The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1903-03-13

wv up and driftwood and great
tree trunks from the caviug banks
Of the hin region along the upper
river. torn mp and borne away by
the rushing waters If the Atchafal-
ava and the Red. went by. Dclrhinc
always grew anxious.
She would stop singing those sweet.
plaintivc Fishermen songs. brought
over long ago from the Normandy
coast Of France by her grandfather.
who told strange and fascinating
tales ~ the ''pcchcs grands cours'
he went ON when young.
He loved 70 describe the fishing
fleet Of the small village, perched
high among the cliffs. as r. fitted
out of the narrow mouth of the har-
Dor steering for the mackerel banks
Of the North sea To come back six.
perhaps eight. months later.
Dclphine and the old man were the
only occupants Of the little dwelling
built outside the lcvce on high stills.
like many others lining the river
front along the outskirts of the city.
That Of the old Norman fisherman
was the largest and most preten-
tious Of those occupied 10y the queer
cosmopolitan population scattered
along the batturc. and old Jean
Pierre Durant. stcrn-looking. pow
erful and taeiturn. much-lJSed and
somewhat feared. was considered the
most prosperous OF all the jewellers
Of the river settlement.
DcIphine had no recollection Of
any parent hut old Pierre
Ii was he who had watched over
her and taken care Of her. and had
brought her. when she was old
enough. To- the Convent Of the Sacred
Heart To bc there educated.
Dclphinc had wcpt disconsolatc
tears when ne left her i'm charge OF
the pale. swcct-faccd mother supc-
rior. But how happy those years
had been. How she had romped and
played in the big shady garden of
the old convent. and how pleasant IL
was in the high-ccilcd. quiet class
rooms.
How she had loved to sing in the
choir Of the chapel while the set
ting sun. through the stained glass
windows east violet and golden and
crimson patches on the spotless white
floor.
Dclphinc had to admit To- herself.
although never to Jean Pierre. that
she greatly missed her Hghthcarted
companions of the convent and the
care of the gentle nuns.
Her studies. at first irksomc. how
absorbingly delighted they became.
1t had been no effort. Dclphinc re
mcmbcrcd. 10 win prizes and keep mt
the head Of her classes.
She had more than once wondered
why intellectual and wise Mother Ag-
mes would watch her with a troubled
gaze and sigh. anxiously. when Civ
ing her first honors.
Then she came back 10 live in the
little house on the batture, among
the shrimpcrs and fishermen. the ST.
cilians and Italians and the shifting.
changing population. leading their
strange lives along the bend of the
river. where n small ferry boat went
back and forth and tied up mt night
at its wharf. when its restless days
work was over.
Two rooms had been added 10y Jean
Pierre and bright colored awnings
shaded the small porch. The boat.
moored To a stake when the river
was low and TO the front step when
the tide was gurgling around the pill
ing and among the thick swaying
willows around behind. had been re-
painted when Delphine came back.
There were days when Dclphine. in
spite of her bright spirit and de-
termination TO he CHEEKY for Jean
Pierre's sake. felt - strange fear come
over her. and m unconquerablc dread
of the great rolling yellow tide
sweeping down To- the gulf and rush
ing in foaming. murmuring counter
currents around the little home. now
so pretty. with its boxes of flowers.
white curtains and gay awnings. and
she felt that some day IL would be
swept into the tossing current by
the hoarse gurgling cddies swirling
so cruelty around.
Jean Pierre. the Norman fisherman.
had given up his seafaring life to
watch over the baby girl whose love
illness had grown with each added
year
There had been times when Jean
Pierre missed the dash of the salt
spumc OF the North sea in his face.
and the roll of its pillows under the
keel of his boat, and the boat songs