Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-10-16

Eleven people lost Their lives by thA
tornado, which afforded me an experience
which ! would not repeat for all tn
money In the world.
ANDY COPLEY'S LIE.
OF the old folk Of the bleak little scs.
port. Andrew Coplcy dwells most vivid.
" In my memory. As prosperity IL
gaugcd at Port 81 Bcde. Andrew. the
owner of some half dozen fully equipped
fishing .macks. was accounted . pros
pcrous man I recall him now-his
kindly facc. tanned and nettcd In wrin'
kles; his long hair. grirzlcd this many .
day; his s,ubby gray beard, his light
blue eyes. bc-pcctaclcd for roading-yes,
there he sits Many arc the cracks" j
have had with him. Yet there was one
story he cho~c 90 leave buried In silence
and that his own. never dared
broach the topic, albeit j inwardiy
burned with impatient curiosity. One
day. however. the history became mine
unsolicited. Some remark l chanocd 90
let .lip ancnt his lifelong hachelorhood
caused an infr~lueni faraway look 10
settle upon his eyes We were walking
up the steep. oobble paved "strcct" nj
the time. past the lime washed front OF
the Trawlcrs' inn 90 the higher ground.
from which the old Norman church
tower kept ward over the slumbcrous
village
"why haze ] never married, say YET"
the old man exclaimed after o long
spell of silence Like cnow. ye'll hear
aforc long. an don't SEQ what should
stop me fro tellin ye mysen. II 20 be. T."
Hurri-ily stepping into the roadway.
Andrew whipped on his broad brimmcd
hat and stool motionlcsS Turning into
the sandcd lane that ziglaggcd past the
church. We had we'll nigh josticd two
slow paccd women. the younger OF them
about 80 years of age. the elder 20 years
or 80 older. II was the latter that at.
tractcd my marked regard. for IL was
toward her that Andrew held his down
bent head A wan. frAil looking crea.
turc shc was. dressed In black. with
n clo-e fitting. old fashioned bonnet tied
under her chin In bow of broad black
ribbon Her hair. smoothed evenly upon
her forehead. shimmercd silvcrly as the
new churncd foam In the bay. She
moved h,ltingly. 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 to-
ward the bareheadcd old fisherman. In
thin. quavering tones. as II the words
were said by rote. there being no We
hcmenoo In her uttcrancc. sho cried;
"Ah. I knaw ye-I knaw ye Ban ye,
for no spcakin mo fair" With no morc
passion than II she were repeating some
souiicss formula, she added: Curse ye,
Andrcw Copley! II was lic' Curse yo
fortw
Come awa'r' the other woman put
In coaxingly. "Come thee ava home.
then.
Unrc-isting. the old lady allowed her
self 10 b. led away. Throughit all An
drew did not stir limb. butstcod there
with doiYcd hat. his heal bowed and his
name Of gray hair rufiiins In the breeze
We had left the church b.hind. the
deep ruttcd lane. the narrow stone style
that gave upon the fields wehsd trav'
ersod half the length of the meadows
themselves before he spoke
"Ye asked me how twas never mar
ried." said he slowly. THAT Is the
reason"
N he began upon his life story. But
as his narrative would be hard To follow
IL I adhercl 10 his exact words, with his
numerous digrcssions and irrelevancic-.
uttered with quaint bur OF tongue.
and. moreover. as his mode-ty saw ht
IN gloss over CERTAIN facts which i heard
of later In other quarters, venture ~
set Il forth after my own fashion.
We hsrk back n full half century.
Port ~. Bcde-no vast sire at this pres
ent-was then mere nest Of sandstone.
shale roofed cottages. planted ut the
foot of the hill and struggling distoint
edly MP 20 10 from the street" Later
improvements have displaocd or rebuilt
most Of these one storied dwellings and
filled In the gap. but the old Trawiers'
inn looks just as 10 looked 80 years ago
Il lie. back some ten PAGES from the
roadway, the shingled space thus OBJ
tanned being highly favored OF loungcr'
and gos.ips The spot served IN identi
cal purpose 10 far hack as the oldest
memory goeS
A little knot Of fisher men and won
en- foregathered there one welnesda,
morning to await the arrival OF the Mo
perland letter carrier. Twice week. oi
Wednesdays and Saturdays he trudget
the ten miles TO deliver his meagel
package Of letters. He always made hh
way iirst to the Trawlers'. where 10 hat
become customary for the pcpulscc-
those who did not expect letters alik'
with those who did-to assemble and
waylay him. In that manner the canny
soul. got news from the outside worlt
without being put 10 the expense OF
postal Zee, while the official ON his par
was quit Of his letters all the sooner
On this particular morning. however
the gayety Of tho group waA undel
eclipse They talked together In hushe.
tones full ef concern, every now and
then prefering . question 70 tn
broased. middle agcd seaman In theiI
midst
IAN zero sure yo've got tho reight'
o. Z. Jaker' qucried big faced won
an. whose skimpy petticoat showed he'
ample brogucs and shapeless anklea
"Itli kill t'lass II abe hears o. T."
"Oh. I'm moan mista'en-not me-
answered the seaman positively. Uses
him mysen T. Grimsby mot three day
back, IN card 10 read out 4 church
the second time o. akin Il were-las
Sunday"
"Poor maid, poor maidi An her walt
In for him here - patient IN iovin .
ouybody could wish. All. them men
them meni''
While tho frowy old crons va shak
ing her gray locks over ths psrady .
mankisd shs sole . sidsaose loek kN