Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-23
The Argus Daily Short Story
Captain BUNNY Clarissa Mackie.
Copyrighted. 1910. BY Associated Literary Presa

Captain Benjamin Bum scrubbed
opened the cabin windows wide to the
fresh breeze blowing across the bay.
hustled the coffeepot on to the little
stove in the spotless galley, planted
the frying pan beside it and then went
and sat on the bowsprit and waited
for the bakers boy to bring the break
fast rolls.
The Lovely Eva lay in wooden era
dies just above high water mark. Salt
grass and the white sandy beach form
ed her garden plot. Beach plum trees.
pungent bayberry bushes and, in sea
son, the tall pink marshmallow clus'
tered about her black hull.
Above deck all was shipshape. In
summer comfortable chairs and a table
under a sail awning made an open air
lounging place for Captain Bum and
his associates. IN winter they gather
ed about glowing stove in the coy
cabin.
While the coffee frothed in the pot
and the bacon siZzled crisply in the
pan in the. galley, wheels crunched
down the beach road. and the bakers
wagon rolled down on the sand, turned
and went heller SHELTER back again
under the bow Of the Lovely Eva.
Several hours passed in this con-
genial labor. while the sun mounted
higher and the beach became n biaZ-
ing white stretch. A woman stepped
slowly along the sand holding her lilac
print skirts primly above her neat
shoe tops. She wore a wide lilac sun
bonnet, and her bright brown hair and
fresh, youthfully pretty face were
framed in it like pleasant picture.
Her brown eyes changed expression as
she came upon the busy captain in the
lee of the saiIboat.
"Howdy-howdy. Miss Willie?" CHR
ruped the captain dehghtedly- TEL
me how she IoOks-tiue as silk. eh|'
1T looks beautiful, captain" said
Miss Willie Deems critically. 1T
shines like frosted cake. What have
you named herT'
"Nothing-as yet" returned the cap
tain uneasiiy.
What are you going to name her
insisted Miss Willie.
II haven't thought Of a name. I've
been trying to think OF somethin
pretty"
Il must say I'm interested in what
you're going to call your new boat"
said Miss Willie. The captains blue
eyes met hers in puzzled inquiry.
dare say dare say" he murmured,
looking away from the lilac sunbon
net. II never was good at naming
boat, Miss WilHew
Miss Willie turned slightly and sur
yeyed the nautical home of Captain
Bum with a quizzical eye that lin
gered on the name painted in small
gilt letters under the bow. 80 long as
you've named the sloop after Eva Ray
mond you ought to name the sailboat
after somebody else" Her gaze cam
back to the captains reddening face
The color spread under the gray
whiskers. mounted to his forehead and
disappeared under the peak of his
white duck cap. He removed his pipe
and waved it 'fiercely in the air, his
eyes blazing ominously.
Eva raymond he snorted. "WhO
said I'd named the sloop after her"'
she said So" returned Miss Willie
complacently, land Eyangeline Cook
says it was named after her. and Eva
lima Taylor says il was named for
her; they all three fit it out five years
ago at the missionary society, aud
they're not through talking about the
mean things that was passed TO and
fro to this very day. They hate each
other like poison all on account of the
of that sloop?
THAT sIoop's been named Lovely
Eva for the last ten years"
'But what you going to name the
new boat?' asked Miss Willie sweetly.
Captain Bum tramped -through the
sand until he stood beside Miss Willie.
1--WE been wanting 70 tell you some
thing for long time. Miss Willie. |
thought maybe / could say II better |
out on the bay with u good stiff breeze |
fllnG the sails and the water running |
lnder the keel Of the new boat. I've