The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-03-03
DUNCAN > GLASS.

Then sometimes, slr," said old
Matthew Duncan, the coast guard al
Trambay, I've thought Id write 8
book. I've got 80 far as to think
what color the cover should oe, and
that's half the battle; and | settled
that it should be as ike the Union
Jack as the book folk can make 1t
bat | never get any further. I'll tell
you some of the things I've seen
through this glass, and what I've
ihought of them, too; and if they do
any Joke, III be all the better
pleased.
Now, first of all, you point this
glass over at yonder old bit of a
ruin on the cliffs. You can't see a
large black stone in it-well, the TO
Gus amt right for your eye; every
man must shift it for himself but
the stone Is there"
Ay, | see 1t now. And | see q
white cross-a rough dab OF paint
on II.
Right; when q man sees that,
It's sign he has the focus right and
that he can see as | could-only l
hope he'll never get chance To see
what / saw. Wnen a man can see
that white mark, It's a sign that he
could know one person from anoth-
er il they were standing at The same
place; and that he could see all
they were doing, and so to speak,
almost hear what they were saying.
We ain quite come to that yet, but
if what folks say who come to talk
to me in the summer time be true.
we're on our way to it--and We
amt far away, either. But now
you re sure that man standing here
can see what's going on over
there.
Well, fifteen years ago, come
midsummer to-day, ! was on guard
mere al three o'clock in the morn
ing. | generally gave a look all
around with that glass; and as there
was nothing in view at all out to
sea, | kept watching rabbit that
was skipping in and out amongst
the stones of the old ruin. Present
ly | saw it was frightened and ran
away, and l said to myself. Now,
hats that?' for you know when a
man is long hours in the same place,
aud there day after day, he's glad of
anything that makes stir
Il hadn't long to wait before |
saw what made the rabbit Jump
away in such d hurry {; man and
woman came out of the ruins and
sat on some of the loose stones out
side. The man was dark, with
sailors dress, and as far as | could
see-and that | think was pretty
near-was about thirty years of age.
he warn't the looking man that I'd
trust myself to if | were young
girl-but no living man can tell
" hat any living woman will do, or
will not do, or why she will do it
or will not do it--and that's a
knowledge I've come to by thinking,
and by watching my old woman,
and was one of the first things |
intended putting down IN my book.
At first these two were friendly
enough-even if theg glass were wrong
in the focus, | could have seen that
they were sweethearts but after
they had been there about half an
hour OF so, | saw that the girl began
TO move away from him and when
be shifted his seat so as 10 get near
her. she made another move
Said |. Here's the old story of.
ali the world, CT morning, noon and
night, going on here on top of this
chii at four O'clock in the morning.
But / hadn't time for much
thinking as it took all my attention
watching. There was a quarrel and
that was plain. But, Pooh, says |
to myself, they Il kiss and be friel ds
in ten minutes. Well, | waited for
the kissing, and then thought I'd
have another look around the ocean.
But that poor girl never got a kiss
again. There was q something IN
her hand that be wanted to get
that was plain-though conldn't
exactly make out what it was, but
whatever 1t was he snatched 1t from
her, and she struck at him In her
anger, and then there was pushing
about, but always with her getting
nearer and nearer the edge Of the
cliff, until at last | saw the mans
two arms thrust straight out, and
over she went. Once or twice she
hung on the face of the rock her
dress caught in the brambles then
but it was only for a moment, she
was in the sea in less time: than it
takes to tell you this
The tide was full up at that time
but Just at the turn, and once 1t
turns, it runs there like the race of
mill, and the man was soon lost 70
view in the ruins, and tho search
ed the ocean ali around ior miles, |
never got sigh! Of the body any
more.
Now, sir, says l to myself,
What shall I do-shall | report
this p | thought and thought, and
at last ! says. No, | won't report it,
even to my old woman, for if do,
there's no tellin' to whom she'll re-
port it again. And the reason had
for not doing this was, | says to my
self, if there's nobody missing and
IL tho hodv meyer turns nm. as