The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-11-12
JOHNS FATE.
The Dear Old Lady Was Entirely
Reconciied to the situation
when the End Came,

They sat a little way apart on the
deck Of the Cleveland boat the other
morning. One was a young
possibly rs, with bright brown ewes
and soft hair and a pretty face, and
the other was old-she must have been
65 at least-with tired eyes and gray
hair and a wrinkled face. The first
would sit still a moment, then wrieele
around in her chair and look over
along the dock as though she feared
something. The old lady was sweetly
calm, and observed the actions Of the
other with a curious little smile. Final
ly she decided to speak to her deck
mate, If one may use that term.
BE yew lookin' fer somebody"
asked the old lady quietly.
The other woman sighed as though
1t were a relief to her to be spoken to,
and pushed her chair a little nearer
her questioner.
NO" she said; 81 am not looking for
anyone"
81 thought yew mote be-" went on
the old lady. 81 seen yew again off
toward the dock"
mo-" repeated the younger
Il am not looking for anyone. I'm lust
a little bit frightened, that Is ALL"
"skeert, be yew; why, fo'eth' lan's
sake, what OFF,"
WELL" continued the fdgety one,
since the sinking OF that ocean steam
er have been ~dreadfully frightened OF
the water"
"Sho, yew don't say. Well, yew
needn't be. They amt nobody drown
in but them whose fate II is to drown"
"Oh, do you think 500"
"of course ! does. I made up my
mind to that 20 year ago"
What makes you say that2" asked
the young woman with a little look Of
interest in her eyes.
well, my husban' wuz a sailor on
these lakes fer 20 year. After awhile
he was 'pinted capting an hem me
ulster go all over everywhere. Hen
me seen a lot q storms In our day. But
they wuz never no disaster. / seq 10
him onet, SEE !, John, yew're a saller
an i know It's yewr fate to die by
drownin'.' He looked at me n mint
an then he SEE, seq he, Marthy. I'll
fool yew.' / didn't say nothin' more.
but ! knowed that his fate would be a
wet one. jes' felt It like. Yew know
how yew1l feel things sometimes.
Wen, 1t wuz thataway with me. l
knowed John would be drownded some
day. Twouldn't be no more'n mach.
eral.
We'll, we sailed and sailed, men
John, n he a capting. After he'd been
at 1t fer more'n 20 year he wuz retired
an we made up our minds . take a
little farm away out the Gratiot road
an spen' our remainin' days in a
an quiet. BY that time I'd almos,
made up my min that John wuz goiu'
Q fool me and not die drownded arter
all. Then n morning In the aIrlv
summer when 1 wus a-puttin' up a
little fruit, tn en- come. John went
out { the pump Z draw me a pail o.
fresh water, an he didn't come hack
Bimeby I went out thar, an, 10 an be.
holdl John had a 'leptlc At and fell
inter the pump tub head fust. He was
drownded wen 1 reached him. Tn,
Lords will be DONE said /. Iknowed
II wuz his fate. An I've said ever
since tibet they amt nobody drownded
les 1t be his fate to be drownded, but.
do yew know, when / seen John a-lay-
In face down In that tub O. water I
Just felt sorry fer him an couldn't
help a-thlnkin' heow 'shamed he'd he
ef he'd a knowed he wuz drownded In
q tub o. water arter sailin' these lakes
fer 20 years 'ithout no disaster ever
happenin' to him"
And the kindly old lady had wiped
away a tear that the wind, probably
had caused 10 gather,-Detroit Free
Press.