The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-01-05
THEAVENGINGFIN

WON, skillfully bringing his boat te
anchor; mot even sardine for my
pains, But the wind and the fishing
too, will be much the better to-mor
rowl"
And WON was right in his estimate
of the weather, for the roaring blasts
that swept the sea at the moment
iinging it upon the sands in spray
and heaps of foam that buried them,
selves with furious howlings in the
silent and sombre streets of the vii
lage, 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 to-
ward his distant dwelling. A rough
sailor, this Master WON, tall broad.
shouldered 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 EN-:
barked as usual, not to return TIL
morning, but decidedly the weather
was too heavy-the harvest did not
come, and, ma foil he had put about,
and by twelve o'clock was safe in
port again. One thought alone con.
soled him for his bad fortune--he was
going to surprise his Catherine, his
dear treasure, 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 a night
Ike this, the game would be hungry
tie fishing marvelousl
He loved his wife SO much, this
brave won, she whom he had seen
play when q little one before the shop
of her father, the wheelwright. They
had passed these joyous moments to-
gether, participating in the same
plays, in the same stream of sunlight
entering between the wheels of the
chariots undergoing repairs, and
mingling their cries and shouts Of
laughter with the sonorious strokes
of the hammers, Then Gathering had
grown up. and won, who had COM
naeneed to pass his days upon the
sea, no longer dared to talk with her
as of old. Nevertheless, on Sundays,
when all the country side climbed the
coast to the little chapel at Morlach,
he followed from affair the movements
of the village SWANS about this beau.
tiful girl, his jealous eye resting al
ways upon one above all others.
This one was the handsome DOM
Unique, the assistant of the wheel
wright. GATHERINGS father. Invari-
ably clothed in fresh blouse, clean
and well-ftting, his hair brushed
smoothly and scented with pomade,
and a flower nodding in his button
hole, he traversed the Place de la
Marche with the air of 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 oc-
casion, all eyes were turned upon him
again, while they awaited with evil
dent anxiety his selection of a part
ner 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
lockers on at this game of vanity
that he lost his time when hestopped
before the daughter of the wheel
wright, for Catherine manifested for
the workman of her father an indif-
ference bordering upon aversion. The
women chafed her about it, accused
her ofbeing proud, and declared that
the handsome Dominique was spoiled
for her eyes by frightful disfgure-
ment that he carried upon his left
hand-a Disagreement that he had
received when working from the
manner of a comrade. The middle
finger of the hand hung useless and
stupefied, the flesh shriveled from the
bone, blush and hideous.
AS time passed on, and under the
spur of ominique's gallantries, WON
regained his courage, and one beau
tiful morning made his demand up
Uu QUIET TduCOiS lOT Uuc lduu vi
his daughter. He was steady, hon.
est, full of ardor for work, and loved
her dearly; the old man consented,
moved perhaps 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 retirement.
All, but the wedding day was truly
beautiful; Father Francois wished to
do everything well; a half dozen vio-
Inns and horns were hired for the .oc-
casion, and the supper was the as
constituent 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 dream
ing of her this night without evoking
a host of sweet memories that
brought the smile of happy man to
soften his swarthy lace and at times
a tear of tenderness to glisten in his
eye.
"Tonnerre, what windw and he
ran for his cap, that the blast had
carried away. "Poor Catherine!'' he