The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-01-14

In charge OF tine ship an vallybIe
| freight. or course you're responsive
as master. but you cant be Oh deck
mornin'. noon an night Choke Watts
or the drink an you'll ave no trouble.
wen, come along Let's lubricate"
The Andromeda sailed on the Tues.
day afternoons tide. She would drop
the pilot off Holyhead. and If she fol.
lowed the beaten track or her long
run to the river Piate-as sailors will
persist in miscalling that wondrous
hlo de Ia Plata-she might be signapd
from Madeira or the Cape Verde is.
lands. But shipmasters often prefer
TO set course clear of the land till
| they pick up the coast of South Amer.
lea. If she wer" not spoken by some
passing steamer there was every pos
siblity that the sturdy old vessel
would not be heard of again before
reaching her destination.
But David Verify heard of her much
sooner. and no thunderbolt that ever
him more than the manner of that
hearing
Resolving to clinch matters with re-
gard to Iris and her elderly sister, he
invited "Owd Dickey" to supper on
Sunday evening. The girl endured
the mans presence with placid dig
nifty that amazed her uncle. On the
plea OF hendache she retired at an
early hour. leaving Bulmer to gloat
over his prospective happiness and
primed to the point of dementia.
He was quite willing to accompany
Verify to the bank next morning. A
pleasant spoken manager sighed his
relief when the visitors were gone.
and be was free to look at the iterI
bills discounted" on Verity's page in
the ledger. More than that a lawyer
was Instructed to draw up a partner
ship deed. and the representatives of
various shipbuilding firms were asked
to supply estimates for two new ves-
sells.
Altogether Dickey was complaisant
and David enjoyed a busy and sue
! cessfui day. He dined In town, came
home at late hour and merely grin
ned when servant told him that Mr..
Bulmer had called twice. but Miss Iris
happened to be out on both occasions.
Nevertheless at breakfast on Tues
; day he warned his niece not to keep
her admirer dangling at arms length.
"E's a queer owd codger." explained
the philosopher. PLAY up to I'm q bit.
an you'll be able to twist I'm around
your little finger. b'lieve he's goin'
dotty, an you can trust me to see that
the marriage settlement is 0. K"
"Will you be home to dinner" was
her response
mo. Now that the firm is In smooth
water again. ] must show myself a bit.
It's all thanks to you. lass. an I'll not
forget it. Goodbye
Iris smiled. and Verify was vastly
pleased.
II am sure you will not forget" she
said. 'Goodby!"
"There's no understandin' wimmin,"
, mused David as his victoria swept
through the gates Of Linden House.
Sunday afternoon Dickey might ha'
bin dose Of rat poison. Now she's
ready to swaller i'm as If e was q
chocolate drop"
Again he returned some few minutes
after midnight. Again the servant an.
nounced Mr.. Bulmers visits. three of
them. and again Miss Iris had been
absent In fact. she had not yet come
home.
mot 'omew cried David furiously.
IVY. it's gone IL. Were the--w'ere
Is she?'
No one knew. She had quilted the
house soon after Verify himself and
had not been seen since. Storm and
rage as he might and did. David could
But enlightenment came on Thursday
morning. a letter arrived by the first
post. 1t was from Iris:
My Dear Uncle-Neither you nor Mr.
Bulmer should have any objection to my
passing the few remaining weeks OF my
liberty In the manner best pleasing to
myselr. On Sunday evening in your pres
ence Mr.. Bulmer urged me to flx an early
: date for our marriage. Tell him that l
shall marry him when the Andromeda
returns to England from South America.
You will remember that you promised last
year TO take me to Rio de Janeiro and
Buenos Aires this summer. / have been
learning Spanish so as to help our sight
seeing. Unfortunately business prevents
you from Keeping that promise. but there
is no reason why should not go. / am
on board the Andromeda and will prob
ably be able TO explain matters satisfac-
torily to Captain Coke. The vessel Is due
back at the end Of September. 1 believe,
20 Mr.. Bulmer will not have long to wait.
1t Is more than likely that Captain Coke
Will not know | am aboard until Thurs
day, and ! have arranged with friend
that this letter shall reach you about the
same time. Please convey my apologies
TO Mr.. Bulmer and ,cept my regret for
any anxiety you may have felt owing to
my unaccountabe absence. Your affec-
tionate niece. IRIS YORKE.
David narrowly escaped an apoplec-
tic seizure. When he recovered his