Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-25


fere in my personal affairs"
''By the right of lovin' that boy of
yours, Cap'n, as you'd oughta loved
him yourself, if you'd had a heart in
your breast Std of only a piece O
machinery. How did / know? / was
at the hospital an heard the doctor
gammin' with you over the wire. |
know all about what you said. An
what's more, Cap'n, | know YOU
want yourself when you said it, Not
yourself, when you heard that bull
letin o distress an answered no.
You'll think 1t over, now, an you'll
say yes, won't you? Don't I see Blue
Peter at the masthead now, that says
you're ready to sail for Hull Street
under full canvass
"Never!" shouted Ninton, striking
the desk savage blow. His white
face, drawn in deeper lines than ever
until now, had set itself in mask
of inflexible determination. THE boy
mutinied. ] put him in irons. He
escaped and went oversize. / let him
sink, as l should have done; and If
he is about to perish as a result of
his own insensate folly, that is moth
ing to me-
The old shipmaster turned away to
sit down at his desk. but his one
time mate put determining hand on
his arm that shook as with palsy.
"Mutnied, you say" he queried.
You call that mu,iny. Cap'n? No
no. you're wrong. He just didn't
think the same as you done. that's
all. He just had different ideas from
yours about the course he wanted to
navigate his own craft-his own,
mind You. not yours. He sailed a
good course, Cap'n, even if it wasn't
| accordin' to your old style ideas an
was torpedoed for tryin' 10 take some
drowndin men off the wreck they'd
made of their own craft. Torpedoed,
but never surrendered. Cap'n. He's
goin' down with his colors nailed to
the masthead. Them amt the actions
of n mutineer, Cap'n. but OF "A good
an able seaman, an you know it"
mo matter. Jethro--I refuse"
mo, YOU don't, Cap'n. 1t amt right
to say that an mean it. In the old
days you done things right. an I
can't believe you're dom EN- wrong,
now. In them days, Cap'n, sailed
in your ships from Magellan Strait
to north o fifty three, an know the
kind of ships they was. an must be
now. Clean ships. Cap'n, an true
men. Holystoncd decks an no
scurvy, nor no buckle mates allowed.
You amt goin' to be buckle now,
are you?"
Stern was his eye OF blue. and ju-
diciaI the hand he laid on his gray
beard as he faced the shaking Vim
ton with this question that not all
the old shipmastei's trembling in
dignation could put away.
you was young man Cap'n, an
SO was l. when we sailed QUITO Bos
ton in the clipper Lillian Lee, bound
for the East Indies. to load clutch an
gambler. We're old men, now, both
OF us, and our life journeys has led
lis far apart. but we've still got pride
in that ship an Nall the others undor
the Vinton house flag. an in the way
they was manned an worked. Now
that we're both wearin' near out last
port. are we goin' ashore with the log
of our run, an show the Big Pilot
black blot on the last page? Are
you goin' to turn buckle now, Cap'n2
No sir. You're goin' to keep the log
clean. to the very end--you're goin'
to come along ONE, SIR, down there
to Hull Street"
Never"
you're goin', Cap'n, or I'll keelhall
YOU as never man was keelhauled,
You're goin'. or I'll drag you down
there with these Mere two old hands
o. mine, so help mel" With unshake
able purpose the mariner advanced
on his one-time captain, in whose
eyes the first tears were starting
that had been there for long. long
time-so long time that they had
all but been forgotten You're soin.
Coin to where he don't want to cast
anchor for the last time without feel
in your hand in his an hearin' your
voice say: Son o. mine, you're still
my boy, an l forgive you everythin'
an love You jest the same as If it
hadn't never happened!"
Face buried in his trembling hands,
thru the thin fingers of which the
tears Were now at last freely COurS-
ing. the old shipmaster stammered
brokenly:
It'll CO."
~ knew you would, Cap'n, in the
end" said Jethro. laying hand on
the bowed shoulder. II knew it
knew YOU was a Vinton STILL
you've won, Jethro. You've bat
tered down the hardness Of my heart,
and won. TIL 60"
"When? Now?"
Yves. Just as soon as I telephone
Bradford's mother to go to st.
Philips. too. God. Tell me. Jethro--
| is he's he really dying?"
II don't know, for sure. The doc
tor says he's sinlin' fast You amt
got no time to lose. Up-anchor,
| Cap'n, an let's be on our way. God
grant it amt too late for him to
know he's got a father still"
(To Be Continued.
JAPAN LEADS SILK INDUSTRY.