Hutchinson gazette., 1900-08-30

\
rntes than were the foNcs Of the ileltP
or the rnts OF the whurIs, lie hnl
peculiar habits and might have 90
called nmphDious II II mad not bee I
tor the fact that he lived neither upoi
the land nor the lake, but upon nni
wlfhm the brenkwNter.
Tint IL TO say, by day he sat upol
The breOliwnter, one OF u pntItnt row
Df fishermen, and by night he le; hin !
self gently down from his height btI
means Of u rope ladder to small iIolli
ing platform before IN opening In thl
pers. These piers were the pillars \
his front door And within the bren!'
water was Dulf's home. n
lie had grained Two rooms in tbil
save Of the con iOmng NNldgnltiS IN
stAlucltltps, rooted them neatly iluortl
Them well und had run II s,oyeYlW
ont utternlly, In this retreat, vlsibjI
only lDn the water and run IN uncoH4
scious defiance Of the city aulhorl;ieS
Duff kept the neCessul'lcs OF llfe-food
In his cupboard, fuel tJr his s,0re, aud
chairs for himself and his Two friends,
clock and calendar.
Nothing was needed except perhaps
wife. Dun noticed this ,ucll, being
AN obserynnt man, and when he rowtdI
about the familiar waters In his skin
or tousIed his dry brcud over his fire
Dr lay on his bed list,nlngto the sounds
OF his solitude he thought much about
the matter, Sometimes II made him
laugh; oftCner II mude him sad Dun
foved the singing water better than
anything in the world, and he was
not quite ccriuin to what degree u wo
mans voice would add 70 the harmony
of the tapping waters and the waillng
winds,
Duff knew n woman, she was Mai
Hendricks daughter, NHd she wore q
red handkerchief about her head whe,
she came fishing with her father. Full
of his idei Dun buited Agnthu's hook
for her whcle week OF the windy
June days, At the end Of thnt time ht
asked her 10 go riding IN his boat with
him in the moonlight, and she went
Dun listened 10 her talking and her
laughter and liked 1t much, II was not
50 lonesome MS ihe sound Of the waves
He told her about his home, and sht
laughed harder than before. And he
rowed her, IN all the marvellous moon
shine, up 20 The hreakwNter and per
sladed her 10 pass between the piers
and stand on the floor Of the house
nnd then she laughed still more.
at is like sorry" she cried, "lt
cannot be true! 1t is not like Other
things know it is rot true! ! am
only dreaming
"lt Is true" protested Duff. "And
, 70 is also true that want you to come
and live with me. You can help me
'With the fish. Sons day we shall have
money enough TO buy boat with sails
And ! win give you wedding present
maybe, IL you will marry me soon,'
Agatha laughed.
But whatever we have now, we
we must never have Il new house, she
cried. 1--WE must live here where the
fishes can come TO visit me. Tap, tap,
I shall hear ut the door, and when ]
open 1t there win be big fish all in
his Sunday best. Come in | shall say
TO him, and in he win come, and /
will call you down, and we will drink
IeA together" And, still laughing, she
looked out Of the little window ut the
shimmermg water and clapped her
hands.
Duff took 1t for granted that 1t was
settled, and he did nothing but plan
for his marriage. He bought some
things for his house-a cruciRN and
some new cooking utensils and red
cover for elcbateh. eth igl ca otuow
cover for the table. And he saved as
much money as he could for he knew
that his wedding would cost him @
great deal. At night he slept only 9
part of the time, and he dreamed and
dreamed of Agatha, while the water
without initiated her laugh.
In September he noticed that she
ceased to come with her father to the
bTeukwOtcI,
"She wants me to go after her" he
said to himself wisely. So he went,
much dressed with his curls freshly
Gut. But she was NOT ut home, though |
ct was evening, nor did she come u
the brenkwater all that week. The
days seemed as If they would never
end, while he pretended to watch the
lines, yet he sat with his eyes upon the
path that led across the railroad tracks |
down which Agatha always walked. |
But though he saw her many times |
coming that way he did not catch the
glow of the red handkerchief bound
about black braids, The lake filled
the little rooms within the breakwater |
with thousands of voices that seemed |
30 call out to Duff that he was a fool,
and he grew desperate and one day he
went in search OF the girl She was
nt home ironing some clothes, and she
booked little frightened as she saw
Dim coming toward the door.
''Are you going to marry me?" he
cried. His hands clinched and his ever
were hot
"WhNt is the matter? Why do you
speak SOP" fnltered Agatha
'"lou haven't been to the bre0lwater
Cor days"
"'rhcrc is no law to make me fish"
"lou were not at home when came
60 see you"
GLOW could I know you were com
hg?"
81 lie awake most of The night, Aga
cha, thinking of you."-
"MOrp fool Vnu Duff Come In on1 !