Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-08
The Daily
Short Story
A REMiNISCENCE.
By Edward Z. Stewart

VA .aiSSiSoippi stSamuodl when tha
big stream was the only route betwsss
northwestern and southwestern eit;as
|, an octogenarian. made a trim fro.s,
Memphis to New Orleans when 7 NJ
10 years old. | can see far back in III
past the steamer like gigantic swas
coming down the bosom of III
stream float rapidly past the wharf
beat on which passengers intending h
go south on her were gathered. make
a graceful turn. and with steam sh,s
/ OF slowly approach against the Cur.
rent, while cables were thrown from
her. with which to make her fast.
A number Of years after this trim
when the railroad was built along Ma
sissippi's eastern bank and most Of tbs
mammoth boats had given place 10 ths
railway TAIN. | made another trim
| this time from Baton Rouge on ons
OF these steamers that was still RIM.
ming. We stopped at a landing which
had been used by huge plantation. I'm,
now served principally a small town
a middle aged man in typical southern
dress came aboard. As he was mount.
ing the staircase leading up to the cab-
| ins colored porter took his hand hay.
gage from him.
"Howdy, Marse Morgan" said the
| darlkey grinning from ear to ear. !.
The gentleman looked at him. spr.
prised that he should be called b,
name. for he didn't remember ever
! having seen the Negro before.
"Yo' don't remember me. do va
( 8Iarse Morgan? But reckon yo' re.
member this boat | TUX yo' hand bar.
gage de d3g 20 come aboard when we
ief' dis very wharf on de down trim
mon ten years ago; de time yo' run
away with Colonel Jeffries' daugh.
( ter"
"Why Sam, yo' black rascal Yo'
dent mean TO say you've stuck to this
boat ever sinee?'
Il fef' her durin' the war. Couldn't
run in dem days; too much tighten.
When dat was over and she started
up again come back to her.
Well, we'll So this is the same
boat | made my wedding trip on I
would never have known her She
was a beauty in those days; not the
rusty old tub she is now"
! The darkey carried the gentleman S
7 baggage TO the cabin where the dia-
iogue was renewed.
Sam, you rascal, I'm mighty glad
to see you again" said Morgan. That
was sharp fight l had for my wife
The colonel came near plugging me
Poor man. q Yankee bullet got hin
during the war. But we made UP al
+ right on the boat and he gave US hi:
blessing. dear old hap.c I always re
GREETED taking OFF his left ear; but i
+ couldn't be helped"
BY this time several persons hsi
=. gathered round and one of them asket
Tor an explanation Of what the twt
were talking. about Whereupon Nor
San gave the story
; 1T was this way" he said. y wa
, d frequent visitor at the plantation Q
Colonel Jeffries, whose daughter lisa
bel was 16 years old, being 90 Tn
! colonel said to me one day: 'TOmm!
I'm quite fond of you. but it doesn'
suit ME to consider yo' for son-in
: law. Sheer oil from Isabel.
j hadn't thought of asking for th
, young iady's hand for / knew / wash
worthy OF her, but when the colons
: said I couldn't have her il made n
g mad. The colonel had told her tina
she mustn't make match with me an
this stirred in her the perEersity @
: her adorable sex. We put our head
p together and resolved to take our de
din
/ downstream for New Orleans.
This boat was the first and I va
watching for it. The minute ] say
her 10 miles up stream I notified lisa
bel She secretly prepared for tn
bridal excursion and when the boa
had taken on a hundred bales Of cotto
she and ! fitted down to the wharf
] beat like a pair Of swallows. Som
contemplate person saw Isabel leaY
y The house and ran off to warn he
; father"
i saw yo' comm" interrupted San
''and the colonel comm too. He no
his gun in his hand ready
y saw him, continued the mar
rator We had got up the stairs
the cabin and had gone out on to
guard. The colonel saw US and befo
could get my gun from my pocket b
: let drive at me from the wharfbpa
= III bet | can find the bullet hole on
there now. As soon as he had FIRE
Isabel and l stepped inside, the col
onel boarded the boat and came uI
stairs to the cabin / was silly eneug
Z TO shoot at him and cut off his ear.
: "By this time the captain OF IN
. beat who heard the firing came up an
i stepped between the colonel and MI
Isabel chung TO me and told he
father it was useless to try TO sepa'
ate US.
We'll. there was an argument Dc
" tween father and daughter while So
bound up his wound with her hand
r kerchief. She finally brought hll
round parson was found among %
passengers and Isabel and were ma
- ried The colonel persuaded us to
ashore and get something of wee
: ding outfit and take another boat IL
our honeymoon trip"
An I toted yo's carpet bag on
!, boat" said Sam
! by the by. the cotton taken aboal
: belonged to the colonel, ana he ga
:, it to his daughter for wedding git