Gilpin observer., 1911-08-10
THE SHOPLIFTER
By JAMES NORTON

When Maj. Hyde had lived for
two months in the place he had bought
on the Hudson, the most that his
nearest neighbor knew Of him was
that he had retired from the army;
that he was a widower; that he had a
handsome daughter 20 years old who
seemed devoted to him; that he was
irascible and cranky; that he disputed
his tradesmen's bills. and that he was
fond Of sailing q catboat that he
owned. On the majors part, all he
knew about his nearest neighbor. who
was the Widow Harper. was that she
was very touchy about her hens. or his
dog trespassing on her property, that
she had son at college or in South
Africa. he didn't care which: that she
claimed that the line fence between
them was foot over on her land. and
that on two separate and distinct &C.
casions she had ordered a servant to
scald his dog.
There was no neighboring between
the neighbors. In fact, they had not
even seen each other at the end of
those two months. The widow was
waiting for her son Burt to come
home from trip to the west to ask
him II the green apples that had fallen
from her trees over on the majors
land thereby reverted to him. and the
major was waiting for his dog to come
home and complain of having been
scalded while prowling around the
widows kitchen door Then any fuss
he raised would be sure to have the
backing Of his daughter, Edith, who
knew his disposition thoroughly and
had kept him out OF many rows.
On a certain August morning this
was the situation on the Hudson.
Major Hyde and his daughter were out
in the catboat with a good breeze
blowing. Burt Harper. who had ar
rived home the previous afternoon and
settled the green apple question. was
out in his catboat working up a mus
Gle. He had taken no particular notice
OF catboat containing a man and a
girl, and its occupants had taken no
particular notice of a rowboat with a
broad-shouldered young man of 20
pulling the oars. At that point the
Hudson is wide enough and big enough
for a hundred catboats and rowboats
to perform all sorts of maneuvers
without colliding. but the unforeseen is
always happening. The catboat was
heading across the river with her star
board tacks aboard and the major at
the helm, when Miss Edith gave
sudden cry Of alarm, and the next mo-
ment there was a crash. Young Mr..
Harper, without any tacks aboard. but
pulling for all he was worth to get the
kinks out Of his spine. had pumped
into the other craft AS he was TAX
ing a course of law at Harvard, and
had got as far as John VS.. Doe. he
could have explained matters had the
major given him time But the major
wouldn't. He had learned in war that
the quicker and more vigorously you
jump on your enemy the sooner you
have him conquered. and he rose up
and blasted the young man in the row.
boat II any damage had been done
1t was to the latter craft, but that
made no difference to the major. He
did not swear In the presence Of his
daughter. nor did he pull OF his coat
and double up his fists. He simply
used sarcasm that cut and hurt He
had something to say about little boys
being intrusted out in boats by their
mothers. and dunderheads who
thought they had the whole Atlantic
ocean to row In. and he politely in
quired II Mr.. Harper intended to run
down the Mary Powell on her next
trip up and drown all her passen-
gers.
Mr.. Harper turned red and apollo
gized. He looked from the major to
his daughter and apologized again II
was his fault. and he admitted It, and
he apologized some more. The ma
1or had no pity. but the young man
thought he saw gleam OF It in Miss
Edith's eyes before she turned away
her head, The soldier held him for
five minutes doing most of the talk
ing and enjoying his confusion. and
then let him go with the observa-
ton:
And now. sir. II you have got a
mamma. and you think you can get
back to her without help. should
advise you to head for shore and spare
any canal boat that may happen to get
In your way"
At that hour the Hydes did not know
young Harper as Harper. and he didn't
know them as the Hydes. He made
his way to shore in his leaky boat, and
as he sat down on a stranded log he
felt that he would rive a thousand dol.
lars In cash to lick some one-some
one about the size and build OF the
major when he was In his prime. The
words had hurt, but the fact that they
had been spoken before the girl was
humiliating. He had decided from the
first that they were father and daugh.
ter. and after grittlng his teeth for
half an hour he made up his mind that
nothing could be done In the case and
went of home.