The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-30
TIE EVENING STORY
A Yachting Romance.

A Yachting Romance.
II, IN BaFnegat bay there is good fish
ing, and on Barnegat bay there are
mosquitoes was there with fish
45lS party on a sloop we had hired at
- Aeao- Being more Of an explorer
man ma a fisherman, one afternoon took
a boat and pulled in toward a cove
Shaqea by great trees. On reaching
and 1 saw man standing on the
sHofe. lie was in dingy trousers and
shirt, topped by a % cent straw hat
ana was putting on a pipe.
say, you there!" called. How
about a landing?''
Come right in here
1 did so. and he pulled my boats
hose up on to the shelving shore. I
stepped out of the boat and, looking at
the man, whom I had supposed to be
countrymans saw something familiar in
his face.
Haven't I met you somewhere" I
asked.
right tackle on the Harvard team in
189-?'
Yes. And your
Tn Heydon. I played against you
in the Yale team
And made the big run that gave
your college the game
7 made run in that game" he re-
piled modestIy.
What in the world are you doing
here?'
"Oh, I was always an odd fish.
| don't like q. crowd. I live here in that
little stone hut up there
IRE the hermit they were talk
| ing about on the yacht last night"
He took me to his hut and showed
me how he lived. He had built a
bunk in one corner, there were fire.
place under the chimney where he
cooked his own food, pine table, a
couple of ramshackle chairs and
cracker box full of tableware. He had
screened his door and window with
mosquito netting.
You are an odd fish, sure enough,
I said. How long have you lived
"A year this summer"
Like it %
Better than jostling people who
don't care for me except what they can
/ get out of me-
| invited him to go aboard the yacht
/ with me, but he declined, and I left
him feeling sure that some unpleasant
/ experience must have sOured him.
! Having completed our fishing he re-
turned to Bayhead and to Seabright
/ where 1 was staying with a friend in
! his summer cottage. We had at din
| ner on the night of my arrival a Miss
! Gannett from New York, fabulously
rich. She had come in her own yacht
| and was on her way down the coast
/ to Old Point Comfort. At dinner
! told of my meeting with Heydon and
Miss Gannett. who was interested in
]
heard of such people, but did not be-
4 lieve they existed.
The next day Miss Gannett invited
me to make one of the party on her
! yacht. I was much surprised at the
! invitation and particularly delighted.
| Who could tell but that I might make
/ a match for myself on the trip. Miss
/ Gannett was very pretty girl or wo-
man-she was 26 years old-and there
/ are few bachelors who would not be
pleased to marry an attractive woman
/ with large fortune. accepted at once,
and we started on the voyage.
rs the fishing really very good in
Barnegat bay?'' she asked me as we
were nearing the mouth
ble''
Il dote on fishing. I think we'd bet
ter put in there and see if we can get
a few bIuef1sh.''
I'VE might visit the hermit" I sug-
gested.
oh. we won't have time for that"
Rounding the point we sailed up the
bay and anchored not far from where
we had fshed a week before. 1t was
/ sunset when the anchor fell, and by g
/ o'clock Miss Gannett was in her berth
1 with a headache. The hostess having
withdrawn the other ladies followed,
and the men, not wishing to keep them
| awake turned in also.
All the next day we sailed up and
| down the bay or lay at anchor fishing,
ana despite my report on Barnegat bay
as a fishing ground We were simply
loaded with fish. I supposed that after
getting enough to supply our larder for
| a few days we would proceed south,
but Miss Gannett, despite the heat and
the insects, persisted in remaining where
| we were. For two days we fished,
roasted and fought the little pests, but
on the morning of the third on looking
out the portfolio in my cabin I saw
that we were out at sea. I dressed and
went on deck. Our hostess was already
up and out quaffing the invigorating
ocean air. Beside her stood stalwart
figure in a new Spick and span yacht
ing costume, blue peajacket and cap,
with white flannel trousers. His back
was toward me, but he turned presently
and gave me the surprise of my life
He was the hermit.
| Miss Gannett called to me. It wish
to introduce you to my fance, Mr.. Hey
don" she said, smiling. ''I believe you
have met before"
when did he come aboard?" were
the first words succeeded in getting
out.
Last night
Years afterward Heydon told me the
story. They had been lovers. but Miss
| tween them, and Heydon had disap-
peared It was I no discovered him
and put his Iadylove on his track. She
had been rowed ashore on the might of
our arrival in the bay. They had made
it I'D. Heydon had gone by train to
! New York for clothes and, returning,
had come aboard after midnight.
SUMNER CHILDS.