Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-12-03
THIRD INSTALLMENT
THE FAILURE
CHAPTER XII.
May the Best Man Win.


Neal Hardin, clad in his life-saving
a1niform, sat upon the gunwale of his
lifeboat, gazing seaward-ever sea-
ward. He was seeing visions-always
visions of the sea. He caught An
nette's hand in his own. He turned to
her.
Annette he cried, 1--WE got to do
tt can't help it. 1t calls to me-the
sea. It's in my blood"
The girl smiled-a bit sadly per-
haps. But her eyes glowed. She re-
turned the pressure of Meals hand
with her warm, strong, girlish grasp.
tits in your blood" she repeated,
-''your father was hero of the sea
he saved me-you saved me, Neal.
You've got to CO."
"You-want me to?" he asked.
Eyes, / want you to-"
"Tll 60" said Neal.
The girl held in her right hand a
anewspaper-the current issue of the
local Seaport weekly. 81 saved this
just for you. Look. Read it, Neal,
she said She pointed to an item on
the first page.
CONGRESSMAN PRIME AN
NOUNcES PRELIMINARY AN
NAPOLIS EXAMINATIONS.
Congressman James J. Prime of Sea-
port announces that the preliminary
examination for candidacy for Annap-
oils finals will be held at the High
School here on Thursday next at a.
m. The congressman's privilege is
Omitted to but one appointment. May
the best man win.
Its your chance, Neal" said the
girl. She placed a hand upon his
shoulder, and at her touch the blood
ran through mis- veins like wine.
You're the best man, Neal" she
whispered, always the best man.
You're bound to win"
Congressman James J. Prime was a
Seaport man-and the biggest man in
that shore town. He had sprung from
bodybuilding, seafaring ancestors; he
knew seagoing folk; he liked them.
And he liked the sea. And the pleas
ATTEST thing he did, he was wont to
tell his friends, was to recommend
clear-eyed, clean limbed young fellows
for Annapolis. At the very time that
Annette and Neal were sitting in the
lifeboat gazing seward, the congress
man was at the post office, surrounded
by circle of old cronies, holding forth
upon the navy. AS he talked he exam
lined his mail, opening it with clumsy
forefinger. He had mail aplenty -
small envelopes and big ones, long
and short. Three times he dropped a
letter, once he dropped a check -
somebody picked them up for him.
Then, unknown to himself, and I'M
seen of anyone about him, he acct
dentally dropped something else upon
the fioor-a long, folded printed paper.
He didn't miss it; and when Congress
man James j. Prime moved off in the
direction of his home, human being
slouched over to that corner, placed a
concealing foot upon the folded paper,
struck match and lit cigarette,
STOPPED suddenly and with nicotine
stained fingers, picked up the docu-
ment.
The concealing foot and the nico-
tine-stained fingers belonged to a
young and sporty gentleman of the
name of Joey Welcher.
He thrust the document into his
pocket and then, he too, moved off to
some less public place. When he
reached place less public, he exam
ined his find. He was disappointed at
first. He was prepared for anything
of interest. But he was disguised when
ne opened the document and read Its
headlines:
Questions and Correct Answers to
be used In Preliminary Competitive
Examination for Congressional Ap-
continent District of New Jer-
sew. for Navy Academy, AEnapolin.
Duplicate.
1t didn't interest him. but he glanced
over its contents: then thrust 1t into
lis hip pocket and went his way
smoking cigarette.
CHAPTER XII.
The Spider and the Fly.