Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-12-21
TIE AVENGING FINGER.

"a devilish night" cried Master won.
skillfully bringing his boat to anchor; mot
even sardine for my painsl But the wind,
and the fishing, too, will be so much the bet
ter tomorrow"
And WON was right in his estimate of the
weather, for the roaring blasts that swept
the sea at the moment, fiinging it upon the
sands In spray and heaps of foam that buried
themselves with furious howlings in the 81
lent and somber streets of the village, would
all be gone by morning.
The boat at anchor, the fisherman drew
from the bottom of it the huge fishing sacks,
now absolutely empty. threw them upon his
back, remounted the strand, and turned his
steps toward his distant dwelling A rough
sailor, this master won, tall, broad Shout
dered and tanned to the color of an orange
by the salty winds, who never sulked at
work, and whom they saw when Others,
frightened by the tempests, remained in the
village, smiling and Indifferent, make ready
his boat unaided and put to sea.
This evening even, despite the counsels of
his companions and the supplications of his
wife, he had embarked as usual, not to return
till morning, but decidedly the weather was
too heavy-the harvest did not come, and,
ma foil he had put about, and by IL o'clock
was safe in port again. One thought alone
consoled him for his bad fortune-he was go
ing to surprise his Catherine, his dear treas
ure, and to pass beside her the hours of work
that the ocean refused to allow him to take
from it. All, well, happiness gave him pa
thence, and tomorrow, aftera night like this,
the game would be hungry-the fishing mar
velousl
He loved his wife so much, this brave
Yvon she whom he had seen play when a
little one before the shop of her father the
wheelwright. They had passed these joyous
moments together, participating in the same
plays, in the same stream of sunlight enter
ing between the wheels of the chariots I'M
/ dergoing repairs and mingling their cries
and shouts of laughter with the sonorous
strokes of the hammers. Then Catherine
had grown up, and Yvon, who had COM
lnenced to pass his days upon the sea, no
longer dared to talk with her as of old.
Nevertheless, on Sundays, when all the coun-
try side climbed the coast to the little chapel
at Morlach, he followed from afar the move
ments of tie village SWANS about this beau
tiful girl, his jealous eye resting always upon
one above all others.
This one was the handsome Dominique, the
dSSlSlttub VI tu6 WHICH, SltllCl lllS o
father. Invariably clothed in fresh blouse,
clean and well fitting, his hair brushed
smoothly and scented with pomade, and a
flower nodding in his buttonhole, he ira
versed the Pl ce de la Marche with the air of
a conqueror, addressing himself with smiles
and condescending mods to the wives and
girls of the village, and to which they as
affably responded. On fete days, when he
appeared at the ball that closed the exercises
of the occasion, all eyes were turned upon
| him again, while they awaited with evident
| anxiety his selection of partner for the
evening.
! But Dominique in nowise hurried himself,
| but made the tour of the hall, examined them
| TRANQUILITY, and then cast his choice on the
most beautiful. Frequently it seemed to the
lockers OH at this game of vanity that he lost
| his time when he stopped before the daugh-
| ter of the wheelwright. for Catherine mani
| tested for the workman of her father an in
| difference bordering upon aversion. The
! women chaffed her about it, accused her of
being proud, and declared that the handsome
| Dominique was spoiled for her eyes by a
ffightful Disagreement that he carried upon
his left banda Disagreement that he had
received when working from the hammer of
comrade The middle finger of the hand
hung useless and tumefed, the flesh shriveled
from the bone, blush and hideous.
As time passed on, and under the spur OF
Dominique's gallantries, WON regained his
courage, and one beautiful morning made
his demand upon Father Francois for the
hand of his daughter. He was steady, hon
est, full of ardor for work, and loved her
dearly. The old man consented, moved, per
| haps, by the avowal that Catherine had made
to him of her preference for the fisherman
| As for Dominique, from the moment of the
public betrothment he affected to see The
Young girl no more and kept himself in retire
ment.
All, but the wedding was truly beautiful
Father Francois wished to do everything
we'll; half dozen violins and horns wer'
hired for the occasion, and the supper wa
the establishment of the village. 1t was two
years now that Catherine had been called
Mime. won.
Never had the fisherman been able to dream
of his wife as he was dreaming of her thi
night without evoking host of sweet mem
cries that brought the smile of happy mai
to soften his swarthy face and at times a teal
of tenderness to glisten i'll his eye.
''Tonnerre, what wind!" and he ran fol
his cap, that the blast had carried away
''dear soul, who believes me still upon til,
sea-
By this time WON had come to the corner
of the street, at the end of which was hi
tidy colt; : isolated and far away from al
its neighbors He raised his head like a hors
in sight of it's stable-he was home again-h,
started on with longer strides-to stop imme
diately, astounded
"Tiensl' said he, Its lighted; she's no
abed yet, but prays perhaps, for my safetyl
| AS the words fell from his ps the outlin,
of human form showed itself upon the hal
curtain that shaded the little window-th
me of mans forml A man in his hous
at IL at night-with Catherine-Mol
Dieu! if it were-but no, he refused to com
prehend or to finish the thought that hat
flashed across his mind-he refus- d even t,
suspect his unhappiness At the same time
as the bowling of the wind masked the nois
of his footsteps. he would be able to approach
but leave them unsuspcious of his presence
He pressed himself against the wall of hi
dwelling-he mounted upon the stone tina
supported the gutter-he looked in tn
chamber. Catherine was there reclining il
her chair, beautiful, rosy and smiling; besid
her man who at the moment-even d.
Yvon's eyes fell upon him-drew his wife
into his arms and pressed upon her lips kiss
Of adieu. That mana thousand devils!-
that man was DominiqueI
Under this blow of fate the colossus stag
gered like a beef under the butchers ham
mer; he supported himself against the win
dow frame, his legs trembling, his hand!
convulsively tearing at the scarf thai
seemed to stop his breathing. And thus
while he exposed his life to win the bread fol
the household, his wife whom he had adoree
like madman-his wife-profted by hi
absence to treacherously deceive him! The
shock was too much-the strong man begar
to cry. and many things that had passed I'm
noticed by the confding husband returned t.
mind to torture him. Parbleu! but it had gone
on long time, this pretended hate for the
wheelwright's workman--thls pretended hatf
that was to turn suspicion. And those marks
loe~ -. l. Il