Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-04
The Daily Story
THE MACTAVISH MYSTERY-BY T. A. mitchell.
Copyrighted. :s1s by Associated Literary Bureau

In the olden time when New York
was called New Amsterdam, when the
rotund Dutchmen Of Manhattan, in
creasing and multiplying, were spread
ing eastward on Long Island, meeting
the lean Yankee, also increasing and
multiplying. from Connecticut, there
lived on that coast q family named
MacTavish, but recently arrived from
bonny Scotland. Long Island in those
days was not crowded with settlers.
and the Indians were getting scarce.
The MacTavish family lived lonely
life. their home being built on rising
ground overlooking the ocean. All day
long they listened to the waves rolling
in on the sand aad watched the gulis
lowering over the water, every now
and again descending to pounce upon
some luckless fish. Farther out on the
horizon at rare intervals sail would
appear and while passing served to
lessen somewhat the loneliness, for,
though they could see only spot of
white canvas, they knew that there
were living human beings there.
| MacTavish was both farmer and fish
erman, giving his personal attention to
! the latter, while his wife and his eldest
son, Alex, attended to the former. The
bulk of the product both Of the farm
| and the nets. was consumed by the
| family, but MacTavish would occasion
ally in summer sail to New Amster-
| dam with a load of vegetables and
when the weather was cold enough to
transport fish would carry his hauls to
the same market.
One autumn he babe goodby to his
wife and children, intending to take a
cargo of potatoes and other vegetables
to Manhattan. They watched him sail
out OF the inlet where he kept his boat
and, riding the waves, grow less and
less in the distance till at last they
could see him no longer. Then Dame
MacTavish gathered her children about
her in the house, as she always did
when her husband went on his trips,
: to keep off the loneliness that persisted
= in stalking in as he sailed away.
MacTayish was usually absent a
week, sometimes more, sometimes less.
A week passed, and his family began
to look for his return. One, two, three
days more elapsed, and they saw moth.
ing of him. When two weeks had gone
by and he did not appear his wife be-
gan to worry, for he had told her to
look for him in from a week to ten
days. Still another week slipped by
and no sign Of the father of the fam
fly.
Mrs MacTavish. now thoroughly
alarmed, determined to go to New Am
sterdam to learn If her husband had
! been there. Her only route was by
land. and in those days there was nc
public conveyance. So the family
, horse was saddled, saddlebags were
, put on him. containing. besides cloth
, ing. a stock Of provisions, and leaving
Alex, boy of sixteen, in charge Of the
other children, she sailed forth on hel
9 quest.
Having reached the bank of the East
, river. leaving her horse. she was fer
ried across and proceeded to the house
! of Dietrich Van Worst, who, she knew
. | was accustomed to buy her husband:
y produce. There she met with shock
Van Worst told her that he had seer
nothing Of her husband. Had MacTav
! ish been there Van Worst would un
9 doubtedly have seen him, for the tow
, was then a mere cluster Of house!
gathered about the Battery
! Mrs. MTcTavish, though withOu
y hope of receiving a different answer
asked others the same question. NJ
one had seen MacTavish. What haC
become of him? The weather had beel
fair at New Amsterdam and at tn
= MacTavish home. There could hav,
u been no storm TO swamp the little boat
nor had there been any fog. The disap
!. pearance of the husband and fathe
was mystery.
There was nothing for the poor won
an to do but go back to her home ant
> wait. She started, hoping that sh
might find her husband there on he
= = arrival. She was disappointed. He hat
y neither come nor sent any word.
, Every day that passed added to TIL
encouragement of the mother and he
children. One day. a month afte
MacTavish had sailed away, neigh
Dor living some ten miles eastwarr
OF the MacTavishes went to New Am
sterdam. Hearing that he was going
she sent to him requesting him to max
inquiries in the town with q view O
getting news of her husband. TIL
traveller returned and said that Brit
ish ship had arrived and reported hay
ing seen off Sandy Hook a deserte
fishing smack, with nothing whateve
in her except few scattered potatoe
and onions. She was not considere
worth bringing in and left where sh
was. When last seen she was drift
ing southwark along the New Jerse
~ coast.
Is 1t was believed that this was MAJ
Tavish's boat. If so he must be aliv,
is But why had he deserted her? WEG
t. had he done with his stock of veg
re tables? And why had he not returne
Il to his home? In these days mems di
Oh appearances are usually attributed [
women's influence, and the missin
mans accounts are investigated. b
at that time the women were all ma
er ried and settled in their homes whe
ed very young, and their time was 8
spent in taking care Of their numerol
y