The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-10-29
Sam White. a weather-beaten man O

| husband to be a twin, but she was a
clean. wholesome. hearty woman, as
unconventional as the most ardent adj
| mirer of nature could wish.
The young men were given a ROOM
there were only four apartments in the
| house-in the annex made of the section
| of the wrecked Eliza Jane" The Win
| dows had once admitted light to the cap
tain's cabin, and it required no stretch
of the Imagination to picture themselves
on shipboard. The very decorations of
the chamber had a strongly marine as
pect, from the highly coored print of a
naval battle to the shell that answered
| for soap cup.
The young men were hungry and
dusty and in no good humor; so that
while washing and changing their trav-
| cling dress for natty sailor costumes
they did not exchange many words,
though Mick ventured to say:
I'm sure. old fellow. we'll like it
hugely after we get used to it,"
People like whisky and opium after
they get used to them. but is it wort h
while acquiring the habit?" said Cas-
per Burns. with shade of sarcasm in
his voice
| Alicll was about to respond at a VEN
ture. but at that moment Mrs. White,
without the formality of knocking. put
in her head to say that dinner was
ready. and to add that in her opinion
they twas purity nigh starved"
There was roast duck, two or three
kinds of fish. potatoes like snowballs,
hot biscuit and yellow butter, and a pot
of steaming coffee. all served on a clean
crash tablecloth
Sam White asked long, old-fashioned
blessing. to the great amazement of the
young men, who expected to find him IA
profare old sea Cog, and then he said:
You must make a long arm, boys,
and help yourselves"
"Well." said Casper. as they strolled
down to the beach after dinner, 81 must
confess l haven't enjoyed meal so
much for years. l was hungry, and it
went to the right spot"
"Oh, this is just the place for an
appetite. You can find one here sooner
than in any other part of the country"
said Alicll, handing Casper cigar. and
| feeling that there was something to re-
deem the place in the eyes of his friend.
| AS they stood on the shore the sun
was setting, and the blue expanse took
on crimson tinge. They sat down on
the white sand, and they could see away
up the shore and across the inlet two
| Ggures-females. One of them had a
white scarf about her head and the 9TH
er scarlet one. but beyond this the
| young men could not make them out.
"Ah! it is a comfort to know we are
not wholly shut out from the world"
said Casper, blowing a Whit of smoke
in the direction of the figures.
81 am willing to worshipat a distance, -
replied Alick. I'm glad the inlet sepa-
rates us, but I've no doubt they are the
wives or daughters of some of the fish
ermen up the beach"
"Them?" said Sam White, when one of
the young men asked him who his fair
neighbors were, ''them's some folks
from the city as have taken the ole Ben
per place for the summer. It's more
lonelier over there than it is here. but
when ole Cap'n Benner he was alvin,
there was no end of company over there,
but that's years and years ago"
II suppose there's no danger of any
of the strangers coming over here?"
asked Alick Freeman, with the slight
hope that the old fisherman would say
there was a great deal of danger.
Not the least rbit." replied Sam
White, but as there's two young ladies
over there and two young men over
here, why. the chances is that some
how they'll get together afore long"
That's human nature" said Mrs.
White, looking up from the potatoes
she was peeling; "the boys'll seek out
the gals just as ducks goes barefooted
to the water"
Alick limited that he was an excep-
ton, and that while he did not positive
ly hate the other sex, their presence
WINS essential to his misery, and much
more to the same effect, all of which
Mrs. White heard with a strange twin
kle in her gray eyes that plainly told
she had her doubts, not of the young
mans sincerity, but of his reasoning.
The friends slept in the cabin that
night, as they had not slept for years.
Through the little windows the cool sea
breeze poured in, laden with health
and the balmy odor that brings sleep.
When they awoke the sun was flash
ing on the sea and Transforming into
snow bank the bar about two miles
out, where a great, black buoy rose and
fell on the waves.
They had a dip in the ocean that
sharpened their appetites, and after
breakfast they started off with Sam
White to fish outside the bar over a
spot known to the fishermen of that
coast as the wreck" though there was
nothing on the surface to indicate that
ever wreck had taken place there.
The fishing was all that it had been
resented-indeed the fish bit so fast
as to change the sport into hard work
and rob it of much of its pleasure. On
their return they caught glimpse of
the two female figures beyond the inlet
and far up the beach, and Casper Burns
waved his hat to them and the two
white handkerchiefs were waved back
in reply.
The friends soon grew to like this
strange life, and they began to feel that
the earth had lots much less desirable
than that of a fisherman-but SO far
they had only played with the ocean in
its sleep.
They frequently saw the ladies up the
beach, and they made an effort TO learn