Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1899-04-13
MET HIS FATE.
.ne Old Sailor who Drowned II .

Tub.
hey sat q little way apart on the
ieck OF the Cleveland boat one morn
lAs. One was a young woman pos
'loly -. with bright brown eyes and
hair and n pretty face. and the other
was olG-she must have been 65 at
!easi-with tired eyes and gray hair
and a wrinkled face. says the Detroit
free Press. The first would sit still
4 moment. then wriggle around in her
chalf o over along the dock as
though she feared something. The old
iauy was sweetly calm. and observed
the actions OF the other with 4 curious
mite smile. Finally she decided to
speak 10 her deckmate, II one may use
tha' term. Be yew lookin for some
ooos asked the old lady quietly. The
o'ner woman sighed as though it were
a reief TO her to be spoken TO. and
pushed her chair a little nearer her
Questioner. No" she said: Il am not
looking for any one Il thought yew
mote be-. vent on the old lady. Il
seen yew again off toward the dock"
NO, repeated the young woman. Il
am not looking for any one. I'm just
a little bit frightened. that is all"
'Skeert. be yewo Why. TO tn lan's
sake. what of" Well continued
the ildgety one. since the sinking OF
mat ocean s;eamer have been dread
tuliE frightened on the water" .'Sho.
yew don't say" Well. yew needn't be.
1 hcN ain > nni,,3.. 3,u-,;s 3.,y thor,
whose fate II is 10 drown" oh. do
you think 500 of course does. /
made up my mind 10 hat twenty
years ago" What makes you say
that? asked the Young woman. with
a little look Of interest in her eyes.
Wen. my husban wuz a sailor on
these lakes fer twenty year. After
awhile he was 'pinted captain an hen
me ulster so all over everywhere. Hen
me seen a lot o storms in our day.
But they WIZ never no disaster. | SEE
10 him onct. SCI |. John. yew're a
sailor an ! know it's yewr fate to die
by drOWnin'. He looked at me 4 mint
an then he SEE. seq he. 'Marthy. I'll
fool yew.' ! didn't say nothin' more.
BIT | knowed that his iate would be
a wet n i les' felt it like. Yew
know how yewH feel things some
times. Well, it WIZ thataway with me.
| knowed John would be drowned some
day. Twouldn't be no more'n mach
eral. Well. we sailed and sailed. men
John. an he Il capting. AFTER he'd
been at it fer more'n twenty year he
WIZ retired an we made up our
minds t take a little farm away out
the GratiOt road an spen' our re-
ma1nin days in peace an quiet. BY
that time Ia almos' made up my min
that John WIZ goin' t fool me an
not die drownded arter all. Then one
mOrnin in airly summer when wuz
a-puttln up a little fruit tn en- come.
John vent out t the pump t. draw
me a pail O fresh water, an he didn't
come back. Bimebv | went out thar
an 10 an behold, John had a 'leptic
fit an fell inter the pump tub head
fust. He was ~drownded wen I reach
ed him. TIL Lords will he done said
/. ] knowed it WIZ his fate. An I've
said ever since that they amt nobody
drownded les it be his fate { be
drownded; but. do yew know. when /
seen that he WIZ drowned in a tub G.
water | felt just sorry fer him an
couldn't help a|'thinkin' heow 'shamed
he'd he ef he'd Il knowed he WIZ
! dToWnded in a tub y water arter sail.
IN these lakes f"r twenty years 'ithout
no disaster ever happenin' t him. And
the kindly Old lady had wiped away a
tear that the wind, probably had
caused In oa:h"~