The herald., 1893-10-09
E BOOMHOUSE MAN.


lot Of the hill region of Kentucky.
moment at least it was quite
ling-rather too thrilling indeed to
seful as material to me with my
ght and simple art standards. ]
q groveling fondness for reproduc-
Pnly tho usual features of life, and
little episode, though it was pitiful-
mmonplace in its setting, had about
mething that was not only unusual,
hearty sublime.
ad gone down to the village in ques-
with the ambitious design Of seeing
De-. in the river. Tides are peculiar
intry months. They are useful to
bermen and incidentally to writers,
they have their unpleasant features.
title hill hamlet, having doffed its
b livery, was cowled in dark mud.
sheeted the air. The inn seemed to
kturated, and the roar of the river on
Ikirts of the town corroborated the
eeper's assurance concerning the
hitude of the special "tide" which
in progress.
he's booming for all that's in her."
bred the innkeeper, an elderly man,
had enjoyed during the previous
mer the happy privilege of being
ll to me in many ways. "They look
(he boom to bust tonight. Thou
5 of dollars afloat. You see that
by the stove? He's one of the big
sr fellers from up north. Just come
He'll lose heavy if she busts.
miss. take q look at that fellerl
remember me telling you about the
house mans daughter? Well, that
he was the mamie was Idy's
Pmembered the story. On a certain
n the previous June was standing
head of mill chute looking down
. sunken river. Suddenly a dug
hot round the bend. The man in
ude thing seemed only half human.
Fas bent and shrunken, with a clay
ed skin, matted red hair and such
ebegone vacuity of face as startled
The innkeeper had related that
poor creature lived alone in the
hhouse, q shed ON the river cliff, and
his duty was to cook for the log
in time Of tides.
Ee's seen trouble" said the innkeep-
.Used to own nice little farm up
Ter and live well. He had an only
khter. Pretty as a peach, Idy was.
wasted. with kinky red hair and
Byes. He sat store by Idy. Moth
was too good for her. And one sum-
o son of one of the mill owners was
n here settling up the mill books,
he took a fancy to Idy, and folks
it'd be match. The boomhouse
was proud as a peafowl. And aft
lie young feller went north again,
Idy's paw he narrated around that
wedding was to come off on Christ
day and how't Idy was going up
Eh to live in great style. But the
|hg Teller never came back. He never
DO back" repeated the innkeeper,
b graphic sort of pause. "And Idy
|ell, ! always said if she'd of had
ther things would have been differ
l always said she took the best
y outof it. For bout the time tongues
J beginning to wag Idy was missing
day, and they found her tangled up
he river drift yonder where the sand
reaches across the shadows"
And what did her father dof"
Do? Oh, he acted like he'd got it be-
zen the eyes. Kind of daft. Amt
n just right ever since"
his tragic narrative, which the inn
per rSlated with the equanimity of
,pic poet, required to me vividly as
efved the man by the stove.
10 was middle aged. The story lay Is
RS behind him, but he had chin
Ich made me believe the innkeeper an
est chronicler.
Le was stolid and we'll fed. Apparent
ife had laid no heavy penalty upon
[e seemed too vulgar and heavy
9 of humanity to invite exceptional
ltment of fate, yet I saw him that
ht in rather notable situation.
ust after dark the inkeeper and his
ghter and I set out across the cliff
h to see the river in active operation.
walked in the winds teeth, with a
tting rain in our faces. 1t was cold
bleak. Then in an instant the river
he'd in sight. It's whole freshet
,llen current famed with red from
ntless fro baskets and lanterns. Long
fits of vermilion stabbed the packed
Der in the boom, struck across the
1bing banks and made fiery lances of
pike poles in the loggers's hands.
len were leaping about on the logs.
a fire of crimson I saw on the
lged in float the man who had been
8 lover. He was working sturdily
any logman about, handling the
wy cables and shouting directions.
was worth seeing, that mountain
am as it mouthed at the straining
ber in the boom. Itwas worth seeing,
the air was cold and wet, and in the
md hour Of our watching the inn
per's daughter, being upheld by
her hospitality nor ambition, be-
yht me to accompany her to the
mhouse for the purpose of getting
ored out"
he boomhouse showed its little red
dow just below us on the rocks.
he two tiny rooms of the place
red warm and bright as we opened
door.
'alf dozen men were drinking coffee
n tin cups at table. The boom
SO man, apathetic as ever, with his