Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-11
KalsiI0ns's Wife as the Crib.

From the Chicago Tribune
wonder how many of the hundreds who look
out at the lake every day and see the crb-tower
rising up against a blue or gray sky. as the
case may be. known of a scene that took place
there nearly three years ago.
At the time of which speak the ib-keeper
was Finn named kastrom, a gigantic man
and heavy in proportion to his size. He was
known about the wlarves as Big Charlie and
his claim to distinction was that he had as he
said. commanded bark of a dousand duns.'
in which he had sailed the North seas. and i'm
which, Fikingiike, he had carried off his Wife a
bright-faced Irish girl. from DrOgheda, one of
the east ports of Ireland
She was small woman. with gray eyes and
long black lashes. She had strongly marked
eyebrows and a mass of waving black hair that
crept in little curls around her temples and the
nape of her neck She had the piquant nose of
her race and a generous mouth filled with strong
white teeth 1t was in March, and the day was
one of those soft. treacherous ones that lure I'M
wary flowers TO their destruction, and SOW
pneumonia and bronchitis broadcast The sun
shone warmly. and the great lake seemed to
dream Of springtme.
The crib-lardcr was like Mother Hubbard's
cupboard. and kaStrom took his small boat and
IOWCu dSutIt HI Inc Jew HtuIS he spent among
the shops ami in taking a glass of beer with his
friends. the wind changed and when he reached
the shore with his stores. he found the lake
cnnrned hp to the fury peculiar to inland seas
He was worried but had such confidence in
his little Irish girl. as he called her. that he
spent the night quietly. The next day found
the storm as wild ever. and he spent the
hours of daylight striding up and down the
shore, for by this time he knew the few proyi-
sions had given out. and that his wife was
ARf l1t- f..
his boat and twice il swamped.
At dark the light cleaned out from the crib
top, but to kalstrOm's eye it had baIeful
glare, and morning found him determined Ito
20 ev L hev to swim vOr it, as he swore with
some round scandinavian Oaths Fortunately
che wind was more quiet. and. after hard work
he came under the lee of the crib walls. His
wife had spied him. and she cast him a noOsed
rope from the top story of the crib; for the
waves rolled so high that all the stOrm-doors
and shutters were battened down and the white
caps spit at the lantern they drove before the
wind.
He caught the rope and passed up his bundle
Of supplies. She dropped it a second time: and.
Just as he got it under his arms a great wave
swamped the boat. leaving him cIinging to the
wall, blinded and bruised, and depending on the
little woman up aloft for his life
She began hauling on the rope, and had
drawn MIN as high as the sill-frame-he thrust
ing fingers and toes into whatever crevices
offered As he reached his right hand up the
wind came round the corner with veil and tore
him loose, dropping him into the lake: but the
faithful Irish girl paid out the line as fast as she
could. and he found himself with chance for
life still i'm his reach
Up he came hand over hand and as he en-
tered the window he saw her fall and i'm the
dim light he noticed strange discOloration of
her face, black stain on the bright rag CARPET.
and the fact that her dress was torn to rags in
front.
Well. to make long story short, when he
picked her up he found the wedding finger of
her left hand entirely gone and the tendon
ripped out up to the elbow. 1t had been caught
between the rope and the stone casing when he
Tell, and his great weight. playing against the
weddng-rlng. had done the mischief But as
she said. 1T weren't time for faintin Miss :"
And she had hauled him up with the right hand
and those strong, white teeth
Inc rugging of the hemp had cut her mouth
cruelty: and she had ground her knees against
the wall so desperately that the thick stuff-poWn
sne wore was frayed through and through
That night the wind shrieked and roared till
me lake went mad with the noise and the waves
Threw tne'r SPRAY among the pigeons under the
eve OF the lantern roof. and the injured woman
moaned through the house for the relief that
could not come. kalstrom signaIled and SIR
nailed for help. and four days after the accident
. boat got out, and Mrs. kalstrom was taken to
the hospital. where the wound was dressed and
where she lay for many weary day
When | saw her first. noticed with great
eatisfaetion that fall of pretty lace covered her
manned hand and that :. Big Charlie under
his rough husk held real reverence and afrec-
ton for her. To these feelings he bore witness
everywhere and when his friends would play
upon him and say half in jest and half in earn
est: " An. Charlie. you're a fine fellow. amt
you! he would answer with naive conceit and
confidence: N
Vase, I am; tor hef commanded a bar, of
dousand duns; but dere's better dan me at
home. And ev anybody says Kalstrom's a
vine yellow you gan dell him, Vase but
kalstr0m's wife is viner'"