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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1913)
SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE A "JVas There Any thing I Could Have Done?" In the long nights of sorrow, many a mother lias said again and again: "Was there any thing I could have done to save my baby? Anything I left undone?" Oil, yon mothers with little babies in your arms don't let that dull re proach come to you again! Do what you should do now. Learn that nine of ten babies who die are not fed right. Learn that the baby is blessed that has its mother's milk, and for the baby who cannot have that milk, you must be careful of the substitute. The milk of a cow, even if you are sure it is clean and healthy, does not suit the baby until much has been done to it many necessary things added. All this is done for you in So like mother's milk the littlest baby and the most delicate feels no change. The best milk from cows guarded and watched in our sanitary dairies, purified and modified, with just enough wheat, sugar and other neces sary things added to make it the right food for the baby, whom it will make chubby and rosy and strong. Cold water and two minutes' boiling prepares it. Try it at our expense. Send the coupon for complimentary package of 12 feedings. NESTl.K'9 root) roMI'ANY. I0 Cbralr 8trrt. New York. HriH ml iu. HIKE, j our book od trial pckte. Name AddreM SIX BELLS AND ALL'S WELL fanity among the men. This was at the first; It was after he was thor oughly secure in Miss Florence's friendship that ho gradually dropped his attitude of respect and answered my orders slowly and sarcastically, with a sneer upon his face and often n laugh. It Irritated me, or course, but until he committed some overt act of Insubordination I could not repri mand him. Eventually, however, ho gave mo my chance, just after we had crossed the Line. Standing at the break of the poop he roared out a string of curses at the men at the braces. I stood aft near the binnacle, and near me stood Miss Florence, Ignoring me, ns usual, while her father was below, with his window wide open. But I cared nothing for the presence or ab sence of either of them. I was the signed first mate of the ship, and my orders had been disobeyed. Yet, not doubting that It was chivalry that af fected me instead of wounded self esteem, I waited until the work was done, and called out sharply: "Mr. Taynter, I want to speak to you." LIE turned and entered tho port 1 1 alley with darkening face. "Mr. Taynter," I said, "you havo broken the one rule aboard this ship which must not bo broken. What havo you to say? Do you mean to disobey my orders?" "Your orders?" ho answered loudly. "Break your rulcst What have you to say? What right havo you to make rules for me to follow me, a man who ought to be in your place, not eating at second tablo " "Steady, Mr. Taynter," I inter rupted, as calmly as I could. "Thero is no quarrel at present. I want to know if you mean to disobey my rule against tho use of profanity." "I will if I like," he stormed; "and as for a quarrel, there will be one soon, and a short one. If you call mo down again before tho men I '11 knock your block off and put you out of business. Then wo '11 see who makes rules." "Do you mean," I said In a voice rising in anger, "to threaten your superior?" "You my superior? Not on your life." "Wait a minute," I said, and went down the poop steps to my room. Pocketing my pistol one of the newly Invented automatics I re turned to the alley and faced tho sulky second mate. "Mr. Taynter," I said. "I admit that you are the better man physically. Your present offence will go down in the log, and if It is repeated, and I am nllve when wo reach Frisco, thero will bo a complaint to the Commis sioner, which will cost you your tick et. On the other hand, if you strike me, thero will be no complaint. I will shoot you dead as soon as I am able to. Seo this " I drew forth the pistol and held it flat in the palm of my hand "It carries ten car tridges in tho handle. The whole ten can bo expended In two seconds, and each is warranted to go through ono second mate and four grizzly bears, or ono grizzly bear and four second mates. Watch it." Aiming over board I spat six bul lets into the water in less than a sec ond. He was visibly Impressed; ho paled and stepped backward, but, as I slipped the weapon into the pistol pocket of my trousers, he gathered himself for a spring. He did not even begin It. I still clutched the pistol, and quickly withdrawing It, I alined for his face, pinning him in a half irouched position. Slowly ho stood erect, while I lowered tho gun and pocketed It again. "N'ow, you see," I said, "that I vo saved your life by being the quickest Furthermore. I can hit you on tho forecastle deck from where wo stand." He did not answer, but the Captain Continued from Page J) did, coming along the alley to join us. "What's all this shootin' for?" he asked. "And all this talk o" shootln' irons, and shootin' people?" "My talk, Captain Hay ward," I an swered, hotly; for I was angry at his interference. "I have been promised a thrashing by your superior second mate, and I have promised him what he will get if I survive It." "I heard it all, from beglnnln' to end. It seems you object to Mr. Taynter's cussln' the men." "I most certainly do, Captain." "Why? You cuss men yourself, don't you? "Not in the hearing of a lady, sir, and there is a lady aboard." "Oh, well, she's .used to it; this is her third voyage vP me, and has heard a lot of It some from me, I reckon. But it seems that I 'm tho man, not you, to make a rule against it." "Nevertheless, sir, the rule is made, and I insist that it be obeyed." "Then fight It out yourselves, but don't bring me into it. However, Mr. Wilson John Wilson, as it would read in court don't bo too sure o' your rights In the matter. I shot a man once when I was mate In self defense, too, and served five years In San Quentln. A good llckln' Is better than a dose o' San Quentln." The practical advice of tho old man had cooled us down, but not to the point of answering him. So, he went aft and descended the companion, slowly followed by tho second mate, to the binnacle, while I moved myself to tho extension of the poop where ho had stood when cursing tho men. It was in the last dog watch, and the quick darkness of tho tropics was closing down; yet thero was suffi cient light for mo to seo Taynter and the girl Btanding side by side near the binnacle. It was his watch on deck, and ho had a right to bo there; so it was not this that sent mo down to my room In a silent rage. It was the sight of her beautiful face, lifted up to his with a smile, and the sound of her musical voice as they con versed. "You're all kinds of a fool," I growled at myself, as I reloaded tho pistol and lay down In my berth for a Bmoko. "Bill Hayward's daughter, and used to It. Perhaps she can out curse any man on board." So, despis ing her now as much as I disliked her, I smoked myself Into a cold re solve to keep out of trouble, to let Taynter curse all he liked, and to as sist him at it if necessary. DUT it was not necessary. Taynter emitted no more billingsgate, and we did not quarrel again, nor speak to each other except at the change of watches and in the matter of routine work. He and Miss Florence seemed as friendly as ever, but I could not help seeing them and hearing them at times. I noticed that she did not smllo upon him as before, and that her voice, when audible, held a plead ing note. Only once did this plead ing note become articulate; It was when I was smoking In my berth in the last dog watch and they passed along the port alley together that I heard her say through my open win dow: "He will surely kill you If you do." "Shsh-sh," ho answered, know ing, I suppose, that I was wlthlu hearing. "Got him galleyed," I chuckled, as I rolled over on my left side to bring tho hard pistol in my pocket from be neath me. "No wonder she don't smile any more." But she did smile again, and not only smiled, but laughed at him when, two days later, carrying a pitcher of water, he slipped on the deck and drenched himself. Both the girl and I saw the accident, saw him sit up, a ludicrous picture of bewil derment, and it was a full half min ute before he got his breath and strength to rise. Meanwhile peal after peal of silvery, derlslvo laugh ter came from tho girl, and I Joined her in It; but as Taynter, after an angry order to the watch as to clearing up the wreck, marched aft to his room with glowering mortifi cation in his drenched countenance, the girl's laughter took on a hyster ical note, and she, too, hurried aft, going below by the other companion. I was amazed, but knowing nothing about women except their inscruta bility, put tho incident from my mind. And I only mention it here because it had something to do with the events of the night and the fol lowing morning, when I'lurvncr Iluy mirtl spoke to me. T'HOUGH it was my turn below In the last dog watch, I kept the deck until Taynter relieved me at eight bells, when I went below, very tired, and turned In, boots and all fall ing asleep immediately. I lay on my left side, to avoid the pressure of the pistol, thus facing my open door, and at the regulation time I awoke, my drowsiness somewhat abated by the short sleep, and waited to hear four bells strike. But it did not strike, and tho waiting and expectancy com bined to waken me thoroughly, en abling me to see distinctly In the half light from tho cabin lamp the figure of Taynter sneaking past my door into tho forward cabin or mess room. He had no business there at the time and I sat up wondering. Then I felt of my empty pistol pock et, and rolled out on my feet, non plussed and nervous, knowing my protection was gone. I cautiously peepeu arounu inrougn ine uoorway, t then seeing that tho forward cabin was empty, softly entered it. Sim ultaneously a report sounded from the after cabin, nnd in a moment the swinging door flew open, and Taynter burst through, staggering and stumb ling, turned around onco and fell on his side at my feet with blood stream ing from his mouth and my pistol In his right hand. He gasped and choked a few times, then lay quiet In death, and I picked up the pistol. Then again the swinging door flew open and the Captain appeared In his pa jamas, coincident with the appear anco of the steward from his room at tho starboard side. "What's this shootin'?" exclaimed the Captain. "Oh, I see," he added, glancing at the body and at the pistol. "You've done it, as you said you would, and you 'ro caught with the goods. Steward, you 're a witness. You see him standing over the man he threatened to kill, with the gun in his hand that killed him." "Yes, sir," answered the steward, his eyes popping in terror and horror. "On the contrary, Captain," I said calmly. "I did not kill him. He must havo shot himself, after taking my gun from my pocket while I was asleep. I always waken at four bells of tho middle watch, as I 've told you, and this time I saw him sneak past my door Into the cabin. Then I missed my pistol, and followed in here just in time to hear the report from the after cabin; then he stumbled through the door with my gun In his hand." "Tho h 1 you say. It don't happen to be four bells." I looked at the double faced clock above tho door In the bulkhead be tween the two cabins. It was sir bells three o'clock in the mornlnc. My mental alarm had waited one hour. "I cannot help that, sir," I an swered. "I awoke just as he passed my room. I saw this forward cabin empty, I heard the shot from the after cabin, and saw him tumble through the door and fall dead with my gun in his hand. I picked up m property a second before you cam-' through the door." "But why did he steal your gun an-l Your rlk 1 iinall thf niltrrtltrr'n grrat.