The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-11-13

A BOatman's Story
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-[Original.l

hired a superannuated fisherman to
sail me. One afternoon as we were
leaving the dock a woman not quite
arrived at middle age came down lead
ing a little boy and had some private
conversation with my sailor. noticed
that he spoke to her very gently, even
affectionately, and patted her son on
his curly head There was something
in the appearance Of the woman that
interested me. Either she had expert
enced some deep grief or had commit
ted some sin for which she could not
forgive herself. But of all this my
conceptions were vague. While talk,
ing to the old man there was a shad'
ow on her face, but on turning away
her lips parted in happy smile.
Once on the water, after much plead
ing and many promises. got a story
from my navigator:
Il knew Annie Miller when she was
a slender little thing Of fifteen. All
her people were fisher folks, as every
body In this place Is. Her father huc
bad luck and got very poor. Al Bar
ker, a Teller about thirty-five who'd
gone to sea and come back with some
prize money for town in a deserted
vessel, befriended him, and the two
made 1t up between 'em that AL was
to marry Annie Meanwhile Annie
had grown to be twenty and as pretty
a craft as you ever saw. She'd lover
on the water, but he made long voy-
ages, SO her father and AL had a good
chance to bring her round. They soon
got her before the wind and sailed
her into the port OF matrimony. But
when they got her there she was all
stove In and ready to sink.
"Al spent a few months at home
then went on long cruise. He'd been
gone year when in comes Jack Tuck
err, Annies old lover, and when he
finds Annie married he sinks right
down on the beach, covers his face
with his hands and shakes like ship
buckln' up against waves driven by
a hurricane. Then without goin' TO
see even his old mother he lights out
and doesn't show up again for another
two years.
zone day body oG a man was found
up In the inlet There were certain
marks about 1t that led some people to
think 1t might be Al Barker. who'd been
to sea for a long cruise without being
heard from. They called for Annie to
decide the matter and she decided that
It was, SO they buried 1t, and head
stone was put up over the grave, sacred
to the memory of Alfred Barker. The
widow put on mournln', but there was
not much grief, and when Jack Tucker
came in again she picked up mighty
quick. Jack wanted her to marry him
right of, but she said she feared she
might have been mistaken about her
He went on another cruise, and when
he came back, no change haYin' taken
place as regards AL, Annie married
Jack. He left crulsln', turned fisher
man and settled down right here. In
time the little Teller you saw with her
at the dock came along, and the Tucker
family was happy, only l noticed that
Annie was kind of worried and always
seemed to be iookin' out for somethin'
or some one.
ut was five years ago comm No
vemher. The Tucker kid was about
six months old, his father and mother
havin' been married n year and half.
That was the fall we had the big storm
that swept the coast from Nantucket to
Hatteras In the middle of the night
heard a boom out at sea. Then the
life savers went by in a hurry. l got
up, dressed myself and went out A
ship was driftln' In, draggin' her an
Choir She stuck on the bar AMI went
TO pieces In an hour Then wreckage
and bodies came In. strewin' the beach.
"Just as II was comm light burned
and saw Annie Tucker Just behind me.
She was white as corpse. Takin' me
by the sleeve. she led me. without a
word, TO little cove between two
rocks. There lay dead body. At
once recognized Al Barker.
II took In the situation at once. She'd
been Twin with Jack while another
mans wife.
II stood loOkin' from the body to her
and from her to the body. She was
picture Of despair. Then an idea oc-
CURED to me. Coin up beyond high
tide and takin' a bit Of board that had
been washed ashore. began to dig in
the sand.
"'what you goln' to dor Annie
asked.
"'Bury him. Nobody but you and me
knows that he hain't been dead all this
time, and don't propose they shall
II dug a shallow grave. put the body
In 1t and covered II over with sand.
Then | took Annie by the hand and
said TO her:
IF you value the peace and comfort
Of your husband and son. keep this a
lecret.'
"Shs fist threw her arms about my
Heck and cried.
Il sent her home and watched the
grave all day to ZEE that the tide didn't
A.. n.