The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-03-13
ED MALLETT'S
@RRBEP
SLOTNGyo
A Story OF Seacoast
People.
70 00o(

Soo oe0o oooo oo0o oo0o o@0o oeS
Ed AIallett had been the LATEST man
on the beach ever since he had attain
cd his majority, though Zed Mallett,
his half cousin once removed, ran him
a close race. With Zed the trouble
was lack Of brain power, for Zed
would work. He was ut It necessarily,
early and late, week in and week out,
yet lie never was beyond what the
beach called poverty. That meant that
there were never enough cornmeal and
pumpkin in his cabin at one time to
feed to fullness all Of the hungry there
and that always Zed was q dep -ndent
upon Captain Scott. On the other
hand, Ed was smart. None could pray
as lie could, none could tell so many
different things about the doings in
sen, sky and earth as he, indeed none
dared try, for Captain Scott had said
that one prophet in the settlement was
enough at one time. He could preach,
too. could Ed, and whenever he did so
the congregation went home quiet and
subducd, presumably much edited.
And Ed would amble across the fields,
seeking out gaps In the fences rather
than climb to his own house under the
rows of silver poplars that stood half
way between the cove and the salt
mill. There he would find his wife en-
gagged in brushing and cutting one or
two Of her numerous progeny while the
yiands that were to make his midday
meal sizzled on the stove.
Ed was never known to do anything
besides these things but read his Bible
In the best room, where the sea tans,
shells and tiny ship models made
gaudy the whitewashed walls. There,
In carpet slippers and white canvas
clothes winter or summer, with the
huge tome open on his knees. he could
be found any day between ''sunup and
sun1own."
There Captain Scott found him on
the winters day that the bark Break o.
Day went ashore and routed him out.
The captain strode into the room cry
Ing:
ED Mallet, cit out o. here, or I'll
kick ye out. What ave been feedin
ye an that there wife o. your,n for all
these years? They's wreck on the
bar, an ye're a-goin over with me!'
Ed obeyed without dissenting ges-
lure. the legend says. At all events
the beachers who heard the dialogue
Tor the first time learned how Ed had
managed to live. 1t was a revelation
that wrought sad havoc among them,
but with "wrack on the bar" there
was no time to parley. 1t will do no
harm to add, however. that Ed had
represented to the beachers that he
aad married money" And this brings
US to the few incidents Of Eds mar
rage that were generally known on
a inc beach. They are these:
8 one day IL years before the wreck Of
q Inc Break o. Day Ed sailed away In
captain Jim's batteau, the Elsie Ann,
LOT the Isle OF Wight bay with load OF
q saelled com that he 6aid he was going
70 trade of for egeneru7s" on the main
i iahd. He wns to be back in two days.
q ame. but he did not come. It was six
uays before he returned, and when the
s sas of the batteau were sighted from
e captain Scott's wharf the watchers oh
served that there were 70 forms in
'ae stern sheets Instead OF Oh. ..
ny gum, Ah'il bet Es's gone an got
%arrled." cackled youns s,mmy NAL
81 ,e't No one gainsaic him, preferrlng
n wait for facts In 80 important mat
ur before ventnring on opinion.
mhen the batteas rounded IN 70 .he
SnafT, ed helped a woman out.
M My wife. Cap,n Tim. ~ he said.
captain Scott gave the woman
ssaichng look from head TO foot and
%en slowly extended bis hand. Cap
am Scott would have given majesty
the same treatment. The woman
ssa .sa depth OF expression in her eyes
%at proclaimed her not of beach blood
#saa was not abashed. She let her
,aapeiy hand clasp the horny ast cf.
%e old sen dog for Just an instunt, and
'aat Instant she won him. though
=. ,sn he betrayed It by, neither sign nor
% sne woman was not OF the beach
az esarrl &. CD sts Il.ltt0ur uf fer
l'asufe showed. She was olive skinned,
s,0 s..n black hair. and II lay In luxurious
i s~ssy coils over half Of her head. She
sas ,bosomed Ike d goddess and had q
and supple length OF limb that
ned the narrow chesfed, Ill shaped
ssen e. women OF starved blood and. con-.
ss7'.a 'oSmerate Lineage. So
eaptaIn Jim iooesd from her to the
shambllng form OF ed and regis
N q Tremendous oath Then he