Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-03-24

quaintance she had been growing In
creasingly fond Of Geary for nearly a
week she had been desirous Of calling
him Bill, which is a comfortable name
and, to Dolores, way Of thinking. a pc
culiarly appropriate cognomen for
such distinctly American young man.
At mention of the beloved word he
glanced down at her pleasurably.
',Thank you" he said. 'I'm glad You
got around to it finally. Those that
love me always call me Bill"
''You called me Dolores"
II move we make it unanimous. I'm
foe to formality."
Second the motion, Bill. So am r.
when l care to be-and in our case
your formaIity is spelling our comrade-
ship. And now, with reference to the
extraordinary Senior Webster"
"Why, the poor old horse has been
down with ptomaine poisoning. They
carried him off the train at st. Louis
and stood him on his head and pumped
him out, and just did manage to cancel
his order for a new tombstone. He
says he's feeding regularly again and
has booked passage on La Estrellita,
so we can look for him on the next
steamer arriving"
"Oh, the poor felloww Dolores MUIR
mured-so fervently that Billy was on
the point of hurling his heart at her
feet on the instant.
The thousand dollars Webster had
cabled Billy "for a road-stake" had
been dwindling rapidly under the stim-
ulus of one continuous opportunity to
spend the same In a quarter where 1t
was calculated to bring the most joy.
Mr.. Geary was absolutely begged in
the quagmire of his first love affair,
but until his mining concession should
amply justify an avowal of his passion,
an instructive sense of the eternal fit
ness Of things reminded Billy of the
old proverb that a closed mouth
catches no flies. And in the meantime
(such is the optimism of youth) he de-
cided there was no need for worry, for
when girl calls fellow Bill, when
she tells him he's a scout and doesn't
care a whoop for any society except
his-caramba! it's great
A wireless from Webster warned
Billy of the formers imminent arrival.
Just before sunset Billy and Dolores,
riding along the Malecon, sighted a
blur of smoke far out to sea-a blur
that grew and grew until they could
make out the graceful white hull of La
Estrellita, before the swift tropic night
descended and the lights of the great
vessel shimmered across the harbOr.
"Too late to clear quarantine to-
night" Billy mourned, as he and Do
lOres rode back to her hotel. "All the
same, I'm going to borrow the launch
of my good friend Leber and his pro-
tege Don Juan Cafetero, and go out
to the steamer tonight. can heave ia
little way from the steamer and well
come the old rascal, anyhow"
Fortunately, good little Leber con-
sented to Billy's request and Don Juan
Cafetero was sober enough to turn the
engine over and run the launch. From
the deck of the steamer Webster
smoking his post-prandial cigar, caught
sight of the launch's red and green
sidelights chugging through the inky
blackness; as the little craft slid uI
to within a cables length of the steam
er and hove to, something told Web
ster that Billy Geary would soon be
paging him. He edged over to the
rail.
"That you, Bill?" he shouted.
"Hey! Jack, old pal" Billy's delight
ed voice answered him.
'I knew you'd come, Billy boy"
"T knew you'd know it, Johnny
Can't come aboard, you know, until thC
ship clears, but can lie off here anC
say hello. How is your interna
mechanism"
"Grand. However, your query re
minds me haven't taken the medicine
the doctor warned me to take aftel
meals for a couple of weeks. Wait 1
minute, Bill, until go to my stateroon
and do my duty to my stomach"
For ten minutes Billy and Don Cual
Cafetero bobbed about in the launch
then stentorian voice shouted fron
the steamer. "Hey, you! In tn
launch, there. Not so close. Bacl
2 off"
= Don Juan kicked the launch bacl
f fifty feet. "That will dov the voic
: called again.
r 'Hellow Billy soliloquized. THAT
: Jack Webster's voice. Wonder wha
he's up to. I thought he acte
' strangely-preferring medicine to m
t the minute hailed himp
II