The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-26
IANNIC THE FISHERMAN.


[From the Chicago News.l
The little polished oak table in the
room of the inn reflected the lights from
the lamps and doubled the appearance
of warmth and cheer. Without the
wind howled and every time the door
opened a gust entered and ratified the
dishes on the tables. The Inn was on
the shore and one could look from the
window out over the blue sea ana the
cloud-hecked sky, where the guns
swept through the clear air with their
graceful flights and sudden dips unlh
night fell. Then the windows shore
with promise of comradeship and drew
the fishermen of the coast into the room
to smoke and drink until bedtime
More ciderr' cried old KerisOuet, the
boat builder. who seemed to be in an
unusually happy frame Of mind tonight
"Cider all around Tomorrow my daugh-
ter is going to marry Loic Kalbris.
Come drink the health of my son-in-
law"
The inn was famous for it's cider
which was of a pale amber color and in
taste Of a singing sweetness In re
Spouse to the old mans words glasses
We're raised and 20 threats gulped down
a health to the bridegroom. They We're
alert people and no one answered Kerr
souet, who continued to speak.
you are all invited to the wedding
he said. There will be singing and
dancing and eating and drinking. All
the boys of the coast will be there and
all the girls, too. 1t viii be the finest
wedding ever seen in these parts.
once more the glasses were raised ana
solemnly emptied and as they were SET
on the table a few tongues were loosen
ed Loic was fine. big. brave felloW.
they said; no better fisherman on the
coast than he. nor a more daring salicr.
And as to the girl. she was little beat
ty; could sail a boat in a rough sea al
most as well as her lover. They were a
fine couple.
Little by little the talking stopped, and
they sank again into their accustomed
silence smoking their short black pipes
and drinking the yellow cider The
room grew heavy with smoke and eyes
dropped and heads nodded over the Ia
bles. out of doors the wind hOwled and
I'm the distance the sea Numbered and
doomed against the rocks on the shore.
adding by it's Witness to the peace and
security within.
BY 10 o'clock the wind had risen to a
gale, though the moon shOne from time
to time through light, sgudding clouds.
The men rose and put up their pipes
and went home The lights faded from
the windows Of the inn.
Not far from the inn. out on the point
where the lighthouse stood, lived IanniC,
the fisherman. He and his father had
always lived there alone together in The
face Of the sea. AS a child he mad
watched the sails and the white winged
birds, and listened to the song of the
wind and the waves, loving nature III
all her manifestations of beauty and
grandeur He climbed high up on the
rocks and rested there whole days
watching the waves below him brea king
with a soft light foam or dashing them
selves in a fury which threw their spray
high and wide.
His father was a friend of Kerisouet.
the boat builder and the old man came
otten TO the lighthouse and brought
with him his little daughter Perrine
lannic would take her hand and help
her uD 90 one Of his resting places
where they would sit and chatter
swinging their bare feet. or they would
descend to the beach and wade out
Where the sea was calm. and Iannic
sometimes caught a fish, which made
the little girl laugh for JOY. Some
times, when they would separate after
q long afternoon on the rocks. she would
KISS MIN IN naive way, and Iannic,
who was IA years old, would blush and
thr1ll with pleasure and long for enough
courage to return it.
Then they grew older. and while their
fathers sat talking Of the same things
they changed in their feelings toward
each other. Perrine no longer kissed
him, and scarcely allowed him to help
her over the rough paths. But she
though of him at night before she went
to sleep, and he thought Of her and
loved her more than he loved the sea
and the wind and the rocks which made
his world. They never SPOKE of their
feeling, but one day Perrine lost her
footing and slipped and would have
fallen had not Iannic caught her in his
arms He did not let her go, then, nor
did she try TO prevent the kisses he
dared at last to give her. Even then
nothing was spoken between them
Their eyes said everything. and they
walked once more hand in hand. and
rine 16.
About this time Iannic's father died.
ana Kerisouet came no more to the
lighthouse He had come to smoke and