Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-04-07


Cap'n Eben had arrived in New York
a good deal sooner n was expected and
would be home on Thursday morning.
"'Ain't that s%plendid?' says Phoebe.
II thought twas splendid for more
reasons than one, and I went out feel
ing good. But as I come around the
corner Of the house there was some
body by the back gate, and 1 heard a
girls voice saying: oh, no, no! l
can't! I can't!
Barbara come hurrying past me
into the house, and by the light from
the back door I see her face. Twas
white as a clam shell, and she looked
frightened to death.
Thinks I: That's funny! It's a
providence Eben's coming home so
soon.'
"And the next day I saw her again,
and she was just as white and
wouldn't look me in the eye. Wednes-
day, though, I felt better, for the serv-
ants on the Davidson place told me
that Allie had gone to Boston on the
morning train to be gone for good.
early that afternoon I noticed a
steam yacht at anchor two mile or SO
off the bar. Then 1 see a dingey with
three men aboard rowing in, and l
walked down the beach to meet 'em.
There was a Teller in a uniform cap
steering the dingey, and, b'lieve it or
not, I'll be everlastingly keelhauled if
he didn't turn out to be Ben Henry,
who was second mate with me on the
old Seafoam.
"'Well, Ben,' says I after we had
shook hands, my shanty amt exactly
the United States hotel for gilt paint
and bill Of fare, but I have got eight
OF ten gallons of homemade. cherry
rum and some terbacker and an extry
pipe: You fall into my wake
"'I'd like to, Obed,' he says. I'D
like to almighty we'll, but I've got to
90 UP to the store and buy some stuff
YOU see. we got orders to salt In d
tearing ht1rry, ahd'-
"'Send ohe OF theti fo'n1ast hands
to the store says I. you got to come
with me-
"'You buy so and so,' says he to his
men, passing 'em q ten dollar bill.
And, mind, you don't know nothing.
If anybody asks, remember that
yachts the acknowledgements
he says, and she belongs to MI. Jones
of Mobile. Ca
$50 the men went away, and me and
Ben headed for my shanty, where we
moored abreast of each other at the
table. with a jug between us for a
buoy, SOS to speak, and the tide went
out in the jug considerable sight faster
than twas ebbing on the fats. After a
spell 1 asked him about the man that
owned the yacht.
"'Who? Oh-er-Brown,' he says.
why, he's
Brown says 1. Thought you said
twas Jones? Who does own that
yacht, anyway
"He looked at me mighty solemn
cherry run solemn. 'Obed,' he says.
you're a good Teller. Don't give me
away now or I'll lose my berth. The
man that owns that yacht g named
Davidson, and he's got a summer place
right in this town.
"'Davidson! says 1. Davidson?
Not young Allie Davidson?
""That's him. says he. And he's
the blankety blankest meanest low
down cub on earth. There! I feel
some better. Give me another drink
to take the taste OF him out Of my
mouth
"'But young Davidson's gone to
Boston, l says. Went this morning.
""That be hanged!' says Ben. All l
know is that / got a dispatch from
him at Newport on Monday afternoon
telling me to have the yacht abreast
this town at IL o'clock tonight. cause
he was coming Off to her then In his
launch with a friend. Friend! And
he laughed and winked his starboard
aye.
II didn't say much, being too busy
thinking. but Ben went on telling