Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-08-13
TRAGEDY OF THE
BREAKWATER.
A Story of a Coquette and Fool.


homeless-men who save pennies to
: pay for rent and women who are
afraid of evictions. But Duff Green
knew no such troubles and was no
more concerned about the rise in house
rates than were the foxes of the fields
or the rats Of the wharfs. He had
peculiar habits and might have been
called amphibiOus if it had not been
for the fact that he lived neither upon
the land nor the lake, but upon and
within the breakwater.
That is to say, by day he sat upon
the breakwater. one of a patient row
of fishermen, and by night he let him
self gently down from his height by
means of a rope ladder to a small float
ing platform before an opening in the
piers. These piers were the pillars
to his front door. And within the
breakwater was Duff's home.
He had framed two rooms in this
cave of combining stalagmites and
stalactites, rooted them neatly, foored
them we'll and had run a stovepipe
out laterally. In this retreat, visible
scious defiance of the city authorities,
Duff kept the necessaries of life-food
in his cupboard, fuel for his stove,
chairs for himself and two friends, a
clock and calendar.
Nothing was needed except perhaps
a wife. Duff noticed this lack, being
an observant man, and when he rOWed
about the familiar waters in his skiff
or toasted his dry bread over his fire
or lay in his bed listening to the sounds
of his solitude he thought much about
the matter. Sometimes it made him
laugh; oftener il made him little sad.
Duff loved the singing of the water
better than any sound in the world,
and he was not quite certain to what
degree a woman's voice would add to
the harmony of tapping waters and
wailing winds.
Il Duff knew q woman. She was Mat
Hendricks daughter, and she wore
ed handkerchief about her head when
4 he came fishing with her father. Full
n of his idea, Duff baited Agatha's hook
4 for her a whole week of windy June
days. At the end of that time he ask
ed her to go riding in his boat with
him in the moonlight, and she went.
Duff listened to her talking and her
N laughter and liked it much. 1t was not
so lonesome as the sound of the waves.
He told her sbout his home, and she
N laughed harder than before. And he
rowed her, all in the marvellous moon
shine, up to the breakwater and per-
suaded her to pass between the piers
and to stand on the floor of his house,
and then she laughed still more.
''It is like a story" she cried. ct
cannot be true! 1t is not like other
things-I know it is not true! I am
only dreamingw
ut is true" protested Duff "And
y also it is true that want you to como
here and live with me. You can help
me with the fish. Some day we shall
have money enough to buy a boat with
sails. And 1 will give you a wedding
present, maybe, if you will marry me
Soon"
Agatha laughed.
"But whatever we have now, we
must never have a new house." she
Fried. 1--WE must live here where the
Dishes can come to visit me. Tap, tap,
shall hear at the door, and when I
open it there will be big fish all in his
Sunday best. Come in / shall say to
him, and in he will come, and 1 will
BALL you down, and we will drink tea
together" And, still laughing, she look
I'D out of the little window at the
himmering water and clapped her
bands.
Duff took it for granted that all was
ettled, and he did nothing but plan
or his marriage. He bought some
&hings for the house-a crucifiX and
@Dme new cooking tins and a red cover
pr the table. And he saved as much
honey as he could, for he knew that
rs wedding would cost him a great
cal At night he slept only a part of
be time, and he dreamed and dreamed
Agatha, while the water without
Inflated her laugh.
In September he noticed that she
BASED to come with her father to the
reakwater
she wants me to go after her." he
aid to himself wisely. So he went,
uch dressed and with his curls fresh
cut But she was not at home,
Rough it was evening, nor did she
pine to the breakwater all that week.
he days seemed as if they would new
end, while he pretended to watch
IS lines, yet sat with his eyes upon
ne path that led across the railroad
#hcks down which Agatha always
alked. But though he saw many
#Ening that way he did not catch the