The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-22
Z. 81 II T. gf5i
OLE !.I|iIs g|:!I'lt,,telliqeura,r,:.:.
Oilice: Nas. 70 n.d ~ Foarieenih street
THE ROCK OF QUOT.


TIE E] ROCK .|)l..'l OF QUOT.
NSt, NJ EuoRNg DLAlnAr.
Fenoulllet Is a fisherman. lie lives a
hundred yards from Roqucmaure, at the
spot where tho canal rejolns tho Rhone.
Ho occupies. and hus done GO for sixty
years, a large black house, an old In, whose
badly made doors the winds Of winter
shake, and which, by night, shows, clear
cut against tho black sky, It's moss covered
roof and i's little tower full Of owls.
In early morning, In summer; when the
sun sends over mount ventoux It's rays to
waken .he plain with Their caresses, and
when In the deep silence Of tho woods the
matin sounds @! the birds alone rise up,
then the flsherman'a house seems to regain
It's youth. IN g5
1t 10 a this charming hour that
Fenouil!c', alter having raised the
sluices In tho weir, aacends the
Rnone in his little lla!-bottomed boat. l
meet him ofteu ss Igo out shooting. |
hear In the distance his two FLASHING oara,
anu through the mist see him gently I'D.
vanclng. Soon, touching the bank, he
makes bis boss fast, fills his pipe and sits
him down on the voc an bench before bis
door, 10 geo the sun rise. ~ g. 9,.5
-ORen, alter having taken few steps
with me, the fisher leaves me, for his wife
calls him,-and he Is aitaia OF his wife.
lie coca back with bowed head and hum.
BILE mien, casting toward the house look
which has in 1t something evil. When.
ever 1Bee this am astonishcd 10 see him
80 obedIent, for III spite Of his romau!ic &C.
staciea. Fenouillet has most repellent
countenance. Little, very thin, with his
pointed head, his nose like an eagles
beak, his diverging eyes, his thin mouth
with evil curves, Ills narrow brow full Of
wrinklts, be has all the look Of the pyacher
who gladly takes shot at the game
Keeper. Finally, one day, ended BY ask.
ing him, l0ushingly, how man Of hia nge
could submit to be 30 treated. I'D ~
"Ahl That's a s!ory-au old story I"
TELL it mel"' El'
"Never!' arEa ..
Aad as looked puzzled, he added:
"ferhaps- some other time" ..H
he told 1t TO me one evening when l was
descending the Rhone with him.
II
One Of our terrible northwest winds, the
mistrel, WAS blowing that evening. We
plunged into the night, at the stern OF
the boat, appalled, at tho bowling OF the
tempest; EB rowing with his impossible
calm: He even whistled an old love.dit.y,
and from time to time locked at the rock
Of Qaiot on his right. 1t isa granite wall
rising sheer above the stream. Below, a
whirlpool is ever roaring. They say in that
part that many boat has disappeared in
the bottonless gull which is known and
dreaded by every Waterman. When
We were face TO faco with the
precipice, sheltered from the wind
by tbs trees Of the island, Fenouillet stop
ped his kkili. The whistling Of the gale
passed over our headf; around ua, nought
was to- DO seen but the Tower OF Lars,
darker than the darkness OF the sky.
Fenoulllet knocked out the ashes OF his
pipe into the hollow OF his hand, and turn
ing to me said in tone so low that /
could scarce hear the words:
u am going to tell you my story. I do
not want to 90 of without telling some.
body. You, are young. There ia in it
lesson, and l am sure, that after INV de-
parsure on my last voysge, you will think
the longer OF mo"
He looked again 10 the top Of the cliff,
smiling with smile that frightened me;
for I Haw from his eyes, which plittered in
inc night, that he wac going to tell me an
extraordinary tale:
when l WAS twenty-five years old, l
married her-she who to-day makes mo
dance like any poodle" "
Il know her WE'LL" Gaid I. She ia n fat
Provencal peasant, with red com plexiop.
hair OF dirty white, and large shoulders.
Still, in spite Of all, one could find in her
traces OF beauty which had often heard
quoted with enthusiasm by the old fellows
of Roquemaure. LII ID :
She was then," continued the fisher.
man., "a lovely girl .of eighteen, a blonde
with blue green eyes II. to drive You mad.
became so. ! married her in,spi,e of the
stories they told about her. You cannot
imagine with what wealth OF love eur.
rounded her. l had never had but this
one love in my life and it holds me with
such power that even now, after foriy.hye
yeara, when | think OF my marriage, I feel
a thrill in every fibre Of me. One even
ing. when | returning from setting my
nets in the Rhone, was quite surprised
not TO see her on the doorstep waiting
ior me. Tho houee was empty. l was
alarmed. There WAS letter on the table,
cannot read, but at once understood it
all. My wife had gone away with her first
lover. l WAS young,-I did not die OF it.
Next day, l went quietly to raise my nets,
Pierre, the miller, met me on the bank, as
| was returning. Jean had fine catch
last night he eaid. Jean WIS the boat
man OF Sorgneu, my succeesiul rival.
Pshaw F! replied, Il do not envy other
mems luck; there's fish Tor all the World
lie looked nc steadily in the face, and IS
my eyes did not droop beneath bis pszs.
he said, " understand; l swear to you
that am tho only one who knows the
story yet, so yon can take your own course.'
81 took it. That evening l hid m yself
near the little footpoth which leads to the
rock OF Qulot. The weather WAS as bad as
it is to-day. The miSlss! had ,iseu in an
| icy blast. I waited two nours without stir.
ring At eleven, Jean passed, dragging q
rope which ,railed behind him
like a lorg snake. Jean was one
Of the hsndsomest men you could
wish To sac. He was thirty wears
old. He wau Of your build, very brown,
with Van Dyke beard and dazzling black
eyes. Brave, too, rs q man could he. As
he sailed down t1e Rhone, erect in his
boat, his shirt half open, loIIirg against the
boom, he was q magnificent figure. He
mounted the clill, right Up there. At the
| top BE fastened Lis rope 10 an iron r;np