Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1916-04-27

training had made him sternly practi-
cal and prosaic. Ships aroused no
manner of enthusiasm in him except
as means to an end. Railroads had no
glamor of romance i'll his eyes, for,
having built a number Of them, he had
outlived all poetic notions regarding
the Iron horse" and once the rails
were laid he was apt to lose interest
in them. Nevertheless he was almost
poetic in his own quiet way, inter-
weaving practical thoughts with fanci-
full visions, and he loved his dreams.
He was dreaming now as he leaned
upon the bridge rail of the Nebraska
peering into the gloom with watchful
eyes. From somewhere to port came
the occasional commands of the officer
on watch, echoed instantly from the
inky interior of the wheelhouse. Up
oversize rose the whisper OF rushing
waters; from underfoot came the
rhythmic beat Of the engines far be-
low. O'Neil shook off his mood and
began to wonder idly how long it
would be before Captain Johnny would
be ready for his "nightcap."
He always Travelled with Johnny
Brennan when he could manage it, for
the two men were boon companions.
O'Neil was wont to live in Johnny's
cabin or on the bridge. and their night
ly libation to friendship had come to
be q matter of some ceremony.
The ships master soon appeared
F,n,~ &ho ~ID1~-,~ ~ 1I~xk %rs~ -,1-
with gray hair.
Come" he cried; Its waiting for
US"
O'Neil followed into Brennan's lux
urious, well lit quarters, where or a
mahogany sideboard was q tray holding
decanter, siphon and glasses, together
with a bottle Of ginger ale. The cap
tain, after he had mixed a beverage
for his passenger, opened the bottle
for himself. They raised their glasses
silently.
"Now that you're past the worst Of
it," remarked O'Neil, y" suppose you'll
urn in. You're getting old for a hard
run like this, Johnny"
Captain Brennan snorted. "Old?
I'm a better man than you. yet. I'm q
teetotaler, that's why. l discovered
long ago that salt water and whisky
don't mix"
O'Neil stretched himself out in one
Of Brennan's easy chairs. Really"
he said. ~ don't understand why a
ship carries a captain. Now, Of what
earthly use to the line are you, for in
stance, except for your beauty, which,
no doubt, has it's value with the wo-
men? I'll admit you preside with some
grace at the best table in the dining
salon, but your officers know these
channels as we'll as you do. They could
make the run from Seattle to Juneau
with their eyes shut"
Indeed they could not. and neither
could L."
ooh, well, Of course I have no re-
spect for you as a man, having seen
you without your uniform"
The captain grinned in thorough en-
joyment of this raillery. CPL say moth
ing at all of my seamanship," he said,
%relapsing into the faintest Of brogues,
"but there's no denying that the mas
ter Of a ship has many unpleasant
and disgusting duties to perform. He
has to amuse the prominent passengers
who can't amuse themselves, for one
thing, and that takes tact and patience.
Why, some people make themselves at
home on the bridge, in the chart room,
and even in my living quarters, to say
nothing of consuming my expensive
wines, liquors and cigars"
Meaning me?"
I'm Il brutal s%eafaring man, and
you'll have to make allowances for my
we'll known b~rusqueness. Maybe I did
mean you. But I'll say that next to
you Curtis Gordon is the worst CRATER
1 ever saw"
"You don't like Gordon, do you?"
O'Neil queried with a change Of tone.
II do not! He went up with me
again this spring, and he had his
widow with him too"
ellis widow"
"You know who 1 mean-Mrs. Ge-
r They say It's her money he's
using in his schemes. Perhaps it's be-
cause Of her that I don't like him"
"Ah-h! 1 see."
"You don't see, or you wouldn't grin
like III ape. I'm a married man. I'll
have you know, and I'm still on good
terms with Mrs. Brennan, thank God.
But I don't like men who use women's
money, and that's just what our friend
Gordon is doing. What money the
widow didn't put up he's grabbed from
the schoolma'ams and servant girls
and society matrons in the east. What
has he got to show them for it,"
"a railroad project. a copper mine,
some coal claims
"Bah! A menagerie of wildcatsw
"You can't prove that. What's your
reason for distrusting him?"
"Well, for one thing, he knows too
much. WHY. he knows eyerythino ha