Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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11 1,1 1 ' mil, i Partite tl JOSEPH C LINCOLN, ?4 -w* ivr Copyright. 100! (Continued.) Ii waited over to where Ous, fluih and laughing, stood talking with bar partner In the lanciere, aa he roacbed bar aide Bain came tip and pushed In front of without ceremony. said Hammond. **1 made Ben fjbjn) aa this waits on purpcse so that Itwaaftgbt hara It together, 1 on haven't lavas half generaot to ma tonight, and *tsw rm after my pay. Corner 8a offered his arm, and for a mo Itastt the fir! seemed about to take It lite aha locked at Bradley who, dis? appointed and chagrined, stood silent Istha background. yon very much, I lam." she -but this waits belongi. to Brad Come, Brad, the music is begin V any one had told Bradley pre ejtgsjaly that ha would thoroughly en ?ey a waits ba would have laughed, lat ha enjoyed every moment of this sat Us saw Sam's scowl as Gus past him, asw the smile on the of Black and the other bystand snd then they whirled sway, and round and round. "Bennle 2XV music wasn't the best In the but to Bradley Just then no orchestra could have play sweetly. Ills feet seemed Si? as light as bis partner's, and they perfect time, at was over all too soon. CHAPTER X. [RRAKKAST next morning was hardly begun when "Blount's boy"?bis name was Ulysses Simpson Grant Blouut, but bat bis parents ever called him Iwj It?came to the dining room door a note for Bradley. It was from Tltcomb and read as follows: Brad?There's a three master. Ilasdsd with lumber, piled up on the Bone ward. Corns on down quick. Looks aa If ftsn was the chance the Tltcomb-Nlcker SSsa Wracking syndleats had been praying daw. Tours truly. K. D. TITCOMB. Junior partner In the "syndicate*' Miss Prisajr's clam fritters go by lalt sod hurried down to the Trav Bast. where he found the captalu waiting for him. A few hours later la alms and crew of the Li sale were over that vassal's rsll at the ling froth that covered the Bone shoal and st the hapless lumber trembling In Its midst, a dls 1 ones ocas tight si had struck almost bow on. but strong tide bad twang her itern eytsr until she ley broadside to the smeai She hail heeled but little, snd dark load of pine boards was, for most part, stl 1 lashed In place, main and mlsatn masts were gone, the tower pirt of her foremast ttl'.l and the great wsves. striking her stern, sent the light spray lengthwise almost a.i high as Its %S> The broke o cordage streamed out ?Ji the wind, and a twinging block ?tsaked snd whined. On the rail by the afterhouse they could read her fate; the wss the Ruth Glnn of Ban Bar. *Tbe p'lnt lifo savin' crew got the i ?en about 1 o'clock this morulu'," re- j Barked Captain Tltcomb. "Skipper to anchor to ride out the gala, got scared and tried to make an j h got her Into Irons, and the tide the rest. Uer masts weut Jest they took off the men. What do fast think of her? Total losn. ain't1 after Bradley hesitated. "Well." to said. "I should say ehe was, so fsr ai being any use tt s schooner Is concerned, j That lumber, though. Is u different : matter The weather would lutve a j deal to do with that, I should ?The weather's goln* to clear, if I'm Jedge." observed his companion. ??What do you say, Barney?" "Looks like fatrlu' off to mo." replied Mr. Small. "Wind's cantin' round to Oha west'ard. However, I ain't no weather prophet. Tou want to ask Fe leg My rick If you're after weather am; he seems t:> have a special tip from beaveu on gales and calms." The Llsxle sslled sway from the wreck that, with one screaming sea gall balancing himself on the broken foremast, looked more sad and lonely than ever and anchored In the little harbor in the lee of the Point. Two or three rat boats were moored there, and among them was one that the captain recognised. MiIeilo!" be exclaimed. "There's Ooed Nlckcrson's boat. I guess that settles It; some part of her's Insured anj'wsy." They walked through the soft whlto and coarse bench grass tip to the avlng station. The lookout. In the observatory on the roof, rapped on the I Window of Dl* c i veil a hand lOo them aa tbe> in-i the plank Wi k leadlug It the dOOf. Inside, tasted nrmiml the tible of the llvhw room, they found Cuptaln I KmowIss, comni >>( tlu? station; lOfcod NUkerson. the Orhum n^eiif of I Ott OBderwrJtrM. Mio skipper of the Ruth OtM atal two of Ihras othati The sklpiM?r, a sunburned, gray balfOd I gian. with a worried look on his lean Ifact*, was Mll'ig for Mr Nl ? ben-It the story of 0OW hit vessel ? gnjns to 1h> In her I. >po|#?-H p i ht. To Mm Irndsmnn It would have Im en >m in tereMIng ygfOj, but fn? present com aany had hear I |o > im i. niinllar ex to Sod i u\ thing novel In It le Tide I V by A. 5. Berne? L- Co. ^/ ******* ??Insured, is she, Obed?" asked Cap tnln Tltcomb. ??Cargo is; schooner ain't," replied the underwriters' agent Captain Ezra signaled to Bradley, and they went out on the porch. ??Brad," whispered the captain, "they can't call her anything but a total loss. The underwriters Ml pay the Insurance on that lumber and then dicker with, somebody to save what they can of It You and me want to be that somebody. Hello, here's Pelegr The versatile Mr. Myrick had tramp? ed over from his hermitage and now. with Bkeexlcks shivering at his heels, was deep In conversation with Barney small. "Peieg says we're goln' to have clear weatler for quite a spell,'* remarked Barney. "Let's see; when did you say ye n had the next storm scheduled, Pe? legr ?Wall," drawled the weather proph? et looking becomingly Important ??olgh'o I can flgger, Cap'n Ez, she'll fair off by afternoon and stay clear more'n a fortni't We ain't due to hare another reel genuwlne blow for more'n a month. I knew last night's gale was totnin'. I told Csp'n Knowles so. Says 1, 4I dont care what the gov'ment I folks say, ifs goln' to blow,' snys L J like time, and them that's afloat wants to stand by,' I says. Now"? I "That's right Peleg," broke In the captain. "I'll back you against the weather bureau eight days In the week and twice on Sunday. How's clsms these days?" ??Clams," implied Mr. Myrick, 'Is sctircer'n all git out I don't know why, unless 'twas the turrlble hard winter. I woo afraid of It last fall. Course 1 knew the hard winter was comln' and I told folks so. Oh, that reminds me! Whet's this 1 hear 'bout Sam Ham? mond's spend In' more'n $4 for cigars last time he was home? Do you car late that's so?" They left Barney to relieve Mr. My rick's anxiety concerning the cigars and walked down to the beach. On the way Captain Tltcomb said: "Brad, we've got to git this lumber job. It's the kind of Job we can do with the Llssle, and, flggerin' on a commission basis. It'll give us pretty nigh money and start enough to war? rant our havln' a new schooner e>ullt, one Kith power and strong enough to handle The real THglhlngs. Walt Tiere by the dory till Obed comes out I'm layln' for him." Mr. Nlckerson, accompanied by one of the village boys, was on his way to the cstboat bat the captain Interfered. "What In the nation are you goln' home lu that clam shell for, Obed?" he asked. "Come on aboard the Lizzie with us. Brad and Barney and I will land you nt the wharf afore that cat of yours Is out of shoal water. Lot Dan there take your boat home, aud you come with us. I've got a cigar I want you to tske out some fire insur? ance on." So, nfter some persuasion, the under? writers' agent consented to Osaka; his homeward trip lu the schooner. The cigars were lighted, Barney Small took the wheel, and the capt In. Bradley and Mr. Nlckerson made thomselvoi comfortable In the Uttk cabin, Then the conversation was Judiciously pi? loted l0>Ward wrecks, and t'?e wreck ot the Ruth Ulnn In particular. Obed admitted thai the full Insurance would undoubtedly he paid on the cargo, al? though, of course, the otQclal "three man survey" must come first. Bradley asked what would be done after that. "Oh," uuawered the agent, "then I guess I'll send word to the Boston Sal? vage company aud make a deal with them to git out what they can of the lumber." "Yes." observed Captain Tltcomb. "and they'll charge you 75 per cent of the value. What's the matter with Brad and me doln' It?" "Ycu? What with-thls tub?" "Yip, this tub. If you've got a loose tooth a string and a door'll snake it out as quick as the dentist will, and you don't have to pay for silver plated pinchers and a gilt name plate. Come, now, tell you what I'll do. Brad and me'll git that lumber out for 00 per cent on what we save." "How you goln* to do It? You haven't got a tow boat, nor even power In your own achoouer." "Don't need 'em. You couldn't start that wreck with a towbont without yanklu' the bottom out of her. The only way to fetch her off the shoals Is with anchors and cables, and you know It We can do that as well as any Boston comp'ny that ever was. Give us a chance, Obed. You ought to eu cmimgo home talent, as Bill Samuel* sold to the schoolteacher that found fault with kin 'cause be told his boy to spell cat with a K. What d t you say.'" Obed had n good deal to Hay. and no decision was reached that forenoon. Next day the survey was made, and i thai evening the captain spent at the homo of Mr. xk-Ucr-on. it tvai after 11 o'clock when bs returned lo his room nt the Jratoler's lie t. where; Bradley was waiting I"Wellr Bradley anxiously, ?Weir. ? exolalined his partner, toes ln?f his cap i ;i a <halr and wiping the per-piratlon from his led forehead? "well, Brad, I*ts need np Jaw power eg "itch to pretty High work that wreck off. but the Job's OOri nt 50 per <???nt of the value of tie- [pjnbof we save. There's nigh on to $6,000 worth aboard, and If Telcg's foreeastln' works have not got Indigestion we ought to clean up close to every stick of it. Brad, shake!" And they shook hands. The oppor? tunity they had been waiting for was theirs nt last. The partners talked for another hour before they separated. Three extra hands at least, so the captain figured, would be needed on the Lizzie. So the next forenoon Bradley took the train to Harniss, where he found Alvin, oldest of the Bearse "boys." a gray headed, leather faced youngster of* fifty-five, and engaged him for the sum of $3 n day and his keep. L.e was to report on t>oerd at half past 7 the following morning. Then, having ac? complished his share of the hiring, the Junior partner returned to Orham to Inspect the Lizzie with nervous care and to listen to the remarks of a dozen or more disinterested acquaintances who, having heard of the contract, had come down to the wharf to prophesy and offer advice. Bradley called on Gus that evening. He had been so bury with Captain Tltcomb, planning and working for the new contract, that he had seen her but once and then only for a momet since the night of the ball. But now, full of hope and the triumph of having se? cured the chance he had longed for, he looked forward to telling her the good news and receiving her congratula? tions. The windows of the ^nker "best parlor" were lighted up?a most unusual occurrence?and he vaguely wondered (f they had "company" and who It MUM be Gub herself opened the door In re? sponse to his knock. "Why. hello!" she said. "I wonder? ed ir you bad forgotten me entirely, Mr. Contractor, now that you really are a business man and the talk of the town." * "Then you knew?*' he exclaimed in surprise. "Why, of course I knew! I haven't heard anything else all day. And, to make It certain, Melissa called on grandmother this afternoon, just after she had been at your house," Bradley smiled ruefully. "You must have heard an encouraging yarn from her," he said. "Have you got com? pany?" "Oh, only a friend of ours that you know. Come right Into the parlor." He walked across the threshold of that sacred apartment to find Sam Hammond seated In the haircloth rock? er and looking very much at home. Neither of the young men appeared particularly happy at meeting the other, but truth to tell, Hammond was the more self possessed. "Hello, Brad!" he said easily. "I've heard nothing but you and Cap'n Ez since breakfast. I'm glad for you; it's a nice little Job, If you can carry It out." The contract had seemed anything but a little one to Bradley, and this ! nonchalant way of referring to it took him down a bit. Hammond continued In the same condescending way. "I don't believe I should know how to handle a job like that," he observed, '?without power or towboats or things of that sort. It would be like working with your hands tied. Our people have everything to do with, and they'd have ? that lumber off In no time. Did I ever tell you how we raised the Mar- I l grave for the Barclay line folks, Gus? , That was a Job there was some fun In! She was a big iron steamer that ran Sum did most of the tulklng. on the ledge at the mouth of Boston harbor and weut down. We got the contract right In the face of the sal? vage company In their own town." Sam did most of the talking. Gus listened, and Bradley brooded. Per? haps, he thought, he had made n mis? take in leaving the big city; perhaps, after all, he was destined to become nothing but the "longshoreman" Gus had intimated might bo his fate. Cap? tain Tltcomb didn't think so, but he might be mistaken. He grow more downcast every minute. "I tell you, honest. Brad," said Sam. with apparent earnestness, "I don't soo how you and the cep'n are going to make much out of this business or got to bo anything more than ,1ust anchor draggere, Speaking as a man with some experience in wrecklngi your chance agalnat the big chaps, like OQr crowd, look small to me. You may win out. but" - lie shook his head doubtfully, i Gus. at Hammond's request, sealed herself before the squeaky old parlor fan and played while she and Sain sang. Bradley, who didn't sing, sat on \ the sofa and watche i them gloomily. All day he had been In that excited nervous if ite when* criticism or en conragemotit afTected his spirits as the weather does a barometer. The dole? ful prophecies at the wharf?although at another time ha would have laughed at them had deprei ?ed him in spit.? of himself, The whole hearted joy and confident.f the old maids had cheer od him up again, bu1 now he was real izlng that, after all, It was Ous' en? couragement and congratulation that he wanted, and she had not congratu? lated him. At length he rose to go, giving as an excuse the fact of his being tired and having to be up early next morning. Gub apologized to Sam and accom? panied him to the door. She came out on the step; it was a beautiful night clear and calm, with every star shin? ing. Bradley put on his hat. "Well, good night," be said shortly. But Gus laid her hand on his coat sleeve. "Couldn't you see? Sam envies you, and that Is why he talks so big about New York. And he knows you're go? ing to succeed too. Oh, Brad, your op? portunity Is here! You ought to be as nroud and confident of yourself as I am t>rond and confident of yon." ^GusT* "he wlilspere(l.iooK,lng'"straight into her eyes, "do you believe in me as much as that?" She did not shun his look. "Yes," she answered simply, "I do." Goodness knows what migt.t have happened then. Perhaps Gus was afraid to wait and see. At all events, she snatched her hands from his, whis? pered "good night," and ran Into the house. _ CHAPTER XI. Bt w|T was the morning of the sec 11 J ond day following the secur JS9 Ing of the wrecking contract. laSPagl The Llxxle, with Bradley, the captain and Ahin Bearse aboard, had left the Orham wharf an hour or more before. They had stopped at the Point to pick up Peleg Myrick and Bill Tay? lor, the new hands, whose services the captain had secured without much tumble. Barney ran the little wrecking schooner under the tilted stern of the Ruth Ginn, and Bradley sprang from the shrouds to the rail of the stranded craft. Then, one by one, all but Bar? ney, who stayed behind to look after the Lizzie, they clambered aboard the wreck. Most of the hard pine boards that formed the deck load were In place, having been lashed well and be? ing out of the reach of the heaviest seas, which had spent their force ou the stern and after portion of the ves? sel. The patent windlass was in good condition, and so also, to their delight, was the donkey engine. Peleg, work? ing manfully at the pump, reported that she had some water in her, but that it didn't "seem to be gaiain' none." Bradley got steam up In the donkey engine, and the big anchor of the Ruth Glnn, attached to a heavy cable, was lowered carefully until its shank rest? ed across the stern of the dory. To this main cable, near Its middle, were splic? ed two others just as heavy; to each of these another anchor was made fast The dories were rowed out almost at a rig'it angle from the wreck into the deep water. Then the anchors were thrown overboard and a three fingered iron hand, with its spread talons deep In the sand, held the lumber schooner fast. "Now, Brad," commanded the cap? tain, "haul that line taut." Bradley started his engine, the wind? lass turned, and the cable, that had hung loose from the bow of the wreck, lifted from the water and tightened till it groaned. "All she'll stand, is It?" asked the skipper. "Good! Make her fast. They say tide'll wait for no man, so I guess we'll have to do the next best thiug aud wait for the tide. Now boys," as the men climbed aboard from the dories, "git to work and strip her." Bradley and the captain knew that they could not hope to .et out all the lumber in the hold, of the Ruth Giuu if lot was allowed to lie lu her present exposed position. One more gale and she would be almost certain to break up. Their hope was to lighten her by getting rid of her deck load and to work her off the shoal into deep water and then tow her up to Orham harbor, where she could be unloaded at their leisure. She lay almost broadside to the shoal, but not quite. Her bow was well up on the sand, but her stem overhung the edge of the Boneyard, which on that side was, as Captain Tltcomb said, "steep as the back of a barn." The cable, tight as the steam windlass could draw it, led off from her bow to the spot where the anchors were plant? ed under many fathoms of water. Where the tide turned its pressure against the schooner would bring her to bear on the cable with a tremendous pull. The waves, growing larger as the water deepened, should, if their plan was a good one, loosen her keel In the sand, and every inch she gave the cable would retain. The more she loosened, the easier she would move. The slack thus made in the cable would be taken up by the windlass. She might gain but a foot a day for awhile, ^ut some day or other, if the weather held fair, she would have worked herself through the sand aud clear of the shoal. They stripped her, cuttiug away her tangled ropes and sails and taking them aboard the Lizzie. Everything movable, except of course the lumb~ they transferred thus or threw over? board. It was a hard job and took them all day. Bradley was a tired mau whan he reached home that night, but he had to answer countless ques? tions nut-to biro by the Jnjtoreste l old maids; He saw flu* for a monieul or two and reported progress. Then ho went to bod. Next rooming was clear and calm, and they were delighted t<> find that tin? wrecked SChOOUOr had gained a little an I lhat the ??:i'?l<? was slacker than they left it. They tightened it auain with the windlass ami then set to work throwing overboard the lum? ber on the ?lock. They rigged a tin kle 011 the stump of the foremast and with the donkey engine swung great bun dipt of the planki oyorboardi while AIYl!l and Barney, standing <vi fie Boating timber, with the water awash Ing around the knees of their naher* men's boots, made it into rafts to be I towed up to Orham. [ That night they hired Ira Sparrow's fishing boat, the You and I, to tow the lumber rafts. She was a stout little craft with a naphtha engine, and, al thought not nearly po efficient ps a tug, ( id the work after a fashion and was far and away cheaper. By hiring her they added Ira to their force. For eight days they labored steadily; except on Sunday, when they merely sailed down to take up the slack on the cable. The lumber on the deck had been rafted to Orham, and they had begun to get out that In the hold. The Ruth Ginn was moving slowly through the 8ii nd, and every day showed more and more gain. The partners were in high uplrits. When the Lizzie, with the workers aboard, reached Ruth Glnn the next morning, Ira Sparrow, in the You and I, wa? there already, and the "chug, chug," of 1 Is naphtha engine was heard as he came rushing to meet them. "Brad! Onp'n Ez!" he hailed, as soon as they wero In shooting distance. "She's; shifted like time In the night! I swan, I b'lleve we can git her off this tide!" This was such onea^eeted good news, for they had figured en anr.ther week at least, that the partners could scarce? ly believe it. "Are you sure?" sboilttd B^pdley, leaning over the Lizzie's bow. "Pretty nigh sure. Look for your? self." They shot up to the wreck, to find the cable, that had been left tight and rigid, hanging loose. Au inexperienced eye could see that the lumber sc'.ooner had changed her position. Her bow was now almost in <?? line with the edge of the shoal and. even in the slack water of the last of the ebb, she was rocking appreciably lu the cradle her bull had made in the sand beneath it. "Great scissors to grind!" shouted Captain Tltcomb. "She'll do It as sure as I'm a foot high! Tumble aboard there, boys?lively!" They clambered up the side and fell to work like sharks around a dead whale. Bradley got up steam in the donkey eugiue. As soon as possible they started the windlass and hauled the cable taut "She feels it boy; she feels it!" cried the captain. "Give it to her, every pound she'll stand. Now, then," he added, "while we're waitln' for the tide to turn we might 's well roust I out a little more of the cargo. No use to lay hack and let Providence do It all. The Lord helps them that helps themselves, as the darky said when he found ihe ben house door unlocked. Hatches off, men. Dive into it there!" They rigged the blocks and tackle and bei ran swinging bundles of ma? hogany strips from the hold over the side. The tide turned, end the woter on the 9hoal grew deeper. The Ruth Glnn rocked in her sand cradle. Every little while they hove taut on the cable in order to take up every Inch of slack. It wa.? exhilarating, exciting wo~k. this fight with old ocean, and Bradley and the captain gloried in the sheer Joy of it. They were winning and win? ning not only a goodly sum of money, but the 3rst big prize that would dem? onstrate their ability to carry through aasTsTanaanasssassssseseaeeeas-s-m larger Mid mart important contract*. The fo-cnoon passed. "Cap'n Ez!" suddenly bellowed Ira from the You nnd I. "She's mevln'! Come up on your cable." The captaift Jumped to the windlass nnd Rrndley to his engine. The cable tightened and slowly. Inch by Inch, wound back over the windlass barrel. Prom benenth the Ruth (linn came a sliding, grating sound, the most wel? come sound in the world to the wreck? ers. Bearse. picking up a heavy coil of rope from the deck, tossed It to Ira. "That's the stuff, Alvln!" roared the captain approvingly. "Make It fast In the bows. Now, Ira, put your power on to that line." The You and I leaped out Into deep water and. with her naphtha engine coughing fmlously, pulled doggedly at the new tow line. The grating under ' the keel of the lumber schooner grew louder; she quivered from stem to stern: the cable crept inboard faster and faster. I Then there came a shake, a roll that I caused Peleg Myrick to lose his foot? ing and tumble Into the scuppers, and. with a triumphant wallow, the Ruth Ginn slid off the shoal. And from her deck and from that of the You and I went up a yell that scared the gulls fishing away over on the Raaorback. They drew her Into the rhannel well out of danger, and anchored her firm? ly, bow and stern. "There!" said the captain trium? phantly. "She'll stay there till we cau get a tug from Vineyard Haven. We'll "Gus, do you really caret** go ashore and telephone from the life saving station for one this minute. No more work today, boys " Bradley went that night to see Gus. . Tro ex o<mikle2?} Advertise I The speedy way to market a product Is to give it publicity, and the newspa? per is the medium through which to reach all the world.?Waco Tlmea-Her abt A Work Maker. "Blnks is weak financially, isn't be?" "ne hasn't much money, but he gives employment to a great many men." "Who are they?" "Other people'a bill collectors."?Lon? don Tit-Bits. INVESTIGATE THIS ?The Daily Item Read by nearly all the city's entire population (6 days out of every week) is one of the best adver? tising mediums in the State. Place Your Ad and be Convinced. THE WATCHMAN AND SOUTHRON The best Semi-Weekly County newspaper in the State. It reach? es the buying class among the farmers of Sumter, Lee and Clarendon counties, and is a "SURE WINNER." Our Ads are Attractive and Bring Results.