Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-30

a.
blunt nosed. bargelike craft, it's upper
deck gay with red striped awnings
and boxes OF scarlet geraniums. A hat
less young man CARRIED in white with
his shirt sleeves rolled above brown
arms was peelinS potatoes in the door
way of the galley.
Every now and then the man lifted
a pair of fine brown eyes and scanned
the red bridge that crossed the river
hundred yards above the houseboat
Occasionally a farm wagon creaked
across or a touring motorcar flashed by.
The river was uneasy these days.
Successive spring rains had swelled it
until 1t was now rising beyond its
highest water mark. Almost imper-
ceptibly the brown waters crept to the
level of the banks, and the old bridge
was alarmingly close to the surface OF
the stream.
But the country folk were slow going
and not given TO borrowing trouble.
The Willow never had overiowed its
banks, and it never would. Often it
| had reached the floor OF the bridge,
only to subside when it's tributary
springs and streams had spilled out
their surplus share of the spring rains.
II had rained for weeks during this
June. and when the houSeboat crepr
up the stream and cast anchor under
the willows the weatherwise predicted
4 wet vacation for the luckless vor-
ager. They had watched the young
man spread his easel on the shady
! deck and paint the slanting rain on the
wheatfields or the sun peeping through
| the dripping willows or the Doggy cool
ness Of the farther shore.
| Noah Parker was enjoying this va
| cation as he had never enjoyed one
before. But there was feeling of I'M
easiness in the gradual rising Of the
| river, together with the newspaper &C.
counts Of the devastating foods in the
adjacent states.
! Hey, there" called voice from the
! bank. And Noah set down his pota-
! toes and went to the rail.
Hello, Simon" he called to the tow
headed farm lad. who held forth bas-
ket Of eggs. "Come aboard"
Simon timorously set one bare foot
on the narrow landing plank, placed
the other before It and finally reached
the deck, where Noah promptly yank-
ed him aboard, skillfully relieving him
| of the basket at the same instant.
1.-Two dozen for so cents. Simon I
feel like a robber," said Noah, diving
into his pocket and bringing up a fifty
cent piece Take this and keep the
change If there IS any way of spending
90 cents IN this benighted hamlet"
Simon caught the coin, grinned de-
lightedly and took the empty basket.
I'm going to treat Miss Molly to ice
cream" he confided blushingly.
"Ah. ha! Who is Miss Molly?"
"Schoolteacher. She's going to stay
all summer and teach again in Septem-
Der. She amt got any folks TO go
home to, and she's boarding at our
house. l wanted to treat her TO some
thing all winter. but, gosh hang it all,
! couldn't seem to save enough. When
ice cream sody was cents a glass
got 10 cents all to once, and on my
way home TO ask her | saw q sign in
the store saying it had gone up to 10
cents. So ! Jest gave it up But. by
cricky. if You wait long enough you
can get hold Of anything"
You like your teacher. eh?' asked
Noah.
Simons eyes shone "You betcher
life. Why, what do you think she's
doing, mister?"
"Give 1t up"
"Why. jest because me and Lem Pc
tiers and Susie Anderson couldn't sense
fractions and didn't pass our zamina-
tons last week, she's fixed up the old
boathouse yonder for schooroom,
and she helps us every afternoon with
them fractions. She wants TO help us
on grammar. but tell her don't need
II. Grammar don't bother me none;
DO you think SO, misterf"
Noah suppressed smile.
'Tt doesn't seem to, sonny"
"I'll tell her that, by gum. There
she is now! I'm going to ask her right
off. l wonder what Kind she'll take
what say" Simon paused on the
plank ard looked anxiously through
the torn brim of his hat at Noah.
Probably she'll choose strawberry
responded Noah gravely. as man tc
man, and Simon nodded sClemnly and
capered away toward the bridge where
q slender. blue gowned figure was
crossing toward the town.
Noah saw her stop and wait for the
lad. and he noted even from that dis
lance that her hair was dark beneath
her white hat and that her face was
softly oval. She put one hand on Nj
mons shoulder and swung her paraso
to the other side. Together they went
away. Once they paused, and Simon
pointed back at the hOuseboat. bu
Noah ducked into the kitchen. where
he proceeded to put the neglected 70
tatoes to boil.
"She must be a nice girl" he said t
himself as he washed up his dishes
! after the meal. and then he realized
with a hot blush, that unconscious,
he had been thinking Of Miss Moll-
for an hour and half
That Sight it rained heavily after
severe thunderstorm, and as morning
dawned Noah. lying wide awake. real
tied that the Ark. as he had named nj