Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 November 1908 — ILL WIND’S GOOD. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ILL WIND’S GOOD.

By CHARLES GRAVES.

Copyrighted. 1908. by Associated Literary Press. ,•

A flood of golden morning sunshine streaming through the windows and falling full upon his face awakened Tom Goodbye. It awakened him with ;g rather unpleasant start and brought to his mind the disquieting suspicion that he had overslept. He came, out of bed with a bound {and looked at hie watch- It was 930 —half past 9, and be had an appointipent to go sailing with Helen Caverly at 9 sharp! Surely the gods of misfortune severally and collectively were following in his train! . He dressed in record breaking time, bounded down the stairs and, breakfostless, made all speed to the long pier In front of the hotel, his mind busy with the many apologies be would undoubtedly need in a few moments.

But the apologies were doomed, for the present at least, to remain unspoken, for when he reached the pier he saw, running out of the harbor before the smart breeze, a knockabout with a well known pennant fluttering from the mast.

Evidently Misa Caverly had grown weary of waiting for him. Goodhue took a long, lugubrious look at the dis tant sail and groaned. Yet he was not the man to submit tamely to adverse circumstances. At the end of the pier lay hope in the shape of his own power boat, pulling Ist her painter as she swung to the tide. In a moment he had scrambled aboard, pulled the cover from the engine and turned over the flywheel. There was a series of sharp reports. He threw off the moorings, sprang to ;the little wheel in the bow, and the power boat went tearing away from the pier, sending up twin waves of white spume at her bow as she sped In pursuit of the distant knockabout.

I The engine of a power boat, however, is not one of the things to be classed among such certainties as death and taxes. Scarcely bad be

passed the can buoy on the outer |legde when there was an ominous {coughing of the exhaust. Immediately it grew spasmodic and 'seemed to take a half hearted, despairing note. Then it ceased altogether, and with this cessation the little craft (lay helpless on the long swells coming 'to from the bay. i Countless precedent cases had taught •Goodhue what to do. He pulled off his coat, caught pp a wrench and attacked the engine, not. without a certain grim wrath. At the end of half an hour, despite 'an his art and all his mad efforts with .the wrench, the engine, beyond a few derisive, choking puffs, refused to respond. I Goodhue hurled the wrench angrily Into the locker, shook a vindictive fist jat the balky machinery and delivered himself of his opinions concisely and > Then he looked despairingly at the toafl momentarily growing smaller to the eastward and ruefully surveyed Ithe blue streak of shore behind him, not without certain poignant longings for breakfast.

All his labors had merely succeeded fin getting him stalled here in the midpie of the bay. He granted his disgust, tied bls handkerchief to a boat (book as an improvised signal Of distress and set it np in the stern. Then be stretched himself upon the cushions and calmly went to sleep. I He was awakened by rippling laughter. He jumped up to find close alongkride a knockabout with Its sail rattling (sharply as it headed into the wind. By Ithe tiller was Helen Caverly, her eyes sparkling as she took In his plight. Goodhue struck a melodramatic attitude, one hand on his forehead, the other at his throat. , "Help!” he cried, nodding toward bis dlstrees signal. I The girl laughed again. I "What on earth are you doing out hare so early in the morning?" she said jtaockingly. “Are you aware that it fs but a trifle past 10:30?" ' "I am pursuing you,” said he, “or, bather, I was pursuing you until this unmentionable engine went back on me.” ' . •And why were you pursuing me?” i *T wanted that san you promised fam this morning.” "I waited for you until long after ®.” Goodhue grinned sheepishly. “I—l ** o—d* a sarara-

when I got down to the pier and fonad you gone I started out in the power boat—without any breakfast.” ‘•What noble self sacrifice!” sbs mocked. < "And I’d have caught you, too, but for that engine. I? always breaks down when you want it most. However, you’ve seen my plight and come alongside, and that’s the main thing, after all. We can have that sail now, can’t we?” ' “Do you think she deserves it?” "Frankly, I don’t, but Tm going to trust to your generosity.” She looked at him doubtfully for a moment “Of course,” she said at length, “I can’t desert you like this, helpless as you are upon the high seas. Come aboard. I’ll tow you back. You must be very hungry by this time.” Goodhue caught up the boat hook, pulled the power boat alongside the knockabout and scrambled over her rail. In a moment the painter was fast, and, towing the helpless craft be-

hind her, the knockabout was headed shoreward. The girl held the tiller. Goodhue sat down beside her. "I was particularly anxious to coma out sailing with you this morning,” said he. “So it would seem,” she observed dryly. “There was a very particular reason why I shouldn’t miss It,” he went on placidly, Ignoring her tone. "I wanted to finish out what I was saying to you night before last on the Gregorys* piazza when that Idiot of a Benson came out and Interrupted us.” A wave of color surged Into the girl’s cheek. Her nose went up In the air a fraction of an Inch.

“Under the circumstances,” said she, "considering the fact that I have just rescued you from a rather trying situation, It seems to me no gentleman would take advantage” Goodhue moved closer to her. "No gentleman would have missed his appointment with you this morning.” said he. “Therefore I am no gentleman. Following out the same course of logic, the fact that I am no gentleman absolves me from playing the gentleman’s part of silence just now. I will take the tiller, Helen.” He took It. The girl began hastily trimming the sheet "I am going to finish out that proposal,” he declared. "If you won’t listen to me I shall refuse to be saved. I shall return to the power boat and trust myself to the mercies of these treacherous waters,” he ended, looking tragically at the quiet sea about them. "Besides which,” be went on, "kindly remember that I have had no breakfast. Will you listen?” The girl turned to him with flushed face, but her eyes were shining. "You certainly must have that breakfast,” she chuckled. "Go ahead. lam all attention.”

“I’M GOING TO FINISH OUT THAT PROPOSAL,” HE DECLARED.