San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-12-11
THE AVENGING FINGER.

IA devilish nightr' cried Master Yvon.
skhlfully bringing his boat to anchor; mot
even a 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, finging it upon the
sands in spray and heaps Of foam that buried
themselves with furious howlings In the ST.
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 applications 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, after night like this,
the game would be hungry-the fishing mar !
velousl
He loved his wife 80 much, this brave
WON, 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 tho 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 sonorousl
strokes Of the hammers Then Catherine
had grown up, and WON, who bad COM
menced to pass his days upon the sea, no
longer dared 20 talk with her as of old. |
Nevertheless, on Sundays when all the coun- |
try side climbed the coast to the little chapel |
at Morlach, be 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
assistant of the wheelwright, GATHERINGS
father. Invariably clothed In a fresh blouse,
clean and well fitting, his hair brushed
smoothly and scented with pomade, and
flower nodding In his buttonhole, he tra-
versed the Place de la Marche with the air of
a eonaueror, addressing himself with smiles
and understanding mods to the wives and
girls of the village, and to which they as
af1ably responded. On fete days, when he
appeared at the ball that closed the exercises
of the occasion, oil eyes were turned upon
him again, while they awaited with evident
anxiety his selection of a partner for tie
evening.
But Dominique III nowise hurried himself,
but made the tour of the bal, examined them
TRANQUILITY, and then cast bis choice on the
most beautiful. Frequently 1t seemed to the
lockers ON at this game Of vanity that he lost
his time when he stopped before the daugh-
ter of the wbeelwright, 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
frightful Disagreement that he carried upon
his left hand-a q; ,GSurement that he had
received when W, . from the hammer of
a oomrade. The idle finger of the hand
hung useless and tumeied the flesh shriveied
from the bone, blush and hideous.
AS time passed on, and under ths 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
well; half dozen violins and horns were
hired for the occasion, and the supper was
the establishment of the village. 1t was two
years now that Catherine had been called
Nine. WON.
Never had the fisherman been able to dream
of his wife as he was dreaming of her this
night without eyoking a host of sweet mem
cries that brought the smile of happy man
to soften his swarthy face and at times tear
of tenderness to glisten in his eye
''Tonnerre, what windln and he ran for
his cap, TINT the blast had carried away.
poor Catharinel" he added Immediately,
dear soul, who believes me still upon the
sea-"
By this time Yvon had come to the corner
of the street, at the end of which was his
tidy cett;- isolated and far away from all
its neighbors- He raised his head like q horse
~ ra---.ss H. Ss---t-----A:.~s2r-,nGaR . she