The Elbert County tribune., 1899-02-02
MET HIS FATE.
me Old sailor VINO Drowned !. /.

Wv @raSWe@1 -
Tub.
They sat little way apart on the
aeek OF the Cleveland boat one morn
'ns one was a young woman. pos
sioiy 20. with bright brown eyss and
nA'r and pretty face. and the other
was oid-she must have been 65 at
ieast-with tired eyes and gray hair
anu wrinkled face. says the Detroit
fee fress. The first would sit still
= moment, then wrissle around In her
.nair and look over along the dock Us
,noush she feared something. The old
,aay was sweetly calm. and observed
sne actions of the other with curious
ht'ie smile. Finally she decided to
spesk 10 her deckmate, n one may use
.n., term Be yew lookin' for some
oooy asked the old lady quietly. The
o'ner woman sighed as though II were
rehef to her to be spoken to. and
pusned her chair a little nearer her
aues,ioner. No" she said: II am not
looking for any one" Il thought yew
mote De-, went on the old lady. II
seen yew Again on toward the dock. '
NO. repeated the young woman. II
am not looking for any one I'm Just
httie bit frightened. that is ALL"
sheert. be yewy Why, TO tn lan's
sake, what off, Well" continued
the ndgety one. "since the sinking OF
.nat ocean steamer have been dread
iuiiy frightened on the water" "Sho.
yew dont say7 Well. yew needn't be-
ihey amt nobody drownin' but them
whose fate II is to drown" "Oh, do
you think so7" "Of course l does.
mace up my mind to that twenty
years ago" What makes you say
that asked the young woman. with
little look OF interest In her eyes
wen. my husban' wuz sailor on
these lakes fer twenty year. After
awhile he was 'pinted captain an hen
me uster go all over everywhere. Hen
Iue seen n lot o. storms In our day.
out they wuz never no disaster. l sez
10 MIN onct. sez l. John, yew're a
sailor an know IT'S yewr fate to die
oy drownin'.' He looked at me Il mint
an then he SEE. sez he. 'Marthy, III
iool yew.' | didn't say nothln' more.
put knowed that his fate would be
wet one. / jes' felt II like. Yew
Know how yew'll feel things some
times Well. II wuz thataway with me.
l knowed John would be drowned some
day Twouldn't be no more'n mach
eral. Well, we sailed and sailed. men
John, an he a capting. Arter he'd
been at It fer more'n twenty year he
wuz retired an we made up our
minds { take little farm away out
the Gratiot road an spen' our re-
mainin' days In peace an quiet. BY
that time I'd almos' made up my min
that John wuz goin' & fool me an
not die drownded arter all. Then one
mornin' in airly summer when / wuz
a-puttin' up little fruit tn en- come.
John went out e the pump 4 draw
me pail O. fresh water, an he didn't
come back. Bimeby I went out thar
an 10 an behold, John had a 1eptic
ut an fell inter the pump tub head
fust He WAS drownded wen I reach
ed him. 'Th' Lords will be done,' said
!. knowed II wuz his fate. An I've
said ever since that they amt nobody
drownded les 1t be his fate Z be
drownded; but. do yew know, when |
seen that he wuz drowned in a tub o.
water | felt Just sorry fer him an
couldn't help a'thinkin' heow 'shamed
he'd be ef he'd knowed he wuz
drownded in n tub o. water arter sail
in these lakes fer twenty years 'ithout
no disaster ever happenin' Z him. And
the kindly old lady had wiped away a
tear that the wind. probably. had
caused to gather