Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-06-05

Reading-room.
"Ah, good evening"
IF you are on your way to the
| Sailors Reading-room. l wish to in
form you that ] have been obliged to
lock up for tonight, on account OF an
| urgent errand at the village" Jimmy
| stared vacantly for a moment at the
| pale, washed-out countenance of his
| interlocutor. Il thought I'd tell you,
! the youth went on In his copy-book
style, so as to save your taking the
long walk am the librarian of the
| Reading-room
"Ah, thank you. But | wasn't go
ing TO the Reading-room tonight.
am on my way to the village"
i We'll, there's large majority of
people do go to the Reading-room,
first and last" the youth explained
with pride. And some of them are
not worthy of its privileges. l am on
my way now to prevent what may be
a frightful accident to one who has
enjoyed the benefits of our work
jim gazed at the youth. "A fright
full accident! Then why in Heavens
name don't you hurry?'
The youth exhibited slightly in
jured air. but did not hasten.
Il was just about to continue on my
way" he said, when It occurred to
me that you might be interested to
know"
That's good of you. But what is it
all about?"
Some time ago, very profane and
impatient gentleman, waiting for
money to be telegraphed him from
New York"
We'll, man, go on! Where is he?'
q know nothing about the move
ments of this ungodly person, but it
appears that today, for the first time
in its history, the quarry up yonder
has been robbed. Circumstances lead
the manager to suspect that this same
gentleman was the perpetrator of the
theft, and | am on my way to further
the ends of justice"
mo need to be so particular about
calling MIN a gentleman But what is
the accident likely to be?''
1T is feared that the thief may not
be aware of the nature of the article
he has stolen. and it is very danger
GUS"
What on earth is it?"
ut is a fairly large-sized stick of
dynamite"
The youth might have been discuss
ing fancy dance, so suave and polite
was he. Jim interrupted rudely.
Dynamite, is it? Good If it's old
Chatelard, he ought to blow up. Serve,
him right
I'm surprised and panied at your
words, my dear friend. No soul is
utterly"
Yes, it is. Which way did he go?
Where is he?"
81 don't know. The manager sent
me to inform the sheriff"
1T won't do any good. But you'd
better go, all the same"
The judge in chancery went on his
dignifed way. He would not have
hurried If he had heard Angel Ga
briefs trump. The news he had
brought was in the class to be consid-
cred important if true, but there was
nothing in it to alter Jimmy's plans.
He took the shortest cut to the shore.
found fat-bottomed punt that was
regarded by the village as general
property, and pushed off
The Sea Gull was a tidy craft, and
looked very gay with even the half of
her festival flags on view But the
gaiety did not beguile Jim's damp
ened spirits. He went aboard feeling
that he'd like to rip the idiotic things
down; but the yacht, at least, offered
a place where he could think. The
sunset light on the water blazed YER
milion--just the color that Jim all at
once discovered he hated. He looked
down the companionway, but finally
he decided to stretch out on deck for
d few minutes rest He was VERY
tired.
Off on the stern was a vague mass
which proved to be a few yards of
canvas carefully tented on the floor.
Some gimcrack belonging to the ships
ornamentation had been freshly gid
ed and left to dry, protected by an old
sailcloth. This, weighted down by a
rusty marlinspike. spread couehwIse
along the taffrail, and offered to Jim
just the Bad he longed for.
He lay down, face to the sky. and
gave himself up 10 thoughts that were
very dark indeed. He had been
thrown down. Unexpectedly and quite
hard, and that was all there was to 1t.
Agatha, lovely but inexplicable maid,
was not fer him. She had been re-
ceptive-yes that was the word; and
ne had been fool-that was the plain
truth. He might as well face It at
once. He had been idiot enough to
think he might win the girl, just be-
cause they had been tossed together
in mid-ocean and she had chung to
him. Tho world wasn't an ocean: it