Mrs. Grundy. (Tracy City, Tenn.) 1903-1930, 1921-10-27

| N"eAHSNs A'OW eftf HE COintldutle0
Without further ado. Mr.. McGuffey
started across the deckload to tht
fo'castie head. Scraggs could not see
him but he could hear him--so he
pelted the engineer with potatoes, cab.
bage heads and onions, the vegetables
descending about the honest McGuffey
In a veritable barrage. Even In the
darkness several of these missiles took
effect.
Upon reaching the very apex Ut the
Maggie's bow, Mr.. McGuffey turned
and hurled promise into the dark.
ness: "If we ever meet again
Scraggs. I'll make Mrs. Scraggs Il Wild
ow. Paste that In your hat--when
You get a new one"
The Maggie was resting easily on
the beach. with the broken water from
the long lazy combers surging well
up above her water line. At most.
six feet of water awaited the engineer,
who stood. peering shoreward and lis.
tening intently, oblivious to the stray
missiles which whizzed past. Present.
ly. from out of the fog. he heard a
grinding, metallic sound and through
sudden rift In the fog caught q
brief glimpse Of blue fame with sparks
radiating family from It.
That settled matters for Bartholo-
new McGuffey. The metallic sound
was the protest from the wheels OF a
Cliff house trolley car rounding a
curve; the blue fame was an electric
manifestation due to the intermittent
contact of her trolley with the wire,
wet with fog. McGuffey knew the
exact position Of the Maggie now. so
ne poised a moment on her bow; as
wave swept past him, he leaped
overheard, scrambled ashore, made
his way up the beach to the great
highway which TANKS the shore line
between the Cliff house and Ingleside,
sought roadhouse, and warmed his
Interior with four fingers of whisky
neat. Then, feeling quite content with
himself, even In his wet garments, he
boarded city-bound trolley car and
departed for the warmth and hospital
Wy Of scab Jphnny's sailor boarding
house % Oregon street,
Captain Scraggs -SS.e, = avn 90 ne
half-emptied crate of vegetables and
commenced to weep bitterly-half be-
cause of rage and half because he re-
earded himself pauper, Already
he had a vision of himself securing
the waterfront In search of job.
mo use boo-hooin' over split milk,
Scraggsy." Always philosophical, the
author of the owners woe sought to
carry the disaster off lightly. Don't
add your salt tears to saltier sen
until you're certain you're a total loss
an no insurance. ! got you into this
and | suppose it's up to me to get you
off, SO guess I'll commence opera
TONS Suiting the action TO the word.
Mr. Gibney grasped the whistle cord
and a strange. sad. sneezing, wheezy
moan resembling the expiring protest
of lusty pig and gradually increasing
into a long-drawn but respectable
whistle rewarded his efforts. For
once, he could afford to be prodgal
with the steam, and while II lasted
there could be no mistaking the fact
that here was steamer In dire dis
tress.
The weird call for help brought
/ Scraggs around to fuller realization
4 of the enOrmity of the disaster which
had overtaken him. In his agony he
forgot TO curse his navigating officer
for the latter's stubbornness In refusing
to turn back when the fog threatened
He citltched Mr.. Gibney by the right
arm, thereby interrupting for an in
slant the dismal Outburst from the
Maggie's siren.
Glib he moaned. "Fm ruined
man. How're we ever to get the old
sweetheart off whole? Answer me
that, Glib. Answer me, say. How're
we to get my Maggie Off the beachT
MIR. Gibney shook himself loose from
that frantic grip and continued his
pull on the whistle until the Maggie,
taking false note, quavered. moaned.
spat steam minute and subsidized with
what might be termed nautical Sob
Now. see what you've done?" he
bawled. you've made me bust the
whistle"
ANSWER my question. Glib"
wen never get her off If you don't
4 quit interferin' an give me time to
think. I'll admit there amt much of
a chance. because It's dead low water
now en- just as soon as the tide Is at
the dood she'll drive further up the
beach an fall apart"
Perhaps McGuffey will have heart
enough to telephone into the city for
a tug
"Tsin't scarcely probable, Scraggsy.
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