Adventure Magazine Cover — page 145: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Innocent Bystander and the Triangle Hawkins claimed she’d make eight if the Old Man wasn’t so stingy with her coal. But old Hawkins was a speed maniac and likely to exaggerate. “Well, she’s still at it,” said George thoughtfully. ‘‘Joe’s got her now.” “Where is Brinkman?” I said. “I thought they’d die together, he and the old il : “They were that thick,” said George. “But I am coming to that. Shut your trap and listen. “T had made a couple of trips in her when Joe came aboard. He was tickled stiff. His first berth as second mate, you know. Had never been better than third before, and he with a master’s certificate. Had had it four years. He wasn’t so tickled when he found out that we didn’t carry a third for him to lord it over. But he bore it, oh, he bore it, did Holy Joe. It was a stepping stone, he used to comfort himself and me. Maybe it was, but I guess he thought it pretty much a tombstone later.” George paused and I ventured to say I had always thought Joe a peculiar guy, but George didn’t pay any attention. “Did you know old Brinkman had a daughter?” said George. “Yes” 1 said.. “‘Lived with an aunt somewhere, I believe.”’ ‘“‘The same,” said George. ‘Lived with her Aunt Louisa. But the aunt died and the daughter had to go from somewhere to elsewhere.”’ “Quite likely,” I said. “But where?” “To the Aunt Louisa,” said George. “Oh, I see,” I said, baffled. “Well, you don’t,” said George. were always a mutt. “You know old Brinkman was as tight as arich relative,” said George. “Naturally the scuttling of Aunt Louisa upset him. The daughter hadn’t cost him much, so far. She had worked for Aunt Louisa and Aunt Louisa had fed and clothed her. But with Aunt Louisa come to a sorry end everything else had come to a sorry end. The Old Man was up a tree. “He turned his money over and over and decided he liked it too well to part with any of it. So he made up his mind to take her along. The daughter, I mean, not Aunt Louisa. In the Aunt Louisa. Capital arrangement for the old skinflint. Saved him quite a bit on board and lodgings. Not to mention clothes. “Vou oo 135 “She didn’t cause much of a stir aboard. She wasn’t exactly a beauty. I may say she was exactly the opposite. But let that pass temporarily. She was a dandy worker. Learned at the aunt’s, you know. Strict old lady. She took entire charge of old Brinkman’s quarters. Kept them as clean as a Dutch Sunday school. You might eat off the floor if you wanted to. The Old Man told me so many a time. And he didn’t lie. Later she— But let that pass, temporarily. “Did I tell you she and Joe came aboard at the same time? No? Well, they did. Bad omen, of course. Joe ought to have beat it then and there, as the lawyers say. But he didn’t. And being there, he had to take his medicine whether he stood up or lay down. No help for it. No way out, except over the side, and that did not appeal to Joe. He hoped something would turn up. Of course. Miracles may happen. But they never do. “WE WERE sailing for the Baltic gt.) with a lot of second-hand printing —s presses and other scrap iron. Quite a trip for the old girl. I mean the Aunt Louisa. I get a little mixed on account of the similarity of names. But the other Aunt Louisa is out of it now, thank the Lord, and it won’t be so hard after this.” “T thought you said there was a triangle,” I interrupted, somewhat disappointed. I like spicy things. “I’m coming to that,” said George. “Shut your trap and listen and don’t bother me. “We had hardly lost sight of the Land of Liberty and Pilgrims’ Pride and Noble Free before the Old Man began to pull a long face. It seemed to affect him that way. It Plunged him in Thought. With capitals, mind you. It wasn’t an easy matter that troubled the Old Man. He had a hard nut to crack. And he seemed to be trying to crack it with his teeth, for his mouth was quite effectively shut for a couple of days. “And finally something did crack. Whether it was the nut or Brinkman’s old bean I’ll leave for you to decide. I am not committing myself. ‘And of course as soon as something cracked-he opened his mouth. It wasn’t natural for old Brinkman to keep his mouth shut, not any more than it is natural for you to keep your mouth shut when I am telling GOMIIGoOO S C@ iin