Connecticut western news., 1894-01-11
HE DOUBTED HER.

The fishing fleet had set out early in the morning. The atmosphere was very clear, and the boats could still be ! seen in the distance, strung out Tn a long line across the horizon, between the Criel beach and the Pointe de Cayeux.
 A few sailors wives, children and old men still loitered on the jetty, all in excellent humor, for with such weather there should certainly be a fine haul of fish. The sea was admirably blue, but lashed by the wind it broke into little waves, which rushed, white | capped, toward the shore. Do you see it yet, mammal" asked little fellow who had staid away from school that morning in order to see his father start with the fleet. His mother had marine glass-a luxury that her neighbors envied her. l In such clear weather as this, if they could not distinguish the men. they could at least make out the gigantic numbers on the sails.
 He would have remained long time watching his fathers sloop as it grew smaller and smaller in the distance, but his mother led him away. They must l go back to the house to their work.
 They loltered along the harbor, which had lost its animation now that its fleet \ of fishing craft was gone. On the side toward the town a few small boats were waiting till the sea | went down little before venturing out, and on the other side half dozen ships were discharging their cargoes of coal l and taking on phosphates. Mime. Fournier stopped mechanical 1 ly in the. middle of the quay to look at fine English three master, the Har- | ding, which came every week with a cargo of coal. A sailor, leaning on the rail of the ship, saw her and waved his cap gayly to her. She turned away and hurried up the Rue de la Falaise | to her home.
 l Two hours later the loungers of the l Rue de la Falaise were greatly surprised | to zee Master Fournier, the owner of the fishing sloop 672, hastening an- | grily homeward.
 | He had not entered the house before his neighbors had run to learn the req son of his sudden return. | Why had he come back?
 It was that way that they had of leaving port, with all sails set, what ever the weather, which was known all up and down the coast as Treport sail ing"
 Her backstay had been broken, and Fournier had had to come back to port for repairs. These were already under \ hn ho1 loS ot b he had come up to see his wife mo- ment.
 Your wife-she has gone out, but she will be back directly"
 He was pouring himself glass of thin wine from the pitcher he had drawn that morning before leaving, when he noticed the inkstand open on the table and the pen beside it, still wet with ink
 It was his sons pen and inkstand, but as the little fellow never wrote dur ing the day he concluded that his wife must have been writing. Almost at the same moment he noticed letter in the blue vase on the mantel, and with out thinking he opened it and read: | Mme. Fournier:
 | | you to set time when we can meet. You ars free-your husband Is gone.
 My Godp' cried Fournier, "Harry Evansi"
 He knew him we'll, this handsome
 English sailor of the Harding, who bad already ruined more than one home ir Treport-a tall fellow, as tall as Four. nier himself, fair, with the complexion
 of 8 girl and tender blue eyes.
 He sprang. up to rush to the quay and
 strangle the Englishman, when he heard his wife returning. Evidently she had
 answered that insulting letter, and she
 would tell him what answer she had given. He trusted his wife. II hurried back" she said as sht
 came in. II heard of the accident as
 was doing my marketing.
 As she laid the purchase she hai
 made on the table, he had time to thrus
 the letter back into the vase. H,
 would wait for her to speak.
 Mme Fournier continued to busy
 herself with her household duties. H,
 watched her, and he found her stil
 young Drowned like himself, almost a
 tall, gracefully poised on her pointed
 sabots and with a waist still slender.
 From time to time she looked at hin
 with a smile. She was not surprised
 to see him looking somber after the ac
 cident. She did not say anything abou
 it, for she had given him her advice ol
 the subject long ago, and it was tn
 sole matter on which they disagreed.
 Wife, have you nothing new to tel
 mep'
 Nothing, my dear husband.
 His face contracted as with suddel
 pain His wife. thinking it due to cha grln at the accident, kissed him tender
 ly.
 He pressed her to him with unaccus
 toned force. Never, even in the fiere d est tempest, had he suffered as he sui 5 fered now. Suspicion, entering hi V simple, loyal heart, ravaged it terribly t Well, goodby. I am going to tn {. harbor. We shall go out with the ne1 t tide, if the backstay IS repaired. Good IL by"
 She accompanied him to the end ( y the street and bade him farewell wit V SO frank an eye that he asked himse if it were possible that such a woma