Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-01-13
ON VACATION
BY MARION E. LEIGHTON

With an exclamation Of disgust Joa
wound up his line, pulled his danglIpo
legs up TO solid pIanking and stood an
the wharf. With rather gloomy conn
tenance he stood for a moment, gazing
out over the harbor to the tumblIn9
surf breaking over The Lodges.
Gone, for the moment, was his an
probation of the natural beauties ~
his surroundings. Old Fort With irs
waving flag. Beaver and Johns islards
and distant Thumbcap in her set-fn,
Of blue salt water had Temporarily Last
their power to charm.
Joe was lonely and-though he prob.
ably wouldn't have admitted lt-iust
the least bit homesick.
Two weeks ago hebad come to PEN
aquid for a quiet vacation, and now he
was thinking that he was getting too
much. He reflected that he hadn't
made the acquaintance Of a half dozen
people, that they were too busy to en-.
terrain him, that the scenery was good.
but not exactly lively company. and.
last but not least, that he was 'blamed
lonesome"
Vacation only half gone, too! He
was going out to try a little harbor
fishing Too rough to 60 outside-sea
that surf pile in over The Ledgesl
Twenty minutes later he was rather
sleepily dangling a line over the side
of his dory (hired for the lnonth) and
wishing a shark or something would
swallow his bait and make him fight
for possession Of the line, hook. sinker
or even the boat! He felt like fight.
ingl
Well, what idiot was that? A boat.
a dory no larger than his own. was
putting off from the beach wharf al.
rectly across the bay. In this heavy
sea, tool The fool would be swampef
unless he were a mighty good oarsman.
Joe craned his neck and watched the
little boat take the rougher water.
Then he said a single word-that
sounded like one of those obstructions
they build across streams to make mill
wheels turn, and reached for his field
glasses.
"Jumpin catfshi It is-it's n won.
AMI" he informed himself. "And she's
going to be in a peck of trouble right
away or l don't know summer visitors.
Get busy, Joel"
Thus commanded, Joe pulled UP an
Choir and sent his brave rescue ship
toward the scene of the coming disas-
ter About half way out n shrill. fem
mime scream, borne on the wings Of
the fateful wind, reached his expectant
ears.
Joe gritted his teeth and pulled hard
er.
81 knew tn he muttered. "They all
need a guardian"
An extra twist of his neck showed
him the other boat being buffeted about
by the waves, while the single occupant
was splashing frantically with one oar.
Considering the odds, Joe covered the
intervening distance in incredibly short
time. With the skill Of an old salt, be
worked his boat alongside and by the
bow of the other. AS he glided past,
both boats bobbing like corks he
reached out and seized the painter Of
the helpless craft. 1t was more diff
cult to make it satisfactorily fast 70
his own boat, but he accomplished il
without mishap and pulled back to
calmer waters. Neither occupant had
spoken word
Inside the harbor he eased up bit
and sighed with relief.
IL lost an oar" came timidly from
the other boat.
"Oh, did you? / thought probably
You had only one to start with" was
the reply.
Under this biting sarcasm she sub
sided and spoke no more until his boat
rubbed the edge of the float.
He stepped out and turned to look
at her. He kept on looking, and decid-
ed she was very good to look at.
When she finally met his gaze there
was a suspicious moisture in her eyes
and her lip trembled.
I'll don't know how to thank you
she faltered. 'You-you probably
saved my life and-I think lot Of IT.
even if you don't seem toto share the
feeling"
Forgive me. / was nasty nean'
wasn't 1? Step out and get your nerve
back, and then I'll set you across 70
your own wharf"
For one hour they sat on the WHARF
and talked. Two lonely Deople can ez-
change a lot of condolences in one Eour'
especially two Of opposite sex.
He confded that he had been terri
bly, lonely, and she confessed that
loneliness was what had driven her to
attempt row In rough y-ater-onIy
she hadn't supposed 1t quite SO rough
as it proved. He also learned that she
answered to the name Of Ruin Arm
strong and admitted he had always
liked the Ruth" part of 1t particularly
The next two weeks gave neither Joe
Carey nor Ruth Armstrong opportunity
to be lonely. They rowed and fsaed,
hunted shells, went claiming
they talked.
The natives giinned and Wisely
eH