The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-07-13
A Yachting Romance
fOrigtnnl.l

than fisherman. one afternoon took
shaded by great trees On reaching
land saw man standing on the
shore. He was I'm dingy trousers and
shirt topped by twenty-five cent
straw hat. and was putting on pipe.
Say, You thorew I called. How
about a landngT
Come right in here"
did so, and he pulled my boats
nose up on to the shelving shore. l
stepped out OF the boat and. looking at
the man, whom had supposed to be n
countryman. saw something familiar
In his face.
Haven't I met you somewhere" I
asked.
Are you Tracy. the man that played
right tackle on the Harvard team In
lS9-r'
Eyes. And your"
"Tm Hcydon. played against you
in the Yale team"
"And made the big run that gave
your college the game"
81 made n run in that game" he re-
piled modestly.
what in the world are you doing
hereW
ooh, was always an odd fish.
don't like n crowd. live here in that
little stone hut up there"
you're 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 bunk
in one corner, there were fireplace
under the chimney where he cooked
his own food, pine table, couple OF
ramshackle chairs and n cracker box
full OF tableware. He had screened
his door and window with mosquito
netting
"YOu are an odd fish, sure enough"
said. "IIow long have you lived
hcreT
"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 | 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 | was staying with friend In
his summer cottage. We had mt dinner
on the night OF my arrival Miss Gan
nett 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 curios-
tiles, remarked that she had heard OF
such people, but did not believe they
existed.
The next day Miss Gannett invited
, me to make one of the party on her
| yacht. was much surprised mt the
invitation and particularly delighted.
Who could tell but that might make
match for myself on the trip. Miss
Gannett was very pretty girl or
woman-she was twentysix years old
and. there are few bachelors who
would not DO pleased to marry an
attractive woman with large fortune.
accepted at once and we started on
the voyage.
as the fishing really very good in
Barncgat bayf" she asked me as we
were nearing It's mouth.
Not very; the mosquitoes are hor
= rible."
. IL dote on fishing. | think we'd bet
4 ter put in there and see II we can get
a few blue6sh."
I'VE might visit the hermit" | sug
gested
"0h, we won't have time for that"
: Rounding the point, we sailed up the
bay and anchored not far from where
, we had fished week before. 1t was
sunset when the anchor fell, and by 0
o'clock Miss Gannett was in her berth
I with a headache. The hostess having
p 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,
: and despite my report on Barnegat
bay as fishing ground we were sim
. ply loaded with fish l supposed that
z after getting enough to supply our
lardcr for n few days we would proceed
y south, but MISS Gannett, despite the
y heat and the insects, persisted in re,
naming where we were, For two
days we fshed, roasted and fought the
little pests, but on the morning Of the
3 third on looking out the portfolio in
I my cabin | saw that we were out at
4 sea. | dressed and went on deck
Our hostess was already up and out
y quaiing the invigoratlng ocean air
a Beside her stood a stalwart figure In
q new splck and span yachting costume
& blue peajacket and cap, with white
\ flannel trousers. His back was toward
z me, but he turned presently and gave
B me the surprise Of my life, He was
2 the hermit.
IS Miss Gannett called to me, II wlsl
g to introduce you to my Gance, Mr. Hey
q don," she said. smiling, II believe yor