The Aberdeen Democrat., February 21, 1908, Image 6

About The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909

Image provided by: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives

                
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SIX
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Partners of ii
Jhe" Tide
By
JOSEPH C. LINCOLN
Author "Cap'n EH" I
Copyright,
1006,
by
A. S.
Hoo-rash-oo!' says Cap'n Ez, sort
of openin' the conversation.
'Well!' says I.
'For heaven's sakes!' says Brad.
"But Prissy stepped for'ard and tooH
command. She didn't looked scared
any more only kind of queer round
the mouth and snappy round the eyes.
'Cap'n TItcomb,' says she, 'if yon
please, what were you hldin' in thai
closet for? If you can
he's
Barnes
A On.
"I arat a narvous man, gln'rallj
speakln', but I got up and moved sucl
den. I didn't exactly run, but I kind
of glided over to the sink. Leastways
I was backed up against it when I re
membered to take an observation
The women grabbed each other and
screeched. Brad, he turned sort ol
yeller round the gills, but he was the
coolest one in the bunch.
"The bangin' and barkln' and sneez
in' In the closet kept right up to time
Whoever it was, he wasn't shlrkln'
bis work none to speak of.
'Com® out of that!' yells Brad,
makin' a dive for the door.
"Afore he could reach It that dooi
flew open of itself. Out comes some
thin' doubled up like a jackknlfe. It
kind of pawed the air with its flippers
and dove head first for the sink, 1
give it all the room It needed—dldn'i
want to be selfish.
'Hoo-rash-ool* remarks the thing
as If it meant it too. Then it shoved
its head into the water bucket
"The whole congregation was con
slder'ble shook up. Nobody felt lik«
risin' and addressin* the mourners.
The critter at the water bucket splash
ed and gargled for a minute. Then li
turned round. Its head and face waa
all streaks of red and brown, and the
water was drlppln' off its chin. Who
was It? You'd never guess in a mil*
lion yean!
"I swan to man if it wan't Ez Tit
comb!
'Oh, it's the cap'n 1' squeaked Tem
py and went down in a heap.
Btop
sneezin1
long enough to answer, I should like'—
"'Sneeze!' hollers Ez, glttln' regdy
for another explosion. 'Sneeze!' says
he kind of through his nose and wavin1
his hand' desp'rate. 'I guess maybfl
you'd sneeze if you'd upsot the splca
box right into your face and eyes and
had your mustache full of red pepper I'
"Seemed a likely sort of guess, when
you come to think of it, but Prissy
didn't
pay
jgSfStA.
ifc
no attention.
"•Why was you hid in that closet?*
says she.
"Well, sir, that was the fust time la
my life that I ever see Ez Titcomli
clean out of soundin's! I snuml Too
could see he didn't know what to say
and when Bz gits that way things
must- be conslder'ble mussed up. He
fidgeted and stuttered and picked at
his watch chain.
'Prissy,' says .he, and then he
stopped. 'Prissy,' he says again and
shut up like a clam. 'Prissy'—
'"Well?' says Prissy in a sort of
vinegar on ice voice.
'Prissy,' says Ez. He looked at
her and at Tempy and at Brad. As
for Brad, there was a twinkle In his
eye. 'Honest, he looked almost as
if he was havln* conslder'ble fun out
of the show. li
"Prissy,* says Ez once more then
ie let everything go with a ran and
toilers: 'Oh, thunder! What's the use?
Clara, yon know what I come here for.
Why don't yon tell 'em and be done
with It?*
"Course we all looked at Clara then.
She blushed up pretty red, but she an
swered prompt
1 s'pose yon come here to see me,'
•ays she, though why you should hide
1 don't see.'
""Cause I couldn't see yoa no other
wpy thafs wbyF I've tried hard
enoughto speak with yoa for the last
1
a
tomethi*' dottbled up
rim'"0a'r»
out every
tutors I gotthe chance thought
1usre, and M'd bave to
meandhear whfrt had jto say.
In the hick daw and waited^
Vttasyspeiicln the dlaln'
I ipledand hid
•gSp!#** fyetfapttli' "'closet
«^oiet6oi
tmt3lara Wtto ahead
ftyi 9he,Nbufmat yon
tallied we your actions last
j^ntaa*
-tt:
lady
engaged to to go out drlvln* with
him and then calmly ups am? takes
somebody else, why'—
'I wrote you how It happened,' says
Ez, pleadln' like.
*1 never got the letter,' says Clara.
"'One minute, If you please,' breaks
In Prissy, calm, but chilly, like a Jan
uary moral n'. 'Let's understand this
thing. Cnp'ii Tltcomb, are'you and
Clara engaged to be married?'
"Ez SYvallered once or twice and
looked round as if be was hopln' spme
body'd heave a life line. But nobody
did. Then he shoves his fists In his
pockets and says, 'Why, yes, we—we
are.'
'Weil, I never!' says Prissy *®1,
"I didn't say nothln', neither did
Brad, but I cai'late we both looked
s'prised. Tempy, who'd been settin'
on the floor ever sence Ez was mate
rialized, like one of the camp meetln'
sperits, out of that closet, spoke up as
if she was talkin' In her sleep, and
says she, 'And It was Clara he waa
comin' to see all this limel'
'Well,' says Prissy. 'Well, I must
say, Cap'n Tltcomb, that I think it
would have been more manly If you'd
come and seen Clara Instead of spend
in' your evenin's with us and lettin' us
think'—
'Come and see herl' bellers Ez.
'Didn't I try to come to see her? Bui
every time I got to the kitchen dooi
you or Tempy 'd take me In tow and
head for the settin' room. I swan to
man I ain't had a chance to breathe,
you watched me so!'
"Tempy started to say something, bui
Prissy was skipper Jest then. 'Don't
say any more, Tempy,' she says. 'Now
that we know the cap'n is goin' to mar
ry our'—I guess she was goin' to say
servant but didn't hardly dast to—'oui
young lady friend,' says she, 'we'll
treat him as her comp'ny, not ours.
Come, we ain't wanted here.'
"And, helpln' Tempy up, she took het
by the arm and sailed out, all canvas
sot and colors flyin'.
"Ez, he looked conslder'ble like the
feller that stole the hen's eggs and for
got and set down on 'em.
"Brad didn't speak. He Jest looked
sort of mournful at the partner and
shook his head slow. I ain't a mind
reader, but I'll bet he was thinkin',
same as I was, that, for a chap who
had the name of bein' the slickest kind
of a ladles' man, Ez Tltcomb sartinly
had upset the calabash this time.
"And we went out and left him alone
with his best girl."
CHAPTER XIX.
ELL, Clara," observed Cap*
tain Titcomb a few hours
later, standing on the step
by the back door and but­
toning his peajacket, "I s'pose It had
to come out some time, but I did hops
'twould come more soothln' like, as tlia
feller said to the dentist The thing
that worried me most of all—alwayi
exceptln' your givin' me the mitten, aa
I'd begun to think you had—was how
we was goin' to break it to the old
maids. And now It's kind of broke it
self, as you might say."
Clara, standing lu the doorway, wltb
shawl about her shoulders, smiled,
but shook her head. "Yes," she said, "I
should say It had. I guess the best
thing can do is to move back home
right away. They'll never forgive me
for letting you fall in love with me,
Ezra, never in the world."
"Oh, I don't know," replied the cap
tain hopefully. "That's where Brad '11
help out He can do more than any
body else to square you and me with
Prissy and Tempy. Land of love! Is
that 1 o'clock?"
"Yes, it is. You must be going right
away. I'd no idea 'twas so late."
The fog had entirely disappeared,
and it was a clear, cold November
night. The heavens were spattered
thick with, stars, and the horizon was
dotted here and there with the sparks
of lighthouses and lightships. Sleep
ing Orham lay still, and the surf
hummed a restful lullaby.
"What was that?' asked Clara,
pointing.
"What was what?"
"I thought I saw a queer light out
on the water there. Yes see, there It
Is again."
The captain pyt up his hand to
shade his eyes from the rays of the
lamp in the kitchen and looked in the
direction she was pointing. Out be
yond the strip of water at the foot of
the long hill behind the house, beyond
the point that divided it from the har
bor, a speck of light glowed for an in
stant, flickered and went out
"That's queer," he muttered. "Thafs
off In the harbor, right by our moor
in'o."
The speck^fcf light reappeared, grew
larger, puffed for an instant into a
ruddy flame that lit up the masts and
hull of a schooner lying,at anchor.
"Lord A'mlghtyl", yelled Captain
Tltcomb. .- "It's the Diving Belie on
a*!"
And from the darkness in the direc
tion of the distant wharf came a faint
shout then another,
The captain plunged headlong for
the back fcnce.^''CallJ3radr be shout
ed.* "Qulck!" fv
CJlara ran Bcreamluglnto the house,
and her companion faulted the fence
and dashed down the hilt The dead
grass beneath his feet was wet and
slippery. Blackberry vines caught b,Tn
about, the ankles, and tangled clumps
of bayberry bushes-tore his clothes a«
he scrambled through them. Once he
fell head first Into 4^ sand pit, bqjfc jthe
sand was soft and* he was not hurt
The Diving Belle was oil fire! The*
vDlvlng
Belle was burning up! JpQs-
fctaln repeated it over and?©ver agafo.
$hen' came-sthe thonght of what .liar
loss would mean to Bradley *ri^|
self, and he groaned tU&td.
He reached the Spot of the hill and
plowed through th# soft sand of tl»:
beach. The tide
low, and he ran
across the flats, southing to his^ kn^es
in tte chanAeljfciiT
he -climbed-the
•ta:/
Bank by the bridge he heard some one
running before him over the loose
planks.
He crossed the bridge and panted np
the second hill. As he reached its top
the wind from the sea struck cold on
his sweating forehead and brought to
his ears the sound of shouting. There
were lights In the upper windows of
the houses he passed. Jonadab Wlxon
thrust a tousled head from the win
dow of h!s bedroom and balled, asking
what was the matter.
Captain Titcomb could see the clus
ter of buildings at the landing plainly
now and the masts of the catboats
alongside the wharf. The water of
the harbor was black except in one
spot There the Diving Belle lay in
a flickering halo of red light Little
Jets of flame were shooting up from
her hull amidships. The smell of
burning wood come on the wind.
Lem Mullett the livery stable keep
er, was Just ahead, puffing and stum
bling in the middle of the narrow road.
He seized the captain by the arm as
the latter overtook him.
"How'd—how'd—she git—afire?" he
gasped.
Captain Tltcomb did not answer. His
eyes were fixed on the burning schoon
er, and he pushed Mr. Mullett out of
the way and ran on.
Just as he reached the bend by New
comb's fish house a huddle of men,
some with overcoats and hats and oth
ers bareheaded and half dressed, rush
ed wildly around the corner of the
building. The captain's shoulder struck
the foremost man a blow in the chest
that knocked him backward.
"Ugh! Ow!" grunted the man. Then
he cried: "Hey? Is that you, Cap'n
Ez?"
The captain was fighting his way
through. "Let me by!" he shouted.
"Git out of my way!"
Some obeyed, but others did not
There were confused cries of "Stop
him!" "Don't let him go!" He was
seized by the arm. The crowd closed
about him.
"Don't let me go!" roared the captain,
striking right and left. "Who'll stop
me? Are you crazy? Parker, by thun
der, I'll— Alvin Bearse, take your
hands off me!"
But Alvin held tight. "Cap'n Ez," he
pleaded, "listen! Listen Jest a minute!
You mustn't go off to her. Ira, hold his
other arm."
Overpowered and held fast, the be
wildered captain gazed at the faces
surrounding him. "For the Lord's
sake!" he cried. "You cowards! Are
you goin' to let her burn up without
liftln' a hand? What are you standin1
here for? Why ain't you aboard your
ship, Alvin Bearse? Did you set her
afire yourself? Let me go! I'll'*—
He struggled frantically. "Cap'n Ez,"
pleaded Alvin, "listen to me. The dy
namite's aboard—the dynamite!"'
Captain Titcomb stopped struggling.
The dynamite in the bold! He had for
gotten it entirely. That was why no
boats had put out to the burning ves
sel. That was what they'were running
away from.
"'Tain'i safe to stay hern!" shouted
some one from the outskirts of the rap*
tdly growing crowd. "We'll be blowed
to slivers when she goes off. Git back
to the hill!"
"Bluey Bacheldor," yelled the cap
tain, "you're a coward and always
was! But ain't there no men In this
gang? Bearse! Sparrow! Ellis! Are
you goin' to stand by and see me and
Brad ruined? Who'll come with me
and pitch the stuff overboard? We'll
save her yet! Come on!"
They were wavering, some of them.
Bearse was a brave man so was Ellis.
The two looked at each other.
"Come on, boys!" shouted the cap
tain, getting one arm free and waving
it Then, as a new thought struck him:
"What's the matter with you? Dyna
mite don't blow up in a fire. It burns
like cord wood. Come on, you fools!"
They might have followed him then,
but Captain Edward Taylor came up.
A man of experience alongshore and
one of the town's selectmen, his Words
carried weight. "Don't let him stir,' he
commanded. "Dynamite boxed in as
he's got it in that hold is sure to ex
plode, and he knows it. The least
shock '11 do it if the fire doesn't Come
back to the hill. Ez, you'll have to go
with us."
1
That settled it Fighting, pleading,
swearing, Captain Titcomb was car
ried by main iorce along the road to
ward the hill by the bridge. £ong
tongues of flame were spouting from
the Diving Belle's main hatch. Up in
the village the scboolhouse bell was
ringing.
"Don't let anybody go near the
wharf,*' ordered Captain Taylor,
"Warn 'em as fast as— What's that?"
There was a scuffle on the road be
low, two or three, shouts, the sound of
running feet.
Ira Sparrow rushed up the hill. His
voice trembled.
"He's got through 1
ahEttnunaiar DEMOCRAT, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1908
vWe
didn't see
him in time!" he panted.
"Who asked several voices.
"Brad Nickerson. I'm afraid he's
goin' off to the .schooner."
Captain Titcomb gave a spring that
almost cleared him. k^The tears came
Into his eyes. a
"For the Lord's sake," he begged, **are
you goin' to let that boy kill himself
Then, bending fon^rd, he shouted:
"Brad, Brad! Dorift go nigh' her tor
your life! The dynamite's aboard!'"'-
The jcrowd was stijU. Every one lis
tened.
1
3-
Therfe was no reply,' but^hey
heard the rattle1 jof oara In a dory's
rowlocks.
(To be Continued^
gp- .UBERT^f Jp
T. Glover and wlfi) Attended
the school officers meeting held in
.Frederick, the 10th day of this
mbnth. They' report a pleasant and
profitable meeting ^3?^
rd from C. utten who went
F. A. MILLER
General Passenger Agent
CHICAGO
to Chicago accompanied by Dr. Ar
nold of Aberdeen, for an operation
is to the effect that he stood the trip
well, and was feeling better than
when he left home. The operation
will take place some day this week.
The social at A. D. Engles was
a decided success, and it frightened
some of the bachelors not a little,
to see the ease with which the young
ladies, blindfolded, could pierce the
center of the large red heart. Some
of the&e same bachelors have further
anxiety from the fact of not know
ing just where their hearts are.
Roy Glover, writing from the M.
T. S. at Ellendale, says their basket
ball team defeated f'argo college in
the recent game at Ellendale with
a- score of 28 to 12. This Is a little
better than the Aberdeen Normal
scored on the Fargo lads their re
cord being 24 to 15. Chester Wil
onsen, a senior of the Aberdeen high
wrote home to Liberty after the bas
ket ball contest between seniors and
juniors there, thus: "The sun shines
on the seniors."
Altman Elson was looking up land
values in Greenfield and Brainerd
last week for possible purchases in
other states.
A. E. Wilmsen was in Aberdeen
last week having dental work done
and visiting his son Chester of the
high school. jjSfg
Farmers who happen to be chair
man and clerk, or even those select
ed as delegates of any of the politi
cal parties are not howling them
selves hoarse in appreciation of the
primary law. The "red tape" nec
essary, works hardships to the busy
farmer who must drive many miles
simply to meet personally the de
legates, justices of the peace, etc.
Many of the eighth grade pupils
of -Liberty are putting forth good ef
forts in preparation for the yearly
contest for diplomas. It is hoped
that all will be successful and
word of. encouragement &iven now
helps just as much as two when' the
anxiety of the examination Is on in
full force.
Farm Land
SI'
Rer. Yeoman an3 wifie drove out
from Hecla twice last week to meet
with the Liberty people. At the
League on Sunday they rendered two
appropriate selections and met so
cially^ at Mr. C. Nutter's the mem
bers,,«nd husbands of the Ladies'
Aidi^&i' -:.-- I':.. 'Ik:.
EICHMOND ITEMS.
The rain .Tuesday evening took
away aearly all the snow but a very
Httle snow fell after the rain so that
5°th' sleds and tto^om are use^
I
The Pacific Coast extension of he Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railway opens to the settler thousands of acres of good farming-land
in Butte County, South Dakota, and in Adams, Hettinger and Bowman pf:
Counties, North Dakota.
The soil is a dark loam with clay sub-soil good water is found at
a depth of from twenty to fifty feet rainfall is amply sufficient to
raise the crops. The whole country Is underlaid with lignite coal that
outcrops along the streams, and in most cases can be had for the digging.
The climate is healthful, the air dry and invigorating, and the percentage
of days of sunshine high. Outdoor work can be done almost every day
in the year. Regular mail service has been established, th© roads are
good, and telephone lines traverse the country. The deeded land there
sells for from $10 to $18 per acre. There were many instances in the past
year where the crop equaled in value the cost of the land.
In Butte County, South Dakota, there is considerable government
land open for homestead entry. Government land offices are maintained
at Lemmon, Hettinger and Bowman, where filings and final proofs may
be made. All of these towns are on the new line of the
Chicago
Milwaukee 6 St. Paul
Railway
In Montana the new railroad traverses good farming land. It has
been demonstrated that big crops of grain may be raised there. Along
the Yellowstone and Musselshell rivers the yields of alfalfa, sugar
beets and grain last year were remarkable. In the Judith Basin, near
Lewistown, Montana, is one of the most remarkable sections to be found
along the new line. Under natural rainfall the famous bench lands pro
duced last year an average of 35 bushels of hard wheat to the acre. The
basin contains about 2,000.square miles and is sparsely settled. Some
government land still remains open for settlement. Government land
offices are maintained at Lewistown and Terry, Mont.
The Big Bend country of Washington presents splendid opportunities
in farming and fruit raising. Eight new towns along this new line have
recently been opened in Idaho and Washington,
Descriptive pamphlets will be forwarded free on request.
The weather is very nice and ap
pears more like the latter half of
March than the latter half of Feb
ruary,
Mr.
iBaldridge spent Wednesday evening
at the home of Mr. Wm. Ivey.
Mr. Ray Fox took several young
ladies to the revival meetings at the
city this week. Leap year seems to
go rather hard with Ray. Never
theless we give the ladles credit with
being mbre ambitious once in four
years than the gentlemen are three
in four.
Miss Baldridge entertained her
scholars on St. Valentine's day.
ip
f*4r
Before ^pu. huy. flgure.with
if" ft &
1
'^bL IP
and Miss Kruizenfllf' and Miss
mm
DR. S."AT DARLING
E N I S
New First National Bank Building
Aberdeen, S -D.
THE ONLY MAN
'US?:
4t
4
Wv/f-4
(StT
•.imu
jn' thls section of the country that manMactures Tf APVflfjfl with an
to-date work shop, first class MECHA3HCS and A No 1 MATEBIAItha
is bought in large quantities and bought EIGHT. I will sell yoa A:
class work for less money than yon pav fqi^actory Harness.
B. F. WENZ
118 2nd Ave. E ABERDEEN 8, D.
5
m'
•\W^
tovkmc*#-:
UV /v-Vw. •.
sWZfft
a
4
Standard is Never
lowered
3
.m'-
CI
ate
ism
GEO. B. HAYNES
Immigration Agent
95 Adams St., CHICAGO
Mr. and Mrs. Morton and Mr. and
Miss Kruizenga spent Friday evening
with Mr. and Mrs. C. O. D. Boulais.
Socialist County Convention
A mass convention of the Socialist^
party to called to meet at the Farm-*'
era' Room at the Court House, Aber-"
deen, S. !., Saturday, Feb. 29, at 5.
10:30 a. m., for the purpose of elect
ing delegates to a state convention
to be held at Pierre, S. D., April 7,
to elect delegates, to the National
Convention in Chicago May 10. We
expect several speakers present and
a cordial invitation is extended to
the public to attend.
tXm —T. B. WELLS, Chairman
—E. F. ATWOOD, Sec,
bw-2t-d28
lK~.
14
if
'nil
hen once 8NOWW HITeToot is on1
banner floating in the) breeze of
mpetiUoh. The SNOW WHITE
rand's quality never cotnes down and
t's our constant effort to increase its
int-higli grades "Dependable*^:
describes the situation exactly.
aturally yon can count on, good
Taread if you use SNOW WHITE flour.
H§v