The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-05-30
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey
Company
CHAPTER XIV.

Il uhu bDOppeu EhIu1uB euLichy uOWp
and the south wind bad become a
warm and welcome reality. I
went down to the cove. As I had
rather expected, / found Bill johnson
there with his motor scow, the Merry
Widow, with her nose driven up on the
beach.
Bills father was Danish, / believe,
and his mother was a French Cana
dian. His speech is a combination Of
patols that he heard ut home.
"Quite a sea out there" I indicated
the lake.
''She shall run pretty high" replied
Bin, "but not so high like she do
awhile ago"
"Just come out for the ridef" /
queried.
aNo. The Merry Widow she bring
Cver a young man, a newspaper Teller.
He says he give me three dollars or I
wouldn't, by yimminy Christmas, do
IL. No, sare, not for two-ffty even I
shan't do It." Then he added, with a
slight wink, 'The sea she amt 81 high
now as / make him think"
~Do you know where H~untingdon's
island is?" / inquired, a vague plan OF
action forming itself In my brain.
"Sure / know him. She set owe yon
bout three mile, maybe four or two
and a half"
swell, the young man You brought
over here has decided to stay for an
hour or SO. While you are waiting l
want you to take me over to Hunting
don's and get Mrs. Green
"Mrs. Greeni What she do by Hunt
i~ngdon'sT
"T1l tell you later after ! think up
some interesting explanation. At pres
emit I shouldn't be, able to do the sub
ject justice. How about it2 VIII you
take me over thereT"
he hesitated.
Here's a dollar" I sSid. "nrhe
storm Is uuieting down n good deal,
and, anyhow. you know the Merry
Widow is the best sea boat ON the
lake"
The fiattery won him. What owner,
even OF the veriest motor m~onstrpslty,
lis not susceptible to praise bestowed
upon his darling.
~ guess she shall run all right. One
waive she shar't work yust SO good as
she ought, but ! got some wire. I fix
him up"
helped him shove of, and Bill tin
kered with the one cylinder machine
gun which propelled the barge until he
induced 1t to bark at irregular inter-
walls.
Have I forgotten TO mention that the
Merry Widow Is an open boat with no
su-perstructuro or canopy OF any sort?
III ! have. ret me state here that her
lines are very decullete, and a large
wave meets with little obstruction save
rue passengers when It starts 70 travel
rc .h - &c ssa-
''She shall be. by yimminy Christ
mas. sure choppy," Bill commented.
THE wind she shall haul to the south
and make cross waves
He was absolutely correct. AS o
as we left the mouth of the cove we
went through seme evolutions which
I would have said It was absolutely
assssaAE;ssia Tor aHaaa OF my build to
perform. I was favorably considering
the idea OF being seasick when a
larger wave than usual washed over
and struck the engine. Il expired
peecefufly en- the spot
what has happenedye i asked. with
q landsman'a justified terror.
The engine aas stopped. Bills
calm statement Of. the obvious exas-
perated me.
"Of course Il has stopped. Can we
ever start Il AGAIN."
The wave. she short circuit the
spark. See" Bill pointed, ''she all
wet" Ills enthusiasm as a lecturer
ON the gasoline engine made him for
get the lake outside.
IL was brought TO his attention by
n large uave which tipped us on our
beam ends and dropped BIN and my
self In an aIectionate group into the
stern Of the boat, where we were JOIN
ed presently by a collection OF oil
cans, wrenches. grease cans and other
marine impedimenta.
Bill removed his elbow from the Dit
Of my long since hopeless stomach and
scrambled 70 the engine.
"she hain't hurted q bit,r he an.
nounced Lend me your handker-
CHIEF
/ silestiy passed him the article he
desired. Ha carefully wiped on q
large mart OF the engine with II he.