The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-22
A HERO
INDEED
A Happening at Ounce
Harbor
BY CLARISSA MACkIE

have been brought up as one people,
and when anything happens here We
all have To- hear about It Perhaps t
there were newspapers published every
day for us to read about what Is going
on In the big world we would be less
interested In each others affairs.
Captain Barnsbas Fish--every man.
who owns boat. be 1t motorboat Of
tug, Is called captAin-has the principal
sense OF huTuor among us, and when
there Is nothing to do and the fisher
men. their wives and daughters get
together, dependent on one another for
amusement we usually rely on the
captain 10 aejp us out
One evening just before supper a
lot OF US were at Captain Ftsh's when
some one said that nothing had been
going on In the village lately and It
would be relief even II thered be a
fire or something 70 wake US up
Captain Barnabas Fish slowly filled
his pipe and packed the tobacco tight.
ly In the bowl with one huge thumb.
His weather beaten countenance was
always barometer Of his mental con.
dition. and now. as watched his blue
eyes twinkling merrily, while his gen,
erous mouth endeavored 10 keep ttset
straight and In proper order | scented
interesting happenings in Ounce Har
Dor village
Mrs. Fish was sewing rags for car.
pet which she said was much needed
In the spare bedroom, which | as pay.
Ing guest was occupying after my Gus
tom. and ! was sitting idly enjoying
the lovely panorama of the village
smuggling among the hills that ran
down to the harbor. which was half
embraced by lines OF sandy bluffs
Captain Barnabas emitted IA throaty
chuckle, Maria Fish glanced at him
sharply and inclined my best ear In
his direction
For the land sake, Barnabas Fish
what's the matter?" calculated Maria
at last You've been actin all morn.
In as II you was chuck full Of some
thin funny and was dyin' to tell il
out Did anything happen at the en-
CINE eompany's meetin' last night"
Captain Barnabas scratched a match,
lighted his pipe and pulled slowly for
several moments
ut was something / heard at the
meeting" he admitted; something that
happened TO Ananias Slime"
Why Is H." ! asked. with interest.
that wherever Ananias Slime is things
begin to happen right away7"
because he's SO deceitful and cat.
footed that he's always making trou,
BILE for somebody" was Maria's prompt
answer
Likewise amusement," added Cap
tain Harna has-"It seems this happeu=-
ed last week while we was over to
camp meeting at Rock hrook. SO we
missed IT, | WAS in the bank the very
next morning and as came out Anan-
las was polishing the front windows
! thought he looked mighty sour, and.
says / in kind OF a joking way. What
you been up TO now, Ananjas| And
ne turned on me like a spiteful little
car, and, says he, None Of your gol-
darned business" SO | shifted my
helm and steered clear OF him, but
knew something had happened TO up
act him, That night he came TO me
for help but he was close mouthcd
about bis trouble
Last night AZ the engine house
when the meeting was over some OF
EN- got TO telling stories about fires
and all TO once they fell to laffing At to
no fnS IL, he
w!ddNr ROwelfs house the night We
was over 10 Rock ybrook camp meet
Ing, so me. not being there and no.
knowing about 1t, the chief told me the
story. and 1t explains why Ananias Is
so GUM Just now and why he looks on
al the world AZ his enemy.
ITO begin. It seems that the w,ddnr
has staying with her woman can
vasse- from Little River. her name
being Phoebe Pringle. and for looks
shes quite trim sailing little craft
not so tubbv as the widder-with a
tongue as sharp as her shoulder blades
and little black eyes that snap you up
sharp"
"She came here interrupted Maria,
threading her needle Miss Telham,
you remember that impudent little
gossip that tried to sell me a cookery
beek-me who can cook all around
anybody who ever wrote cookery
book
remembered the episode OF the can
vasser. and had enjoyed her battle
Of wits with Maria Fish, who Justly
prided herself on her culinary trl-
umphs
We'll. II seems Ananias met this
Miss rringie three times a day vt the
widder's hOspitable board. as they say
in story books" went on the genial
captain and her being kind Of fas-
cinating ss well as some younger
than the widder. who considers her
sett engaged 10 Ausutas. s'pose you
know. ma am. ard the Pringle woman
being fascinating
''Humph" shifted Maria scornfully