The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1924-01-04

ut would be nice"
"A private yacht" repeated Sam.
sliding a trlfe closer. 1--WE would sail
about, visiting desert islands which
lay like jewels in the heart Of tropic
seas"
"We?"
Most certainly we. 1t wouldn't be
any fun II you were not there"
That's very complimentary"
We'll, 1t wouldn't. I'm not fond Of
girls as a rule :"
"Oh, aren't your
mol" said Sam decidedly. 1t was
a point which he wished to make clear
at the outset. "Not at all fond. My
friends have often remarked upon it.
A palfnist once told me that | had one
Of those rare spiritual natures which
cannot be satisfied with substitutes
but must seek and seek till they find
their soul-mate. When other men all
round me were frittering away their
emotions In idle flirtations which did
not touch their deeper natures, / was
. / was . we'll, | wasn't, if
you see what l mean"
ooh, you wasn't . WEREN'T"
mo. Some day / knew | should
meet the only girl l could possibly love,
and then | would pour out upon her
the stored-up devotion OF a lifetime.
lag an unblemished heart ut her feet,
fold her in my arms and say, AT
lastr"
How jolly for her. Like having @
circus all to oneself"
We'll, yes" said Sam after. a mo-
mentary pause.
when l was a child l always
thought that that would be the most
wonderful thing in the world"
"The most wonderful thing In the
world is love, a pure and consuming
love, a love which :"
"Oh, hello !" said q voice.
All through this scene, right from
the very beginning Of it, Sam had not
been able TO rid himself Of a feeling
that there was something missing. The
time and the place and the girl-they
were all present and correct; never-
theless there was something missing.
some familiar object which seemed to
leave a gap. He now perceived that
what had caused the feeling was the
complete absence of Bream Mortimer.
He was absent no longer. He was
standing in front Of them with one
leg advanced, his head lowered as IL
he were waiting Tor someone to
scratch it. Sans primary impulse was
to offer him a nut.
ooh, hello, Bream!" said Ellie.
"Hullo!" said Sam.
"Hullo! !" said BreaM Mortimer.
Here you are!"
There was q pause.
II thought you might be here" said
Bream.
Eyes, here we arc" said Billie.
"Yes, we're here" said Sam.
There was another pause.
Mind If / Join your" said Bream.
"N-no," said Sam.
NO" said Billie again. mo /.
that Is to say oh no, not at
ALL"
There was a third pause.
"On second thoughts" said Bream,
Il believe I'll take a stroll on the
promenade deck, If you don't mind"
They said they didn't mind. Bream
Mortimer, having bumped his head
| twice against overhanging steel ropes,
melted away.
"Who is that fellow?" demanded
Sam wrathfully."
He's the son of fathers best
friend"
Sam started. Somehow this girl had
always been so individual to him that
he had never thought of her having a
| father.
"We have known each other all our
lives" continued Billie. Father thinks
a tremendous lot OF Bream. l sup
pose 1t was because Bream was sail
iEg by her that father insisted on my
coming over on this boat. I'm in dis
grace, you know. l was cabled for
and had to sail at a few days no
tice. l :"
ooh, bellO!"
"Why, Dream. !" said Billie. looking
at him as he stood on the old spot In
the same familiar attitude with rather
less affection than the son OF her ia
| theirs best friend might have expect
| ed. 81 thought you said you were
| going down to the promenade deck"
IL did go down TO the promenade
deck. And I'd hardly got there when
a fellow who's getting up the ships
concert tomorrow night nobbled me
to do a couple OF songs. He wanted
to know If / knew anyone else who
would help. l came up to ask you"
he said to Sam. IF you would do some
thing"
mo" said Sam. ~ WON'T"
Hes got a man who's going to
lecture on deep-sea fish and a couple
Of women who both wan to sing The
Rosary but he's still an act or two
short. Sure you won't rally round?'
s"Quite sure"
"Oh. all right" Bream Mortimer
lowered wistfully above them. "lt's
a great morning, isn't itT