The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-23
THE FLOWING SOURCE.
BYA. T. oUILLER COUCH.

BY A. r. QuILLER COUCH.

Toms going too. bullied him so thio
morning that he means to give notice 10
morrow; that is, il he don't save himself
the trouble by running OFF to sea.
1.-THE twelfth in five yearsl' CALCULATED
Master Simon, stopping his pipe, VIC
iously.
"And small blame 10 them. Married
man or mariner-that's what hoy IL boin
for. Better dare wreck our wedlock than
sit here and talk about both. Take my
advice, master, and marry the widow.
Ann carried out her own matrimonial
program, at any rate, with spirit and de-
termination. Finding the first young far
mer satisfactory, she espoused him at the
end of the month, and turned her back on
Flowing Source And Tom the tap-boy
fulfilled her prophecy ana ran away to
sea. And the OLD inn leaned after him un-
til its timbers creaked. And the autumn
floods rose and covered the meadows.
Master Simon sat and smoked, and made
his own bed, and accomplished some ex-
ecrable cookery m the intervals OF oillng
his duck gun. Even duck-shooting be-
came weariness when a man has TO man
age gun and punt single handed. One
afternoon he abandoned the sport in an
exceedingly bad temper, and pulled up to
the jaws OF Cuckoo Valley. Here he landed,
aud after an hours trudge In the marshy
bottoms had the luck TO knock over two
brace OF woodcock.
lie rode back with his spoil and was
making fast to the ferry steps when
thought struck him. He shipped the
paddles again, and pulled down To Pom
teglos. The short day was closing, and
already young moon glimmered on the
floods.
juicier birds never reclined on toast. The
waitress Demoved the cloth and returned
with a kettle; retired and returned again
with a short-necked bottle, glass and
spoon, sugar, a nutmeg, and lemon re-
tired with twinkle in her eye.
"To fortify you, said Mistress Pru-
dence, rubbing lump of sugar gently on
"The night air." Master Simon MUIR
INJURED.
against the damp house you're going
back to, - the lady corrected.
"You talk without giving 1t trial"
GAS you talk, in your parlor, OF deep
sea voyages.
"As ships captain you would respect
me, perhaps?'
"No. for you haven't the head. But /
should like your pluck. III / saw you
setting of for sea in earnest, / would run
out and give you a chance to steer a wo-
man instead OF ship. You would find
her safer.n Master Simon emptied his
about his neck. The widow saw him to
the door. "You're very obstinate wo-
man, he said.
And with this he unmoored his boat
and rowed resolutely homeward. A strong
wind came piping down on the back of a
strong tide. and Master Simon arched his
shoulders against II.
"Married man or mariner, ~ IL piped, as
he rounded the first bend.
81 know my own mind, believe, {" said
Master Simon to himself; "there's as
good fish in the sea as ever came out of
IL; and for salmon Flowing Source will
beat Christ Church any day, I've always
maintained. "
'Married man or mariner" piped the
wind in the words OF Ann the cook.
Master Simon pulled his left paddle
hard and rounded the second bend.
"Married man or mar"
Crash HIS heels few up and his head
struck the bottom boards. Then, in a mo-
ment, the boat was gone, and rush of
water sang in his ears and choked him.
He saw black shadow overhanging, and
clutched ii.
Mistress Prudencestoo in her doorway
on the quay, as Master Simon had left
her. In the room above. the waitress
blew out her candle, drew up the blind,
and opened her window TO the moonlight.
"Selins!" the mistress called.
Selma thrust out her head.
whats that coming down the river?"
A BLACK, amorphous mass was moving
swiftly down toward the quay.
~ think tits haystack, Z" Selma whis-
pered, and the "Lord save us all, there s.
a man on itl''
"a man?' cried the widow, shrilly.
"What man7''
voice answered the question, calling
for help out of the river "a voice that she
knew.
"What is it?' she called back.
81 think" quavered Master Simon, 81
think tits the roof o. Flowing Sourcei"
Mistress Prudence ran down the quay