The Owosso times., 1922-04-14

"You poor, misguided simp. If you
ever see that three hundred dollars
again you'll be lot older'n you are
now. However, that amt none O. my
business. The fact remains, Bart, that
you conspired with Scraggsy TO keep
things away from me, which shows
you amt the man thought you were,
I'll go mine."
81 got right to do as ] blasted
please with my money" McGuffey de-
Tended hotly. 81 amt 10 child to be
lectured to-"
"Considerin' the fact that you
wouldn't have had the money TO lend
IL it hadn't been for me, allow I'm in
to give ala an comfort to my enemy.
I'm through"
McGuffey, smothered in guilt, felt
nevertheless that he had to stand by
mis- guns, so to speak. Stay through,
If you feel like it," he retorted. "Where
dye get that chatter? Amt l free,
white, an twenty-One year old?"
II, Mr.. Gibney was rea,.y hurt. You
poor boob" he murmured. ITS the
old game o. settin' beggar on horse
back an seein' him ride to the devil,
or slippin' a gold ring In a pigs nose.
An I figured you was my friend"
"Well amt II"
"FOoey! FOoey! Don't talk to me.
You'd sell out your own mother"
"Gib, you tryin' to pick fight with
me?"
mo, but l would If l thought
wouldn't git a footrace instead" Glib
ney rejoined scathingly. "Cripes.
what double -crossin' l been handed
Honest. Bart, when 1t comes to thar
sort o. work Scraggs Is In his infancy.
You sure take the cake"
II amt got the heart to clout you
an make you eat them words" Mr..
McGuffey declared, sOrrowfully.
"You mean you amt got the CUTS"
Mr.. Gibney corrected him. Bart, I
got your number. Goodbye"
Mr.. McGuffey had wild impulse to
cast himself upon the Glbney neck
and weep but his honor forbade any
such weakness. So he invited Mr..
Gibney to betake himself to a region
several degrees hotter than the Mag
gie's engine room; then, because he
feared to llnger and develop senti-
mental weakness, he turned his back
abruptly and descended to the said
engine room.
On his part, Adelbert p. Gibney en-
tered the cabin and glared long and
menacingly at Captain Scraggs. "Pll
have my time, he growled presently.
"Give ii to me an give 1t quick"
The very intonation Of his voice
warned Scraggs that the present was
not time for argument or trifling.
Silently he paid Mr.. Gibney the money
due him; In equal silence the navi-
eating officer went to the pilot house.
unscrewed his framed certificate from
the wall, packed it with his few be-
longings, and departed for Scab John
ny's boarding house. ',-
"Hello," Scab Johnny saluted him at
| his entrance. "Quit the Maggie? ?"
Mr.. Gibney nodded. 81,
want a trip, to the dark bfue?'
Lead me to it," mumbled Mr. Glib
ney.
It'll cost you twenty dollars, Glib.
Chief mate on the, Rose of Sharon,
bound for the Galapagos islands seal
ing"
"I'll take 1t, Johnny" Mr.. Gibney
threw over a twenty-dollar bill, went
to his room, packed all of his belong
| ings, paid his bill to Scab Johnny, and
within the hour was aboard the
schooner Rose. Of Sharon. Two hours
later they towed out with the tide.
Poor McGuffey was stunned when
he heard the news that night from
Scab Johnny. When he retailed the
information to Scraggs next morning,
Scraggs was equally perturbed. He
| guessed that McGuffey and Gibney
| had quarreled and he had the poor
| Judgment to ask McGuffey the cause of
the row. Instantly, McGuffey informed
him that that was none of his dad
| fetched business-and the incident was
| closed.
The three months that followed were
the most narrowing Of McGuffey's life.
Captain Scraggs knew his engineer
would not resign while he, Scraggs,
owed him three hundred dollars;
wherefore he was not too particular
to put a bride on his tongue when
things appeared to go wrong. McGuf-
fey longed to kill him, but dared not.
When, eventually, the railroad had
been extended sufficiently far down
the coast to enable the farmers to
haul their goods to the railroad In
trucks, the Maggie automatically
went ont Of the green-pea trade;
simultaneously, Captain Scraggs' note
to McGuffey fell due and the engineer
demanded payment. Scraggs de-
murred, pleading poverty, but Mr.. Nc
Guffey assumed such threatening at
titude that reluctantly Scraggs paid
him hundred and fifty dollars on ac-
count, and McGuffey extended the bal
ance one year-and quit.
See that you got that hundred and
fifty an the interest in your jeans
the, next time we meet" he warned
+ Scraggs as he went oversize.
Time passed. For month the Mag