Connecticut western news., 1884-03-12
Rival Lovers.


 "Cheerily, boys p shouted the master. ''We must be nearing the coast. Hold hard the helm, Jean Make fast the rope, Pierre P
 Over the raging sea the fishing smack shot like flash. The previous day they had set out amid superb weather. There was stiff breeze, covering with light foam the waves, upon the surface of which the sun was mirrored with bright silvery reflections. Nevertheless, on passing the lookout house Pere Landure, the master, had paused with an uneasy air. In less than an hour the barome- ter, the column of mercury of which glittered at the door, had fallen centi- metre. The old man had remained there second, seeming to reflect. Then he had glanced at the sky, snifed the wiEd, and had ended by shrugging his shoulders. A tempest in such weather, was that possible? He would have felt 1t, he who scented the gales day in advance, and he did not scent anything at all, save @ good catch of fish. The barometer was certainly wide of the mark.
 That was why Pere Landure had set out with his two young men, Pierre and Jean.
 Were they his sons? No. Pere Lan- dure had only daughter, Marie, the pearl of the coast, 8 superb lass of 20, robust and delightful, with eyes of velvet and skin like ripe peach. Pierre and Jean were mariners of the district, very reso- lute fellows, persistent workers, under standing their business, whom he had employed for year past to go fishing on his vessel. With them everything went splendidly. It was question which of the twain had had most heart in his toll. They were genuine rivals, forsooth The master had his suspicious as to what caused this laudable zeal. The young fellows were after his daughter. That was clear. There was @ struggle be- tween them as to which of the pair should deserve to be accepted as Marie's husband. We'll, let that go ahead Pere Landure was not disturbed. His daugh- ter was sage, and sound in mind as well as in body. When she wished she would make her choice, and everything would be arranged.
 She would perhaps do well not to de- lay too long, all the same. For to wait thus in impatience is not the best thing for two lads equally smitten. For about a month past Pere Landure had detected black looks between them, on Jean's side, particularly, who was more ardent than Pierre, more choleric also, perhaps, and more underhanded. But all that would be settled on the wedding day and the rejected lover would console himself with double share of cider. It would not be the first time such thing had been seen-vexation drowned in a short bumper-and pretty girls were not scarce in the neighborhood
 Meanwhile they had worked hard all the afternoon, very calmly. But sud- denly, toward 4 o'clock, the breeze had freshened
 Hola sailors, what does this mean ? Pere Landure had raised his head, put his hand above his eyes and scanned the horizon. Down there, away down there, black cloud was scurrying along at the utmost speed.
 ''Let go behind p the master had shouted, land make for land !'
 And they had hastened toward the coast. But suddenly the wind had shifted, driving the vessel before it to- ward the open sea. What tempest, great Jupiter Never had the two young fellows, never had Pere Landure him. self, old as he was, seen anything like it. It was surely one of those diabolical hurricanes mentioned by those who have voyaged in Southern seas; one of those frightful cyclones that surround one with circle of furious winds had made a mistake as to ocean and had fallen upon the wrong waters. Every hali hour the wind shifted and the mad bark turning about, shot off in an unknown direction through whirlpools of waves as high as houses. How was it that it had not foundered twenty times? Its rib' must be solidly bolted Stoutly decket as 1t was. it rolled from wave to wave plunging, then rising as if by a miracle shaken, tossed, dashed, speeding along constantly at a fearful rate.
 Where was it going now? That, for sooth, the three sailors would hav' found it very difficult to say. The nigh had come oman inky night and they could not see sixty feet in front of them For an instant they had perceived tn