Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-07-01

mad and seeing things that were not
so. At two, or whereabouts. he had
seen Martin, dirty, shabby, tired ana
had given him money on which to get
drunk. At seven, a yacht. which had
not been in Westhaven for over
week, carefully deposits the youth,
clean, fresh, well-dressed at his very
side. Was he mad?
Billy, too, mad seen, but did not Won
der. She knew he was tramp, for ne
had said he was, but she never
thought of him or pictured him other
than well-dressed, well-cared for,
gently blase and a bit languid. She
looked at him now over the heads or
the intervening crowd and her heart
did not question how he came there,
only rushed out to him with the glad
ness in her eyes, the joyous smile on
her parted lips. He had said he would
| come, and there he was. Further she
did not question. Their eyes met
over the heads of the people, eager
questioning in his. joyful answer in
hers.
Hastily he dropped the pup with
the sky-blue bow upon the wharf,
bled, and reaching Billy's side through
the crowd, grabbed both small hands
and stood laughing down at her.
Billy" he whispered, ''Oh. you
Billy"
| There was, there must be some ex-
PLANTATION, Bartlett told himself des-
perately. 1t could not be that this
was not Martin? Bartlett had not
slept with the youth for nearly a
week without being pretty familiar
with the long lank form, the thin,
careless face. And it was equally i'm
possible that the forlorn piece of hui
mainly who had stood that afternoon
in the drawing-room and inquired for
Billy was not Martin. They were one
and the same and once more he and
Billy had met on equal footing. To
ask the boy again to get drunk was an
sabsurdity.
Il suppose can give him q job
where he won't have much more to do
than draw his pay" thought Bartlett,
hopelessly, dazedly.
| The Watermelon dropped Billy's
hands and turned to her father in
well-bred greeting, but their eyes met
and in the Watermelon's was grim de-
fiance. He had seen Billy again and
nothing could part them now. All his
humility and repentance had gone.
and in their place was his old-time
| oIf
Fate in the form of little white dog
had brought him and Billy together
again, with the Watermelon, still
clean, still welldressed, and to all out
ward appearances the same as the
other gay youths of Billy's acquaint-
ance With head up, jaw shut, he
scorned to lower himself for anyone.
He would prove himself worthy. not
| unworthy of Billy. Out of his repent
ance had grown his manhood He
was no nameless hobo of the great
army of the unemployed. He was
Jeroboam Martin, son of the late
Rev. Mr. .Iartin, in temporary finan-
cial embarrassment that could be soon
remedied He would work for Billy
and they would be happy on his
wages. He drew himself up and held
out his hand. Bartlett could take it
or not as he pleased. The Water
melon had sought or desired no mans
favor, and Jeroboam Martin would not
| stoop to do SO.
| For one second the two stared at
each other grimly, square jaws shut,
lips unsmiling. then Bartlett's hand
shot forth and he clasped the Water
melons.
"Ah, Martin" said he. how are
you, boy?"
| And still holding him by the hand,
he patted the Watermelon on his arm,
iovially. After all he liked the boy,
and right or wrong, wise or foolish,
| fate was against any other action,
| fate In the form of half-drowned
poodle dog.
| The Watermelon rested his arm on
Bartlett's shoulder with boyish affec-
ton. "Say, Bartlett" said he in low
voice, 81 got drunk, honest to rights.
But it was SO blamed hot, / cooled off
in the ocean before knew what / was
| about and that sobered me up again.
Then l saw something fall from the
yacht and thought it was kid from
the noise they were making, not just
pup. / swan out to help and of
course they hauled me on board, and
now the widow is planning to marry
me-"
Bartlett roared. "Say, boy, er-er
maybe you need loan until l can
see about that job for YOU"
| Once more their eyes met and this
time in complete and tender accord.
You're all right" whispered the
Watermelon, his face softening. "And
don't you worry about Billy" he add
| ed, "I'Il take care of her.