The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-18
THE WRONG BOAT
IA cESEvrEvE KENNEDY.


Around him lay a bright panorama
OF meadow land and bay. with or
ohard wreathed villages glimpsed at
The aase of the hills. The tide. fun
Food or just at the turn. was sing
Dig its well loved, seductive melody,
saeing to his .srpaticnce.
Night scour tho highways" he
Z said. and compel them to came Out
with rs. or we might &c putting or
by ourselves This TO the shining
launch. rising aud falling iaz!ly at his
feet as she lay roored TO tho wharf
on which he was standing.
The sin Of inactivity lay heavily on
tho engineers rnoter-loving heart also.
Again he turned his attention where
further attention wos Ehperfuous.
The sun in Its strength was not one
whit more perfect than Ben's engine.
His disgust MAS intense at tho decis-
Ion o. the shippers guests not TO ven-
ture on the excursion planned for
them. On account OF the notorious
rips" even now tearing to froth and
foam the basins ordinarily motion
less bosom. Wheels ratified on the
pier. AID the light touch OF feet de-
scending caused tho skipper TO turn
around. He hcd barely time to re-
move his cigar
across the bay to Milton and Cape
North and Greenwich" a girls crisp,
eeaick tones asked AtEsa----.I- Aepe- saass
in time. for II Is of the utmost i'm
portance that / reach Greenville to-
night. Arc you the captain"
The skipper bowed in reply. Really
he had not time accorded him for
speech. There was a tension of nerv-
Gus repression in eyes and voice as
the girls quick look sought his assent.
then searched the line of sky and bay
beyond.
"I--reaIly, you know. this boat
doesn't"
II know" she interrupted. the sta
ton agent told me you didn't go
across to Grecn*iiie to-day: he also
told me that there Is heavy sea out
side, and that II requires so many ex-
ira gallons of gasolene TO make the
trip. but | must get home tonight"
She stopped and, checking the rest
less. eager gaze of her eyes seward
turned to him with what of appeal
and personality she possessed She
found a younger man than she had
expected To see, and diferent-quite.
From under the visor of his cap there
flashed at her a vague suggestion:
the ffeeting memory OF face seen
in an art gallery or a book. but the
impression was so indistinct she
scarce noticed Il.
My rnotf1ur If III, sire safd quietly
..and keeps calling for me. ! tele-
graphed / would be home tonight;
can't you see that you must take me?
I'll pay you anything II you'll only
make ii possible for me to get there.
II the other passengers object, she
continued. mentally summing up the
AZ wi "a r.
suade them. and If you can't take my
trunk, leave II; look, the tide Is drop
ping already" Above the noise OF
the waves tapping. despite the intru-
ston of opposing obstacles. came the
memory of her mothers voice calling
as in the long ago she called her,
through the cleaning, at bedtime
The skipper looked seward brief
moment, as though he might be COM
pairing 1t with her Incompatible eyes.
then he said Il think we can man
age Ii.
Ben's head showed above the cock
pit - think VIC tan manage IT, ne
mtmicked to his engine TN various
occasions Ben had known the SKIP
per to compress the results or large
experiences in that one sentence. The
girl smiled giar4oasly. right up into
the shippers eyes. Perhaps that ~
why nc forgot tn mention thHt-tHis
launch was not the tourist boat oy
which she had expeo ted 10 reach
home. but his own pleasure launch.
With easy. steady throbs the little
engine won its way down the narrow"
ing river and out into the wide RIM
med basin.
The girl found the sunuiest corner
70 teaward and sank TO the deck, her
bands clasping her knees, her lowered
eyeiids telling of lassitude following
Two days of hard travel with unusual
mental stress, The sun crept nnaer
the awning, the wind freshened' the
trim launch cut steadily aheaa'
waking dream enyeloped the girl
ynuder. AT the end of the boats wake,
path led up TO the old academy
,vhere her am bilious little soul, ten
tatiyely reaching out, had found the
fsrSt-rnr.k wall 81, which Its tehdfifs
might find niche for ala IN cii1hu
ing: for the old. nnappreclated, BACK
cruohered Professor of philosophy mao
found In her the spark OF genius anu
famed to fame sflendla energy.
From out this energy was oori, hsi
desire to study for the stage ana inns
tad nnalIr 10 Il fAgntiy rupture.
rha wind f1,ttercd the leaves of the
paauazine she held IN her lap. tnfir
~rs~tIno recalled her wandering
thoughts; she turned with mdra"h
breath and shining eyes To CRISP
new magazine article concerning
Young girls prophetic Work III slase'
land. .,,,oh
,;iaating on that one page "hIch
rueart at least recognition. success
ray--her molher~-she forgot TIE hNe
lears' hard work; tho bitter hght' .ho
s,tx,iIusson. She remembered only ti".'
Sow ste could IA some part repay
uothers tirelcss love and sShipa'";.
This last fought dealt also It's
xr.aru sal, Of ;.a1a; maybe she neeacd
ard was catnns for her now. shs
s,rose. tte skipper was standing al
,ns 4s.1es, In tAe engine room mas
,.sy.r nng.ec.ed Il lie waited again
-. go inc gig~y. OF thc smile her won
a~o,,s eycs rct'ecteG he w"s disap-
pointed. ,.,...,, ,,onr
,tme,. she said, looking il AT the
dnor' May l speak 10 tae en-
..Snrely, Zen Is sometimes biz
4 fnxsy Gomez -ning the advent OF ladies'
q his sasscrnm sauctorum; bui enter
ana once inside guess We can man
age It." 90 ..,
rs that your pet phrase she
queried. - -, ,1,
voice struck her as being characteris-
tic Of MIN. For many years a halt
whimsical habit had been her guide
n her choice OF friends. Her mentor
was the speaking voice. Seldom dio
Ia. IA q