The herald., 1893-10-11
NOT in THE BOOK.

NOT In THE BOOK.
/ was sitting in tiny shoeshop,
perchcd high and dry on the sea wall,
watching my friend, the ''cap'n," stitch
shoes-little children's shoes. I called
him "cap'n" by way Of compliment
this queer old fellow with his bald pate
and oily, mackerel face Truth to tell,
doubt his having arrived even to the
dignity Of mate, and it was many long
year since his desertion Of the Mary Lib
and her crew for the safer but less lucra-
tive occupation of making shoes.
The bay before us glinted and sparlled
beneath the pale, sunlit sky like mon
ster diamond, and away to the left
stretched the green waters of the Allan
tic, mysterious and enchanting
"Did yeh know thet some summer
folks had honght the islunT' casually re-
marked the cap'n as he paused to rewax
and roll his thread.
(Which island:' 1 proceeded to in
quire, for there were some half dozen
rock heaps dotting the bay.
"Why-er. the one alongside of ,Jilly's
pint, with tho dear little trees on ct.
See 'em?''
"Oh, you mean Pirates isle'r'
''Well, L never heerd ct called thet."
This was too much. l drew yellow
covered gridebook from my pocket and
triumphantly read:
"Pirate's Isic." A small island off Jilly's
point, noted fc- having been the resort of pi-
rates before and after the Revolution. The
house is still standing from which old HIGH
born and his gang were routed by the govern
Eent inspectors in lI9o.
"Corry, yeh don't say? Very curious,
cause my gran 'ther built thet house, nd
he warn't no pirate Leastways. never
heerd Of his bein. He only fished off
the Gran banks" And the cap'n favored
me with a prodigious wink--a wink of
exultation at my defeat and delight at
putting my book in the lie. It was not
the first time he had done this, and in
disgust tossed the poor paper thing
through the open window into the sea.
Henceforth the capn should be my only
guide.
A mighty wave, CHANGING to dash
against the red brown rocks below, sent
up a saucy wreath Of spray to sprinkle
our faces with salt drops The cap'n
looked up from his work and regarded
admiringly his old time enemy, Father
Ocean, and musing npostrophized:
Old ocean, ever in motion.
Restless sea, never still.
My friend was somewhat Of poet, be
it known.
'Thet little islun,' he continued, turn
ing to me an unusually grave face
''thet little islun is a dreadful place. Et's
got blood on ct, nd l wouldn't live there
of they'd give't to me. No, sir!'
"Then ct doesn't belong to your fam
lily now?'
.'No, ct don't. We sold OF a-many
, year ago, afore mother nd father died.
amt set foot on u for nigh on to IS
year. Not scnce-but you don't want to
hear about thet."
Indeed I do, capn. What happened
there? Tell me, do" urged.
''Lord! you be the mos curious boy as
evers see. You'll cut yersclf to pieces
some day jes' to see how et'll feel. But
mind, now, this amt a pretty story.
ETH make yeh feel real bad-wuss than
pirates nd hants nd sech, cause cts
true, evry word Of et."
"I'm waiting, cap'n," was the only re-
sponse. And quietly at first. with many
pause for a long pull at his clay pipe,
but with ever increasing emotion, he re-
lated the following story, which has
haunted me ever since:
'sEt were Is year ago come this fall
thet big feller, named Sam Weston,
come ashore with wife md little un. He
were mate on the Breezy, d iishin vessel
bound fer the banks. He come to fa-
ther nd said: Will yeh rent me thet lit
tie house O. yourn over on tn islun?
Can't seem to fin no berth in the town.
He were very jolly, nd father, he said:
AYE! Take ct nd welcome Mother,
she took right a-hold nd helped the gal
with 'er duds-she were al'ays helpin
some un, mother was-'nd painted up
an OF dory for 'em to row over md
back in.
"Well, bum-by, in bout week the
Breezy set sail, nd Sam Weston went
along Of 'er. The gal md little feller
were left alone on iii islun. She seemed
bit down hearted at fust, but she were
too iovful creatur' to stay that way
long. Call me Jess, slie says TO mother,
cause love ye already. Call me Jess
"Lord. Lordl She were q delightful
creatur'-tall nd slim, with black hair
nd eyes tho color of water. You sl'd
hev' heered her laf. Mother used to say
! ct made her feel young agin to hear thet
laf, CT was SO good nd hearty.
! "Jess cd pull q dory against any foller
| along shore. nd teay all 'inired ner after