The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-02-03

M young man, anu uOu I tTy " pinJ
horse with me. My acceptance Or non
acceptance Of you is a subject for fu
ture discussion, since at present We
have some fiduciary matters before us
You owe me fifty dollars for your tick
eft. Andrew Bowers, and in view Of the
fact that ! never saw you before 70
day, suppose we start the voyage by
sQuaring the account
Andrew Bowers sat up In the berth
and let his legs drape Over the side,
"Mr. Webster" he began seriously, "if,
prior 10 the arrival of the purser to col
lect the tickets, you had handed my
ticket to HE. saying: Here is your
ticket, Mr.. Bowers. Be kind enough
dollars I should have been compelled
TO admit then, as / do now, that l
haven't fifty dollars. Fortunately for
me, however, you surrendered the tick
ct TO the purser before acquainting
yourself with the state Of my for
tunes the voyage has commenced and
whether you like 1t or not, my dear sir,
| am your guest from now until we
reach San Buenaventura. Rather an
interesting situation, don't you thinkT"
John Stuart Webster was Of Scotch
ancestry. He had a hereditary re-
gard for baubees. He was a business
man. Prodigal spender though he was
and generous to a fault, the fact re-
NAMED that he always made it a point
to get value received, and he was prod
igaI with his own money he preferred
that the privilege of prOdigality with
the Websterian funds should remain
an ~lnalienable prerogative Of the sole
surviving member OF the Webster fam
lily.
81 think you're too cool, young man,"
Webster retorted. Just a trifie too
cOcksure. Up to the present moment
you have proffered no evidence why
you should not be adjudged a cad, and
I do not like cads and must decline to
permit n to occupy the same state
room at my expense. You are clever
and amusing and I laughed at you, but
ut lIt SAINT IiliC my oCIlSc VI HulllOl 10
not so great as to cause me to over
look your %impudence and laugh with
you. Now, if you have anything to
say, say it quickly, because you're
going to go away from herein q
hurry"
II plead guilty to the Indictment,
Mr.. Webster, and submit as an excuse
the fact that desperate circumstances
require desperate measures. l am not
begging my way, neither am l beating
1t, for the reason that both forms Of
travel are repugnant to me. I am
merely taking advantage Of certain
circumstances to force you,
an entire stranger, to extend to me a
credit Of fifty dollars until we reach
San Bu%enaventura, when you will be
promptly reimbursed"
at is not my habit" Webster retort-
ed stif1y, "to extend credit to stran-
gers who demand It."
81 do not demand 1t, sir. l beg It Of
you, and because I cannot afford to be
/ took care to range matters
so that you would not be likely to re-
fuse my request. Really, l do not mean
be cocksure and impudent, but be-
fore you throw me out I'd like to let
you in on a secret about yourself"
"Well?"
you're not going to throw me out"
"Why not?"
Because you can't"
"That'S fighting talk. Now, just to
prove to you the depth Of error in
which you founder, young man, I am
about to throw you out" And he
Andrew Bowers In the grip of
a grizzly bear and whisked him out Of
the top berth.
"Wai n second" his helpless vic
cried. 81 have something to say
before you go any further"
"Say It," Webster ordered. Your
is the only part Of you that I
control"
"When you throw me out on deck"
Andrew Bowers Queried, "do your pa
go with me? Does the hair 60
with the hide?"
"They cost me sixteen dollars in Salt
Lake City, but-good lord, yes. I can't
throw you out mother naked d-n 1t, I
throw you u at ALL"
Didn't ! tell you so? Be a good fell
low and turn me loose"
"Certainly-for the time being.
stay locked In this stateroOm
while l have a talk with the captain.
He'll probably dig up a shirt, a pair Of
dungarees and some old shoes for you
and set you ashore before we get out
Of the river. II he doesn't do that he'll
keep you aboard and you'll shovel coal
for your passage"
"But I'm Andrew Bowers and the
.urser has collected my first-class
"What Of it, ] shall declare-and
With truth-that you are not Andrew
Bowers, that you are not my valet, and
hat ] did not buy the ticket for you. l
iare you to face the captain In my pa
amas and prove you aren't a stowa-
way"
"You would win on that point" the