The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-01-07

Out shoS ONCiHdi
Now f1sh-chowder-his particular
variety of Acknowledgement the pride
Of fat Evie Bishops simple heart.
Any one who maligned that chowder
touched Evie on the quick.
THE boys seem to relish that chow
der pretty much" said Evie with cold
and crushing scorn.
well, don't" snapped Tom. 1--WE
EFT chOwder till I'm ashamed to look
a decent fish in the face"
There's them as says they couldn't
never git enough Of that chowder."
Evie declared with pride
well. that amt me-" growled Tom
Seems to me it's time we had some
thin else for supper once in a while"
whats the matter with the chow
der make?" Evie demanded, and his
! tones made the question a challenge.
Tom shrugged his big shoulders and
threw out his hands. palms upward, in
despairing gesture.
What amt the matter with it
would be simpler way of putin it,"
said he.
The blood surged into Ewes thick
neck, and thence to his leathery
cheeks.
Don't you 60 to malignin' my Wit
Ties" he said hoarsely. That's
good chowder. I've been told by any
quantity of folks that my chowders
was the best they ever EFT. It's only
ignorammersuses like you that ever
finds fault with it-folks that amt
never been used to nothin', anyway
block-headed ignorammersuses, that
can't even read" he emphasized his
most telling shot,
With his nose high in the air, he
swept grandly past Tom Dennie and
into the little forecastle
Tom waited there until Evie, grin.
ming maliciously at the way his shot
had gone home, came out of the FORE
castle again.
In a moment Toms big fingers were
gripping tightly the cooks left fore
arm.
Say, yer wanter take that back
that yer jest said about me-about
my bein ignrunt," he Kissed.
|. Huh! do-do I? Yer can't even
30 much as read" the cook tainted
again.
You eat them words of yourn-
you eat 'em right now!" bawled Tom,
giving the arm a more excruciating
twist.
Evie still had the big coffee.pot in
his hands. Now he lifted it quickly
and turned good pint Of the scald-
ing fluid onto the back of the hairy
hand that was twisting his arm.
With yowl of rage Tom caught up
an iron capstan bar. What he might
have done with 1t there Is no telling
but at that moment the skipper, at.
tracted by the uproar, came pokine
out Of the cabin
Here! What's goin' on here?" he
roared. mo fghtin', now. What's
the trouble between you two? Dror
that bar, Tom! Drop 1t, I say! And
you, cooky, stop a menacin' of hin
with that coffeepot. Now you git into
yer galley: and you, Tom. 60 into the
focastle and git yer supper"
I'll git that darned cook before In
DONE" Tom threatened to the mel
about the table. Jest went and seal
me, he did"
. The fishing was good that trip. II
, five days time they were running
for T wharf with full fare. The.
| swept past the lightship just afte
dark.
. Tom Dennie, tumbling aboard afte
/ the last of the mooring-lines wer,
fast, almost collided with Evie Bish
OPP. just coming out of the galley. Fo
a moment they glared at each other
Then the cook spoke.
'Tom," he said. I'VE been a chew
in away at each other and neithe
one gittin' any satisfaction. Whatte
yer say II me and you goes ashor,
and settles this man to man fashion
y If wallop you. you buy me the bes
. dinner I can eat up to Cotter's, II
Dock square, and II YOU put 1t owe
! me I'll buy the dinner for you. Is
: go?"
"Yer bet it's a CO." said Tom witt
Z alacrity.
T wharf is no place for settlin
Z such difficulties, so they poked dow
) the avenue, crawled through the gat
!. Of a wharf below, found an ideal lii
) tie spot. even enough and properl
2 lighted. and peeled off their coats.
! There was a moment of caution
z circling: then they closed. The neal
8 by freight-sheds echoed to grunts an
z half-choked oaths and thudding blows
. The cook drew first blood on Tom
: nose, but a moment later he spat fort
two of his front teeth. Then q Dol
of lightning, or a cannon-ball, or
mule kick, or something Of the sol
caught him full on the jaw.
: When the whole solar system ha
ceased to sparkle before his eyes an
= he scrambled weakly to his feet a,
other bolt of lightning-or was 1t
14-lnch shell?-caught him once NOR
Tom stopped and pulled the cook
\ his none too steady pins.
4 Now yer can buy me the feed. II
= hungry for q good feed" said he