Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-03-25


can't, | cantr
barbara come hurrying past me
into the house. and by the light from
the back door | see her face. Twas
. white as Il clam shell, and she looked
frightened to death.
Thinks |: That's funny. It's n
providence Eben's coming home so
soon
And the next day l saw her again,
and she was just as white and
wouldn't look NE in the eye. Wednes-
day, though, felt better. for the scrv-
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 l noticed Il
steam yacht Mt anchor two mile or So
off the bar. Then see a dingey with
three men aboard rowing in, and /
walked down the beach to meet 'em.
There was Teller In a uniform cap
steering the dingcy. and. blieve it or
not, III he everlaStingly keelhauled II
he didn't turn out to be Ben Henry.
who was second mate with me on the
old Seafoam.
We'll. Ben says / after we had
shook hands. my shanty amt exactly
the United States hotel for gilt paint
and bill Of fare, but l have got eight
or 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 well, but I've got to
go up to the store and buy some stuff.
You see, we got orders to sail in a
tearing hurry, and
"'Send one Of them f0'mast hands
to the store says !. You got to come
with me-
"'You buy SO and sO,' says he to his
men. passing 'em ten dollar bill.
And, mind, you don't know nothing.
II anybody asks. remember that
yachts the aid-M-u-rm-a-d-e,
he says, and she belongs to Mr.. Jones
Of Mobile, Ca
$50 the men went away, and me and
Ben headed for my shanty. where we
mOored abreast Of each other ut the
table, with jug between us for
buoy, SOS to speak. and the tide went
out in the jug considerable sight faster
than twas ebbing on the fats. After
spell | asked him about the man that
owned the yacht.
"'Who? Oh-er-Brown,' he says.
why, he's
Brown says l. Thought you said
| twas Jones? Who does own that
yacht, anyway
"IIe looked Mt me mighty solemn
cherry rum solemn. 'Obed.' he says.
you're n good Teller. Don't give me
away now or I'll lose my berth. The
man that owns that yacht 8 named
Davidson. and he's got summer place
right in this town
| "'DavidSonr says l. Davidson?
Not young Allie DavidsonT
| "'Thats him. says he. And he's
the banEety blankest meanest low
down cub on earth. There! feel
some better. Give me another drink
to take the taste OF him out Of my
mouth
"'But young DavidsOn's gone to
Boston, | 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 Mt IL o'clock tonight, cause
he was coming Off to her then IN his
launch with friend. Friend" And
he laughed and winked his starboard
eye.
Il didn't say much. being too busy
thinking, but Ben went on telling
about other cruises with friends Oh,
steam yacht can be a first class imi-
tation of hell if the right imp owns
her. Henry got speaking Of one time
down along the Maine coast.
But says !. referring to what he
,, was telling, IL she was such a nice
girl and come from such nice folks,
how
"'HOw do I know? says he. Prom
ises to marry and such kind Of lies,
s'pOse. And the plain fact Is that he's
really engaged to marry a swell girl
in Newport
"He told me her name and lot more
about her. All l could think was:
'Obed, it's up to you. You've got to
do something
Il was mighty glad when the sailors
hailed from the shore and Ben had to
60. He most cried when he said
gOOdby and went away, stepping high
and bringing his heels down hard
1.-TWO and two made four. Any
way. I could add it up, but twas all
suspicion and no real proof-that was
the dickens Of 1t. couldn't speak to
Phoebe Ann. She wouldn't believe
me ii did. l couldn't telegraph Cap'n
Eben ut PrOvincetown to come home
that night. I'd have to tell him the
whole thing. and knew his temper.
SO for Barbara's sake 'twOuldn't do
couldn't be Mt the shore to stop the
launch leaving. What right had l to
stop another mans launch. even
II went up to the store and bought
four feet Of medium size rubber hose
and some rubber tape, same as they
sell to bicycle fellers in the summer.
Twas almost dark when got back in
sight Of Allies launch. Nobody was
In sight. ran down the pier and
jumped aboard. Almost the first thing
put my hand on was what was
looking for-the bilge pump.
II fitted one end Of my hose to the
lower end of that pump, run my hose
down into the tank and commenced to
pump good IA cents a gallon gasoline
overheard to beat the cars. Twas Il
thirty gallon tank and full up. l
pumped her dry. Then I screwed the
cap on again and went home, taking
Allies bilge pump with me. The tide
was coming In fast.
"At 0 O'Clock that night I was in my
skiff, rowing OF to where my power
boat laid in deep water back Of the
bar. All l could think Of was that
gasoline. Was there enough in the
pipes and the feed cup on that launch
to carry her out to where 1 was, or