The San Francisco call., 1905-01-22


:; J. which stripped the headlands
=: 49,. long long before plastic men
./ere given into their hand. His body
~was hairy. gaunt and weather worn,
a1ld 1t was clothed in goatskin boots
iand greasy homespun. which he had
sewn with his own clumsy hands in his
cabin near the Staff, 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 rank, misshapen growth, true
enough, which we must liken to a
:. -sraceiess weed rather than to a flower,
>As 1T may appear; for we live in a land
where the perfume and splendor of
: flowers are commonplace nor should we
Stare al lily or ask the name of a
rose.
:, When the maid was 10 years old and
:. could lift a barrel of flour, this Elihu
a. Saie was one Of two lovers she had.
:: Two TO love the maid? Only two of
who could lift a barrel of -four! Rather,
let II be said: Two dared take UP with
!. her.
The one was rich in punts and nets.
tine other In Drawn and laughter; which
latter are more to be desired by maids
than codtraps and schooners when
stomachs are full. In truth, it was as
thotgh she had the youth of Ragged
Ia rlt ffA1
:. about her, being careful, for sure, to
keep their distance, which was the
length of her arm, to an inch
:. She was a buxom maid, a plump,
hearty, laughing maid with swapping
black eyes and wealth of red blood
a maid sound in lung and limb. with
mighty hands and arms, and will for
work as great as her biceps muscles.
Such, then, was she; and when she put
on her pink merino gown she thrilled
,<he hearts of men.
"Qh, Lard" Elihu Gale was wont to
grosr inwardly. she do be a clever
maid, but she've a barb'rous appe-
titc!"
One night in June, when the twitter
.of mating birds had been in the air the
day long, Elihu hid in the shadow of
where all the love is made; for young
Jim Rideout, who was sinful mad for
the maid, by all the gossip of the har-
Dor, had taken her walking in the dusk
There had been no sign of fish off the
harbor, nor above nor below, from
Round Harbor to the Cape, even so
late in the season as this, so Elihu had
time for jealous spying, as Rideout had
for courting.
Til see un goa by" thought Elihu
Gale. I'm 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 win know, at least. that the
dusk of spring is redolent of blossoms
and pulsing with love sighs.
1t was not curious, then, that when
young Jim Rldeout, returning, came
with the maid to Needle Rock, he
should wish the Bishops Thimble miles I
away, for the Thimble is that great 6
'ock where the turn to the village street '
Is made and Aunt Phoebe's windows
command the path beyond. Nor, come
70 think of 1t, was 1t curious that he
shoufd drop his sinker sas soon as he
spied the loose end of a spool Of h
thread hanging from the maids skirt
pocket; for no sooner had he stopped to
recover his sinlfer than he caught the v
loose end OF the thread, and no sooner {
nad ne tied the thr Id to q handy
VIE than he found his sInker.