Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-12-21
wnom ne naa loved SO mucnl

The noise Of the door closing softly and
shadow moving away reused the fisherman
from his trance of agony-in an instant he
was transfgured-a whirlwind of fury surged
into his brain-blood blinded himl With
turn of the wrist he threw off his heavy
shoes, bent his body like runner making for
the goal, and bounded upon the tracks of the
lover-the lover so full of security and salts
faction with himself and who followed, care
lessly whistling a tune, with his hands in his
pockets, a narrow pathway Unframed be-
tween two hedges He had arrived almost at
the main street Of the hamlet, when sud-
denly two powerful hands closed upon his
neck, clutching it with grasp of iron. Dom
Unique gasped, wavered bent to his knees
and lay without moan!
Twenty minutes later WON returned to the
strand, moving in the direction of his boat.
He still carried upon his shoulders a fishing
sack, but SO heavily loaded this time that he
walked with difficulty, and every instant
slipped upon the pebbles, round and polished.
Arrived at last at his bark, he threw down
his burden; it fell with thud upon the pile
of stones that constituted the ballast. The
tide had turned, and already the waves were
tapping under the keel of the little vessel
The fisherman seated himself in his accus-
toned place, propped his feet upon the sack
in the bottom, drew out his pipe and began to
smoke. To smoke-aye-but not for Tonga
half hour, not more. When the movement
of the boat and the wash of the waves told
him the hour had come, he drew up his
anchor, cast off his line and the vessel, obedi-
ent to the oars vigorously handled, drew
rapidly away.
The tempest had lulled considerably; in
the harbor the water was nearly tranquil,
but the harbor was evidently not far enough
for the sailors purposes; he hoisted the sail
and stood for the open sea. An hour perhaps
he sailed thus in the midst of the shadows,
but he stopped at last, and at the moment
the moon broke from the clouds that yelled
it and spread upon the water a train of
silver.
SIT will do, y he murmured, considering it
carefully, tits far enongh!" and he drew
from his pocket broad bladed clasp knife
carried by men of his calling, knelt upon the
sack before him and delivered himself to a
mysterious work that filed him, judging by
the smile upon his lips, with satisfaction
This work accomplished, the sack was loaded
with stones from the pile of ballast and cast
into the depths of the sea, the fisherman
lighted his pipe anew, threw out his lines
baited as they had been in the beginning of
the evening and began to fish.
Not until broad daylight, later than his
usual hour, did he withdraw them again and
start on the homeward journey. Catherine
he saw her from abbreviated for him
| upon the deserted beach with every sign of
profound disquietude, the way OF wives in
general, and faithless wives in particular
In transport of discrimination and tender
| ness she threw herself upon the breast of her
| husband.
"Mon Dieu!" she cried, ''but thou art late
l knew not what to think of it, and the hor-
rible tempest that has ragged since thy de-
parturel l do not wish thee to go out in
weather like this again! How l have prayed
to Our Lady!'
| "Prayed to Our Lady, and for me?" WON
responded with singular smile; ''ah well,
thou seest thy prayer is granted have re-
turned, and the fishing was excellent. But
come, have yet to dlsembarrass my lines
they are loaded. Thou shalt help me at the
task. Begin!"
Had Catherine been looking at her husband
as he spoke, the cold and cruel expression OF
his face, the relentless Tightening of his lips
would have made her heart die within her
but she saw and suspected nothing in her
eagerness to measure the harvest the tempest
| had brought them. Bonnets, dresses, frill
| trails, and the thousand and one nothings
dear to woman's soul were bound up in the
those scaly treasures. Accustomed to assist
ing her husband, she worked rapidly and
well; the pile of fish upon the gravel beside
her steadily increased in proportions
All at once she stopped as if stung by an
adder, her eyes, wild and staring, fixed upon
a hook that she held in her hand, the only
| one in fact upon which the fish had left the
bait untasted. She lifted herself with q
bound, and with hoarse and strangled cries
pointed to the object swinging at the end
| of it.
"What" said WON, who had watched her
closely, ''thou dost not like it, that dainty
bait with which fed my fishes? Regard it,
again, my precious treasure; regard it again
beseech thee; nay, more than that, com.
mand thee, thou who hast spent the night il
praying to Our LaGy!"
Alas, poor Catherine! the command was
useless. White as a winding sheet, an image
of abject shame and fear, she stood with hel
eyes bent always on the end of the line
where, bound securely upon the pointed
hook, swung CHASTITY bleeding fragment, 6
mangled, tumefied human finger, the fiest
shriveled and shrinking from the bone anC
blush and hideousl For an instant she stooc
as tell you, staring down at it, unable te
credit the evidence of her own senses.
''Dost thou know it?' said WON again
with cynical smile.
Did she know it? His voice broke the spell
that bound her-she threw up her hands t.
ward off the accusing sight, staggered stel
or two, and fell nsensible.-Translated from
the French of Louis Daresne for the New
York Mercury by E. e. Waggener.