The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-09-14
THE MAN FROM GRIMSBY.
Andrew Copley Tells tho Reason
for His Bachelorhood.

Il In nv memory. As prosperity Is
at Port st. Bede. Andrew-the
owner OF y half-doxen full-equipped
accounted pros
perous man. l recall him now-his
kindly face, tanned and netted in
wrinkles; his long hair. grizziea th,s
MANY a day; his stubby gray BEARD
his iight-blue eyes. bespectacied ior
there he sits. Many Is
the "craclx" have had with him; yet
there was one story he chose TO leave
hurled in silence-and that, his own !
raver dared breach the topic. albeit
;nwardly burned with Impatient curl
osity. One day, however, the history
became mine unsolicited. Some re-
mark l CHANGED to let slip anent MS
I;felonc bachclorhood caused an infre-
ouent far-away look to settle upon his
ewes. We were walking up the steep.
cobble-paved street" at tho time, past
the lime washed front OF the ir""-
lers' Inn" to the higher ground. from
wh;ch the old Norman church tower
lent ward over the slumberous village.
..Whv haze never married. say yer
&ha ola man exclaimed, after long
smell Of silence. Like enow' yen
hear afore long; an don't see what
should stop me fro tellin' ye mysen. II
so he" Hurriedly stepping into the
roadway. Andrew whipped of his
hroad. brimmed hat and stood motion
lass Turning into the sanded lane
that zigzagged past the church. ne mao
well-nigh jostled two slow-pacea
women. the younger OF them ABOUT
fifty years of age; the elder. twenty
Years or SO older. 1t was the latter
that attracted my marked regard. for
q was towards her that Andrew held
his down-bent head. wan, fraii-
looking creature she was, dressed III
black with a close-ftting. old-fash-
toned bonnet tied under her chin with
bow Of broad black ribbon. Her hair,
smoothed evenly upon her forehead.
shimmered silvery as the ew-churned
foam in the bay. She moved hating
ly. even with the aid OF an oaken stan
and the helping arm of her companion.
Withdrawing her arm, she paused
in the pathway and pointed her stick
towards the bare headed old fisherman
In thin, quavering tones. as II Inc
words were said by note. there being
no vehemencc in her uttcrance. she
cried: "Ah, l knaw ye-l knaw ye
Ban We, Tor no speakin' me fair. VIII
no more passion than II she were re
heating some soullcss formula. sh'
added: Curse ye. Andrew Copley. 4
was lie. Curse ye fort'
Come ava" the other woman pu
in. coaxingly; come thee ava home
then"
Unresisting. the old lady sllowe
herself to be led away. Through
ali. Andrew did not stir limb. bu
stood there with DOTTED hat. his hea
bowed and his name of gray hal
ru0ainr In the breeze. We had left tn
church behind. the deep-rutted LAM
the narrow stone stile that gave upo
the fields; we had trsversed half VI
length Of the meadows themselves b
fore he spoke. "Ye asked me no
twas never married. said he, slowl.
THAT is the reason"
SO he began upon his life story. ~
rs his narrative would be hard 70 10
low II l adhered to his exact word
with his numerous digressions and
releyancies, uttered with quaint bu
of tongue. and, moreover, as his mo
esty seen fit to gloss over certain rae
which heard of later in other qua
tiers. | venture to set it forth after n
own fashion.
we bark back full half centur
port ST. Bede--no vast size at this pr'
ent-was then a mere nest of san
stone. shale-roofed cottages, plant
M the foot of the hill. and, straggli
disjointedly up it to form the stree
Later improvements have displaced
rebuilt most of these one-storl
dwellings. and filed in the gaps; ;
the old "Trawlcr's Inn" looks just
il looked fifty years ago. II lies oa
some ten PAGES from the roadway, !
singled space thus obtained bel
highly favored of loungers and 8
sins The spot served an identi
purpose SO far back as the Oldest me
DRY goes.
A little knot of fishcr-folk. II
and women. foregathered there
Wednesday morning, to await the
rival of the Morperland letter-carrl
Twice a week, on Wednesdays and
urdays. he trudged the ten miles to
liver his meagcr package OF lett
He always made his way first to
-..Trawlers," where IL had become {
tomary for the populace-thosc /,
did not expect letters alike with IA
who did-to assemble and waylay b
In that manner the canny souls
news OF the outside world without
ing put to the expense OF postal
while the official on his part was
OF his letters oil the sooner. On
particular morning, however. the
ETY. OF the group was under cell
They talked together in hushed to
full Of concern, every now and !
referring question TO the bron
middle-aged seaman in their midst
An ycre sure we've got the ri
o. 4, Jake?" queried big-f'
woman, whose skinny petite
showed her ample brogues and 81
less ankles. It'll kill lass II
hears o. Z"
"Oh. I'm moan mstaen-not
a.. s..,non npSifiyelY.