The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-05-07
LES INCOMPREHENsIBLEs.
BY VICTOR HUGO.


III. OF England.
Still the man sat on the fence.
BOOK III.
The fence surrounded tall, gloomy
building. The building had shutters at
the window. The man was French
man. There were other Frenchmen in
the same neighborhood. They were in
bed. Frenchmen were discovered by
Oliver Cromwell, and subsequently pat
ented by the author. They are copy
righted. All Frenchmen not bearing
the signature of the author are spurious.
1t was night. 1t was dark night.
Darkness is shadow that rises from
the ground when the sun goes down.
The man on the fence was thinking.
His name was Lippiatt.
BOOK III.
Lippiatt loved Maronette. Maronette
was girl. She knew Lippiatt. She
did not know that Lippiatt loved her.
Maronette lived in the gloomy house.
Lippiatt did not tell Maronette that he
loved her. He was contented to sit on
the fence i'll front of her house. He was
n quiet man. Like all Frenchmen, he
was the bravest man in thirteen coun-
tries. He was tailor. A tailor is one
who promises to have your clothes done
Saturday, and then brings them around
week after next.
Lippiatt was poor. All heroes are
poor.
Maronette opened window and SHE'D
an old boot at Lippiatt.
Is that you, Lppiatt?" she said.
Yes" said Lippiatt.
Maronette laughed.
"My father says 1 must marry the
man who will bring him the Norwegian
maelstrom," said Maronette.
Lippiatt got off the fence and walked
away.
Like all tailors in France, Lippiatt
was a good sailor. He stole boat and
started for the coast of Norway. A fear
full storm came on. The world drew on
heavy cloak to protect it from the
storm. The sea opened a thousand
mouths to swallow Lippiatt. 1t was
hungry for him. His beard and hair
were filled with salt. Great grasping
hands of darkness reached down to
snatch him.
Lippiatt only laughed.
The scene grew wilder. Monsters of
water crowded against the boat. They
were reaching for Lippiatt. He steered
his boat to avoid them.
A wave averages twenty feet in height.
1t contains 400 tons of water. 1t is
thicker at the base than at the top. In
that respect it is like pyramid. But it
is not three-cornered. 1t is oval in shape.
A round wave is a waterspout. A water
spout is thick at the top and bottom and
slender in the middle.
Lippiatt knew this.
He was afraid of waves. He was fear
full of waterspouts.
In four days Lippiatt arrived at the
maelstrom.
1T is for Maronette, said he.
The maelstrom is shaped like funnel.
The lower end is Mt the bottom. The
mouth is at the top. L, is caused by the
tides. The Norwegians suppose it is
caused by hole in the earth. Lippiatt
knew better.
He went down in the maelstrom and
fastened q rope around the lower end.
To this rope he adjusted blocks and pull
and fastened the other end of the rope to
the mast head. The blocks gave him a
purchase.
He rested.
BOOK VII.
Having rested, Lippiatt pulled on the
rope. He pulled the maelstrom inside
out. The bottom was then mt the top.
1t spun around like an inverted top
Lippiatt drove staple into it and
fastened his line. Then he set sail. The
maelstrom followed.
81 shall marry Maronette," he said.
BOOK VIII.
Another man sat on the picket fence.
1t was Goudenay. Goudenay loved Marc
nette. Maronette loved Goudenav.
Goudenay saw something coming in
the harbor.
"What is that ?" he asked.
1t looked like an inverted funnel. 1t
was 900 feet high.
81 don't know" said Maronette.
She was right ; she didn't.
BOOK TX.
Lippiatt disembarked. He took the
maelstrom ON his shoulders. Then he
went to the gloomy house. He hung
the maelstrom on the picket fence.
"How do you do, Goudenay?" he
asked.
He knew Goudenay. He had disap-
pointed him about some trousers.
81 am happy" said Goudenay. 81
am going to marry Maronette.
Lippiatt looked at Maronette.
EYES," she said, 81 marry Goudenay
this morning."
BOOK X.
Lippiatt went to the wedding.
He gave Maronette silver card-re-
ceiver.
Maronette smiled.
Lippiatt went back to the picket
fence. He ate the maelstrom up.
As the wedding party went home they
saw dead body lying beside the picket
fence. The point of the maelstrom was
sticking out of the mouth.
"Good gracious ~ said Maronette.
"Holy smoke ~ exclaimed Goudenay.
1t was Lippiatt.
Advice to Young Men.