-
dan, Aunt Mary discovered 4 writing
dusty occupied With journal
sad lestssa. she resned tss E41s and
far rAose 10 y stneenfs laanp.
ssrollnd put on the gallery for a
tEst 6Itnpas az The crowded lfttie
Z<v*u- 70 y aide. = hall. nddlss and