The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-23
The Love Of the Maid
BY NORMAN DUNCAN.
Copyright by Mcclure, Phillips Coz
BY NORMAN DUNCAN.
re, Phillips & Coz

Harbor of all graces long, long before
plastic men were given into their
hand. His body was hairy, gaunt and
weather worn, and it was clothed In
goatskin boots and greasy homespun
which he had sewn with his own clum-
sy hands in his cabin near the Stan
where he lived alone.
Wind and frost and driven rain, in
a conflict of fifty years, had worn his
heart to the likeness of some gray OLD
crag of the Newfoundland coast. Love
of the maid was the living green OF
his heart; a rank, misShapen growth.
true enough, which we must liken To
a graceleSs weed rather than to !.
flower, as it may appear; for we liv.
in land where the perfume and
splendor of flowers are commonplace.
nor should we stare at a lily or ask the
name of rose.
When the maid was 10 years old and
could lift Il barrel of flour, this Elinu
Gale was one of two lovers she had.
Two to love the maid? Only two of
Il people of strength to love the maid
who could lift barrel of flour! Rath-
en- let it be said: Two dared take up
with her.
The one was rich in punts and nets.
the other in Drawn and laughter
which latter are more to be desired
by maids than cod-traps and schooners
when stomachs are full. In truth, il
was as though she had the youth of
hung about her, being careful, for
sure. to keep their distance, which was
the length of her arms, to an inch
She was a buXom maid, a plump,
hearty. laughing maid. with swapping
black eyes and a wealth of red blood
"a maid sound in wind and limb, with
mighty hands and arms. and a will for
IL l.
Such, then, was she; and when she put
on her pink merino gown she thrilled
the hearts of men.
ooh, Lard" Elihu Gale was wont to
groan inWardly, "she do be a clever
maid, but she've a barb'rous appe-
titei"
One night in June. when the twitter
of mating birds had been in the air
the day long, Elihu hid in the shadow
of Needle Rock, on the Old Crow road.
where all the love is maze; for young
Jim Rideout, who was sinful mad for
the maid by all the Gossip of the
harbor, had taken her walking in the
dusk. There had been no sign of fish
off the harbor, nor above and below.
from Round Harbor to the Cape, even
50 late in the season as this; so Elihu
had time for jealous spying, as Ride
out had for counting.
iii see un goa by" thought Elihu
Gale. "Ill speer.''
Now, lovers have ever been loath
to leave the dusk of June nights. You
may answer why for yourself. How
ever that be, if you have saved your
heart from the spelling touch of the
years you will know at least, that
the dusk of spring is redolent of bios
SONS and pulsing with love sigES
1t was not curious, then, that when
young Jim Rideout, returning came
with the maid to Needle Rock, he
should wish the Bishops Thimble
miles away; for the Thimble is that
great rock where the turn to the viii
1age street is made, and Aunt Phoebe'S
windows command the path beyond.
Nor, come to think of it. was it Gu
rious that he should drop his sinker
as soon as he spiei the loose end of a
spool of thread hanging from the
maids skirt pocket; for no sooner had
he stopped to recover his sinker than
he caught the loose end of the thread
and no sooner had he tied the thread
to handy twig than he found his
Sinker.
This was not curious at all: but, in
the opinion of Elihu Gale, who saw it
all, it was a deed that deserved, and
would eventuate in, damnation to a
fiery lake: which was the best he could
make of the situation. For. as Jim
u
left a trail of white thread, which, as
the spool turned. added twice it's
length to the dusky road. Such was
their rapture-such the spell of the
balmy solitude and the haze over the
harbor Water-that the talk of squid
and jogging. assuming, here, some
strange relation to kissing, was bois-
ferrous to the very point OF tender
ness.
Sure exclaimed Jim. when the
spool had come to the end of its two
hundred yards, what be this trailin'
astern %
plague it.' the maid calculated.
sc Ills me thread. Us'll have t. wind I'm
up. Sure, I'll be late t. hoame. Plague
it,"
PLAGUE it," said young Jim. plague
it, 'Tis too bad-'tis now. 'Tis caught
to a shrub, somewhere sure. Plague
it,"
So they went back through deeper
dusk, and with slower steps; and the
maid wound the thread. and the man
talked of squid and kisses. When
they came to the handy twig. the maid
wound up to the very knot, for she
was a thrifty maid, and would not
waste so much as an inch of thread;
and in the knot she found some deep
interest for time.
"'Tis a Glove hitch!" she exclaimed,
looking up.
'Iss. sure' said Jim Rideout,
blankly. saiaa.sN :
The maid gave him a swift glance
of suspicion.
Ills queer, that he went on
Hum! TITS the queerest thing I ever
knowed.'
The maid edged toward him with
a twinkle in her eye-a significant
CLINT there, which Jim did not per-
ceive at all. for he was stupidity star
ing at the knot.
How do he come here now?' asked
the maid absently. "Who tied un, |
wonder?" The twinkle in her eye had
spread to her mouth, where a vicious
little smile lurked.
Hunt" said jim. curiously exam
inin" the knot. "'Tis d clove-hitch,"
he added, as though convinced against
his reason. 'They be mar d doubt
about it,
The maid edged closer and extended
her right arm behind her. Her under
lip was between her teeth,
sure. now" said jim, scratching
his head, chow do he come here? TITS
past me-
She was bent on something. that
maid. She had her eye fixed on Jim's
cheek; and her arm was at it's full
length. which was not little. She made
her foothold firm-in the moss, her feet