Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-03-31
Copyright. 1907. by A. S. Barnes q Co.

I4Cu LUZ lue Uluc I1UUOu.
The dowager fetched port first. She
hove alongside the Old Home one
morning early in July. and she had
my daughter" in tow. The names as
entered on the shipping list was Mrs.
Milo Patrick Thompson and Miss Bar
bara Millicent Thompson, but Peter T.
Brown he had 'em re-entered as "the
dowager" and my daughter almost
as soon as they dropped anchor.
Thompson himself came poking up to
the dock on the following Saturday
night. Peter didn't christen him, x
cept to chuck out something about
Milo's being an ''also ran"
The dowager vas skipper of the
Thompson craft, with my daughter"
Chats what her ma always called herr
as first mate and Milo as general roust-
about and purser.
'Twould have done you good to see
the feet run into the breakfast room
of a morning, with the dowager lead
in under full sail, Barbara close up to
her starboard quarter and Milo failing
out a couple of lengths astern. The
other boarders looked like quahaug do
ries abreast of the Marblehead Yacht
club. Oh, the Thompsons won every
cup until the Smalls arrived on a Mon
day. Then twas a dead heat.
Mamma Small was built on the lines
Of old Lady Thompson, only more so.
and her daughter few pretty nigh as
many pennants as Barbara. Peter T.
had 'em labeled the duchess" and
"Irene dear" in a jiffy. He didn't
nickname Small any more'n he had
Thompson and for the same reasons.
Me and Cap'n Jonadab called Small
eddie" behind his back count Of his
wife's hailing him as edwin"
In a week the four ONE vas
thicker than hasty pudding and had
thrones on the piazza, where they
could %patronize everybody short Of the
Creator and criticise the other board
ers. Milo and Eddie got friendly, too,
and found a harbor behind the barn
where they could smoke and swap
sympathy.
Twas fair weather for pretty neal
a fortni't, and then she thickened up.
The special brand Of craziness in Well
mouth that season was collecting AN
tiques," the same being busted chairs
and invalid bureaus and sofys that
your great-grandmarm got ashamed Of
and sent to the sick bay a thousand
year ago. Oh, yes, and dishes! If
there was n thing that would drive
a city woman to counting her fingers
and cutting paper dolls twas a nicked
blue plate with a Chinese picture on it.
One noon the dowager sails into the
dining room AID unfurls a brown pa
per bundle.
Tive captured a prize. my DEAR"
says she to the duchess-"a veritable
prize. Just look"
And she dives under the brown pa
per matches and resurrects a pink
plate suffering from yaller jaundice.
with the picture of a pink boy wear
ing curls and a monkey jacket holding
hands with a p:lk girl with pointed
feet.
"Ain't it perfectly lovely?' says she,
waving the outrage in front of the
duchess. "a g!ntwine Hall nappy!
And in such condition! If you knew
how I've planned and contrived to get
this treasure. I've schemed- My,
my! My daughter says she's actually
ashamed of me. Oh. no! l can't tell
even you where l got it. ALPS fair in
love and collecting. you know, and
there are mora gems where this came
FROM"
She laughed, and my daughter
laughed, and Che duchess and Irene
dear" laughed. too, and said the plate
was 80 quaint and all that, hut you
could fairly hear 'em turn green with
jealousy.
and sure enough, in a couple Of days
they bore down on the Thompsons, all
sail set and colors flying. They had a
pair Of plates that for ugliness and
price knocked the '.ginuwine Hall
happy" higher n the main truck. And
the way they crowed and Dragged
about their finds" want fit to put
in the log. The dowager and my
daughter left hat dinner table trem-
bling all over.
Well, you can see how a wage
would end that commenced that way.
The dowager and Barbara would scour
the neighborhood and capture more
prizes. and the duchess and her tribe
would get busy and go 'em one bet.
ter, There was a chill setting in round
them piazza thrones, and some Of the
sarcastic remarks that was casually
hove out by the, bosom friends was
pretty nigh sharp enough to shave
with. AS for Milo and Eddie, they
still smoked together behind the barn,
but the atmosphere on the quarter
deck was affecting the ~fo'castle, and
there want quite SO many "old MANS
and dear boys" as there used to was,