The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-10-15
OLD Ben BOLT
The Prize He Won and What
He Thought He Would
Lose.
BY MYRA NORTHCLlFF.

Ai4S name WISH Olu Den Doll, Dut
everybody called him that, and stran.
gers accepted it Oh the spot as singu-
larly appropriate, for Captain Jim
Staybolts honest. kind blue eyes, his
brown face and closely curling hair
and his masterfu yet good natured
mouth made him indeed seem the en-
bodiment of the famous Ben Bolt of
the salt sea gale"
he wasn't old at all, though he
thought himself aged and beyond all
the dreams of youth because he had
just turned thirty-fve. But then he
had always had an abnormal modesty
about his own masculine Charms.
His head, albeit of pepp r and salt,
! was filed with practical good sense
that had brought him up rom fisher
man to superintendent and part owner
OF the Grantson companys big feet Of
smacks.
He had his office in the cubby of n
water stitled shanty at the end of the
pier, and Its window looked directly
| across ut certain young woman
named Kate. dealing ont candy. or
anges and cheap cigars to the rolling
crews of the boats.
There was standing joke among
the boys how the smoking habit took
hold of everybody after he saw Kate
1t never got t. her ears. though. Cor
Notwithstanding the randy nid cigars
there was II iiir .itie .il" uf retiren''p
about the llri a'rr Wl. i ~ one ever
stepped. not ct.u utuh ..u.g nor, t.,
vallleSt alid i..,i .'.'il! fellow that
! ever trUl .-..l., Le, X. But her
pretty hl!Slts and shining eyes gave
the clew TO her preference, and Ray.
nor, who frequently consumed his en-
tire wait buying a cigar, could not
have been said to discourage the i'm
preston.
1t is true the boys joked, but the ma
jprity Of them swore as well, for the
handsome Raynor bore no immaculate
reputation among them.
"Cuss itr said Dick Pearsall, mate
of the Osprey schooner, savagely one
night. why is 1t woman can never
see an inch from her nose when she's
daffy on man?'
"Marryin' takes that out Of 'em.
though" laughed old Captain Brown,
who was on honorable drydock after
fifty years Of cod and halibut
Margin" sneered the mate of the
dandy, well built smack Lucinda V.
"Marryin'! Raynor looks like a mar
ryin' man. don't he? amt no masher
myself, but | tell you that smarty is
just tryin' to show off before us fel-
lows. Marry her! Even if he wanted
to he amt fit to wipe her old shoes
on"'
Nobody dissented. There were
tongues in the fishing port that did not
hesitate to declare that Raynor's skill
as fisherman was far inferior to the
art with which he could wreck coast
ers for living when the owners got
tired Of paying insurance and decided
that it was time to collect some in
stead.
"All the same, he told me it was
fixed up between 'em," insisted Cap.
tain Brown. That's tellin', l s'pose
but he didn't say as there was any.
thing private about it"
Unnoticed by the men, Captain Jim
Staybot had come up in time to catch
the last words. He stopped a moment
in the shadow Of column. When he
moved on his face looked gray and
drawn in the uncertain light
Get ready to take the Osprey and
the Lucinda out next tide" he said
evenly. We'll have 'em unloaded in
three hours more and ready for sea
again"
He went back, and the group broke
up. Pearsall as he turned caught a
glimpse of his superior's face and won
dered vaguely if "the boss" We're i'll.
With fine sense of honor, Captain
Jim himself had refrained from look
or word that might compromise Kate
but the memory of chance touch of
her fingers once when she passed back
his change still sent thrill over him.
Since that day she had grown under
his eyes to be the one desirable thing
of his life.
He knew enough Of Raynor to de
spise the man. Time and again ht
had all but prayed he might get actua
cause for interference. Now the shat
tering Of the dream seemed less his
blunder than a crime.
A week afterward Kate's old father
was struck by falling block and laid
on his bed, helpless for life. Hel
mother fell i'll of typhoid. The super
intendent saw the bloom fade from tn,
girls cheeks, to return only when Ray
nor appeared, and that in nervou.
flush. He grew hot and cold alternate
ly at the air of careless proprietorshiI
the latter had lately assumed. Ther
suddenly the man announced that h'
was going away.
Hank has got ship" Captain jim
heard Kate confide to another girl
Its schooner running out of Soutl
Amboy for Norfolk, and the owners
have promised him raise in a few
months, and then. If father and mothe
are able to be moved
Captain Jim lost the rest, but sharl