The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-11-30
grin at the accident, kissed him tender

| est tempest, had he suffered as he suf-
fered now. Suspicion, entering his
simple, loyal heart, ravaged it terribly.
/ "Well, goodby. 1 am going to tho
harbor. We shall go out with the next
tide, if the baclsstay IS repaired. Good
by
She accompanied him to the end of
the street and babe him farewell with
SO frank an eye that no asked himself
if it were possible that such Il; woman
| could lie.
Ho was about to go to tho Harding
when one of tho sailors saw him and
came after him. Compelled to return
to his vessel, he had time to reflect a
Sudden fit of rage, Il fight, would prove
nothing, and he would never know the
truth.
So he calmly watched tho work of
PREPARATION, which was coming OH apacc.
AT 2 o'clock his wife brought him his
luncheon. At his son came to kiss
him goodby, and that evening ho set
sail again, after having seen the Har-
ding leave Treport for England.
The following Saturday. after n ter
rlble tempest, the fishing fleet returned
to Treport. laden with fine catch Of
fish. Master Fournicr looked quickly
to see if the English three master were
at the quay, but she was not there.
Disem barking, he learned that the
Harding had gone down in sight of
Spithead, and that all on board had
been lost.
Harry Evans, then, was dead. His
wife alone knew the truth. He would
not dare to question her He would
never know the truth-he would doubt
her always!
From that time every ono in Treport
remarked that Master Fournier had
grown taciturn. They asked his wife
the reason, but she replied cvasively
that she did not know.
His sailors found him rougher than
before and more avaricious. He often
returned to Treport ON Sunday morn
ing and left again tho same evening,
without night rest.
One week he came back on Tuesday.
and the news spread that the St. Lau-
rent had brought back the corpse of
drowned man. According to the Gus
tom of that part of the coast, Master
Fourier had given orders to return to
port, losing his catch of fish, in order
to bury the dead
Accompanied by two of his sailors,
he made his deposition before the com
missioner. and the latter had him sign
the declaration that the body of Il
drowned man had been recovered by the
St Laurent ut Il point - miles SSW
of Spithead, measuring ) feet 10 inches
i'll hclght, dressed in Il blue wooden
SHIRT. trousers of gray cloth and ncckcr-
chief of red cotton; no papers. no marks
to establish Identity; supposed. from the
place of drowning. III default of other
evidence. to have been one of the crew
of the Harding
Early the next morning a funeral
pl ocession travcrscd the village and bore
to the little church the remains of tho
unknown sailor found by the ST. Ian
| rent. Behind the coffin walked tho
sailors of the 81. Laurent their master
at their head. and behind the men came
the wives or mothers of the sailors.
The religious ceremony was brief,
but respectfully followed and the I'M
known dead WIS conducted To the Gem
ctery by the great family of sailors of
Treport, who honor themselves i'll thus
honoring the remains of others.
"Get yourselves ready" announced
Master Fonrnicr to his men. We go
to sea dircctly.'
Fournicr led his wife to Il little knoll
a few PAGES away from the cemetery.
He wished to speak with her without
witnesses.
Wife" he said, "do You know for
whom you have como to pray"
She trcmblcd and pressed her hus-
bands hand. She had never seen him
SO solemn.
The man we have Just buried was
Harry Evans watt
Mime. Fourier turned pale. Her lIus-
band rendered her Il paper, stained as
if with water.
Wife, lave doubted You. My
punishment is to accuse myself of it,
read the letter he dared To write 10 You,
and l have been very miserable Tho
other night when this drowned man
was found alone searched him. could
not show to others, not even TO tho
commissioner, the only paper he had
on him, III Il little bag of oiled silk. Tho
water had dimmcd it little, but l
have read it nevertheless. "
1t was the answer written to the
handsome English sailor by Nine Four
nicr:
STR-I love my husband That is the sole
answer can make to your letter. / shall say
| nothing Ia my husband, for he would kill you.
| Never come here again.
Wife. do You forgive me-"
"Oh, my poor husband, how you have
suffered!'
From that day Master Fournier grew
young and gay again. but nothing can
keep him from going out with all sails