The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-11-23
ssCAP'N ERI''
By Joseph Lincoln, Copyright 1904, by A. s. Barnes Co.
NEXT WEEK "THE CITY OF DAYS. BY Francis Lynde

tie money, but not enough, as II
turned out. Well, he was took
down sick and had to give up goin'
to sea, and we had little place
over in Nantucket, and settled
down on 1t. What little we'd saved
went for doctors bills and this,
that, and t'other. He didn't like
to have me leave him, so couldn't
earn much Of anything. and n'lly
We come to where somethin' had
to be done right away, and we
talked the thing over and decided
to mortgage the house. The money
we got on the mortgage lasted un-
til he died.
81 went out nussin' and did
SEWN and got along reel well. |
kept thinkin' some day I'd be able
to pay off the mortgage and l put
away what little 1 could towards
it, but then / was took sick and
| that money went.
"Then ledge Briar, the man
who held the mortgage, died, and
his nephew up to Boston come
into the property. l was behind
in my payments a little, and they
sent me word they should fore
close the mortgage and they did,
"Well, l swan! The mean
sculpins! Didn't you have nobody
you could go to; no relations nor
nothin'?"
I've got a brother out in Chi
cago, but he married rich and his
wife doesn't care much for her
husbands relations.
80 they foreclosed the mort
gage, and gave me notice to move
out. / packed my things and set
down to wait for the wagon that
was goin' to move me. l got to
thinkin' and / got SO lonesome and
discouraged that l jest cried.
couldn't help 1t. But I've never
found that oryin' did much good,
so / wiped my eyes and looked for
somethin' to read to take up my
mind. And that Chime paper was
what / took up.
"You see, there'd been big ex-
cursion from Boston down the day
before, and some of the folks come
down my way to have a sort OF
picnic. Two of 'em, factory girls
from Brockton, come to the house
for a drink of water. They were
gigglin', foolish enough critters,
! but | asked 'em in, and they eat
their lunches on my table. They
left two or three story papers and
that Chime thing when they went
away.
well, I looked It over, and al
most the first thing I saw was that
advertisement signed Skipper" 1t
didn't read like the other trashy
things in there, and it sounded
honest. And all of a sudden 1t
come over me that I'd answer 1t.
was lonesome and tired and sort
of didn't care. and l answered II
right off without waitin' another
minute. That's all there is to tell
When I come here to be house
keeper l wrote the folks that's
takin' care of my furniture
they're reel kind people; i was go.
in to board there If I had stayed
in Nantucket-to keep 1t till
come back. There! meant tc
tell you this long ago. and I dom
know why l haven't"
The Captain knew why she
hadn't. 1t was easy to read be
tween the lines the tale of tn,
years of disappointment and anx
iety. Such stories are not easy Il
tell, and he respected the widow
more than ever for the simple way
, in which she had told hers. H,
: was about to speak when he wa,
: interrupted.
i. Fri" said a weak voice. "Eri.
i Mrs. Snow hurried to her pa
/ tient. but the latter inpatient,
. babe her let him alone.
mot you" he said, 81 wan
Fri"
Captain Err stopped down be
side the bed.
i What is II, john" he asked.
But the sick man muttered al
unintelligible something, and re
lapsed once more into the half
doze, half-stupor that was hi
usual state.
Captain Err sighed in relief.
THAT was queer, want lit" h
observed.
Hes had two or three OF thos
spells in the last day or two," wa
the answer.
The Captain wondered what hi
friend might have said durin
those spells" but he was afrai
to inquire.
They were silent for q while
watching the sick man, who's
sleep or stupor. was not as tran
quill as usual. Two or three time
his eyes opened. and he muttere
audibly.
Il never saw him SO restles