Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-05-09
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laughter, the fresh sweep of the wind.
the high buccaneering piracy OF life
and joy-these things beglamoured
his senses.
So one day ne locked his desk with
a final click. The business was In
good shape. II is but justice to say
that If it had not been, Romance had
dangled her Turing wisp o light In
vain. Several of his new schemes had
worked out well, his subordinates
were Of one mind with him, trade was
fiourishing. He felt he could afford
a little spin.
Jimsy's radiating fancies focused
themselves, at last, on the vision OF
a trig little sail-boat, "a jug of wine,
! a loaf Of bread" in the cabin. with
possibly a book of verses underneath
the bow, or more suitably, in the
shadow Of the sail; and Aleck Van
] Camp and himself astir in the rigging
or plunging together from the gun
vale for an early swim. And before
/ get of, I'll hear a singer that can
sing" he declared
He telegrGphed Aleck, who was by
this time running down the eyelid of
the squid, to meet him at his club in
New York. Then he made short work
with the family. Experience had
taught him that an attack from am
bush was most successful
Look here, Edith"-this was at the
brsakfast-table the very morning Of
his departure. Edith was sixteen, the
tallest girl in the academy, almost
ready for college and reckoned quite
a queen in her world-"You be good
and do my chores for me while I'm
away, and I'll bring you home duke.
Take care of mothers bronchitis, and
keep the house straight. I'm going on
q cruise"
All right, Jim"-Edith could al
ways be counted on to catch the ball
Ego ahead and have a bully time
and don't drown yourself. I'll drive
the team straight to. water, mother
and dad and the whole outfit. trust
met"
Considering the occasion and the
correctness of the sentiments, Jim
forbore. for once, from making the
daily suggestion that she chasten her
language. BY the time the family ap-
peared, Jim had laid out a rigid
course of action for Miss Edith, who
rose to the occasion like soldier.
'Motherll miss you, of course. but
Jack and Harold"-two of Edith's ad-
mirers-"Jack and Harold can come
around every day-stout arm to lean
upon, that sort Of thing. You know
mother can't be a bit jolly without
plenty of men about, and since Sue
became engaged she really doesn't
count The boys will think they are
running things. Of course, but they'll
see my iron hand in the velvet glove
. you can throw blue chip on that
Jimsy And don't kiss me, Jim, for
Dorothy Smell and / vowed, when we
wished each others rings onEOh, well
brothers don't count"
And so, amid the farewells of ten.
der, protesting family, he got on
leaving Edith in the midst of one OF
her monologues.
There was a telegram in New York
saying that Aleck Van Camp would
Join him in three days, at the latest
Hambleton disliked the club and left
1t, although his first intention had
been to put up there. He picked out
a modest, uptown hotel, new to him
! for no other reason than that 1t had
a pretty name. The Larue. Then he
began to consider details.
The day after his arrival was occu
pied In making arrangements for his
boat He put into this matter the
same painstaking buoyancy that he
had put into a dull business fol-
twelve years. He changed his plans
half a dozen times. and exceeded then
wholly in the size and equipment oil
the little vessel. and in the conse
quent expense; but he justified him
. self. as men WILL by a dozen good
reasons. The trig little sail-boat
turned out to be a respectable yacht
steam, at that. She was called the
Sea Gull. Neat in the beam, stancf
, in the bows, rigged for coasting and
provided with a decent living outfit
che was good enough for any gentle
, man." in the opinion Of the agent who
rented her Jim was half ashamed a
giving up the more robust scheme O
sailing his own boat, with Aleck; bu
some vague and expansive spiri
| moved him ito see," as he said
what It would be like to go as far anC
| as fast as we please" While they
! were about it, they would call on som,
cousins at Bar Harbor and get gooC
fun out of II.
The idea of his holiday grew as b,
, played with it. AS his spin took oil
. a more complicated character, hi