The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-03-04

general council at Boston, which. how
ever, had not been Of sufficient mo-
ment TO abstract him from Corinth.
He listened to Mrs. Blagden's confess
sion, then called In his wife for a three
sided consultation in which the clerical
their best-paying ~parishioner; and
later on, proposed that h give him
until the next Thursday evening to
consider the case.
After inviting the minister and his
wife to dine with her on the coming
Thursday, Mrs. Blagden felt somewhat
easier in her mind. She felt, somehow,
that God would step into the breach.
| To the best of her recollection He had
never failed her-that is to say, He
had not failed her since she came to
Corinth. Sometimes she looked back
upon her dancing days in New York,
and wondered II they were real. They
must AVE been, for she had succeeded
In getting Horace's consent to let
| Chetywnd attend dancing school. 1t
was for the sole purpose, I believe, Of
making him graceful.
The old seaman who kept the upper
road gate to the grounds belonging to
the home on the point was Eric's par
ticular friend and crony. The ancient
1 WAS TdIneT CHdTy dDOul lclllIlB Cull-
dren inside h grounds unless accom-
panied by parents or nurses. He had
grown, however, to like the manly,
straightforward little Midthorne boy
and his pretty, baby-faced sister. They
were always welcome. Other children
hooted at him when he refused them
admission. Eric had said to him once,
on being turned away: .r
Pm sorry, major. Perhaps IL / come
again some other day you'll let me in
to watch the squirrels. Good day, sir"
There were three things in this very
I tactful speech that operated In Eric's
favor. First the politspess Of 1T sec
ond, the Wistfulness OF 1t; third, the
grandeur Of II. Jabez Carr had been
a captains mate, 1t is true, but he had
never been by way Of acquiring such a
magnificent title as major" 1t oc-
Cured to him at once that the boy was
not of Corinth. No Corinth lad would
have called him a major. He remem-
bered that the southland is full Of ma
jors. 1t was not for a small boy to
know that the sea does not produce
majors.
So Jabez said, relenting a bit: You
come from the south, don't you,
sonny?" u.
Eyes, sir" said Eric. II was born in
Georgia"
II thought So" said Jabez.
II am Mr.. Blagden's nephew, and this
Is my sister, Mary" Mary courtseyed
to the old sailorman.
II love squirrels" said she.
Come around tomorrow" said ia
be- genially. 49,. .".'. r.. '
Thank you, major" cried Eric.
Thank you. major" piped Mary.
That was the beginning of a friend
ship that grew to something akin to
devotion. JabeZ experienced a great
| daaI NJ trouble af first in QIIhdninD "a
natural inclination to nautical exple-
tives, harmless before the mast, but
very much out of place In the presence
Of a young person in p~inafores. He was
surprised to find how readily his verbs
submitted to the new influences, al
though he would a been surprised
to have heard them described as verbs.
The two children stole away fire.
quently after school hours, or during
the protracted summer vacation, to
pay sly visits to the delighted old Ia
liner. He repaid them out Of the
stores of an unbounded imagination.
His tales Of the sea; his hair-raising
encounters with pirates, cannibals,
sharks and "h'ants;" his countless
wreckes and ~rescues; his wonderful
experiences in snatching beauteous
young ladies (an OF whom were
Of the nobility, from infamous buc-
cancers; his life in the very island
that Robinson Crusoe inhabited;
his descents to the bottom Of the
sea in quest Of Davy Jones;
his-but why go on? Jabez possessed
an imagination far superior to mine.
In fact, he never knew until then Just
low magnificent 1t was, and 10 was
very greatly pleased with himself. He
used to lie awake nights, thinking up"
lies for their delectation, and then he
would AYE to remain unusually wide
awake during the daytime to avoid
contradictions. Eric had caught him up
sharply in enc or two Of his earlier
lapses, and he experienced q sense of
deep humiliation on finding himself SO
defective.
His gravest slip vas in regard to
an almost simultaneous action under
Lord Nelson at Trafalgar and Admiral
Farragut at Mobile. He was at nee
forced into a deep wonder m an I'M
easy respect for Eric's knowledge Of
history. Moreover, was n day con-
founded by the boys damning declar-
alton that he must be nearly two hun
dred years old to have engaged in all
OF the transactions mentioned.
1t was to old Jabez that Eric went
after waiting in vain for a renewal Of
Mrs. Blagden's attack on his fathers
honour. On the afternoon of the day
that the minister and his wife were
to dine with them. the boy decided to
make specific inquiries of the old sea-
man. ..
He went about it n~ervously, but de-
terminedly. ...
Uncle Jabe." he began, after pro-
curing the old mans pipe and tobacco
from the shelf n the watch house, did
you know my mother2"
CONTINUED paxt waakN