The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-01-07

A Boatman'S Story

summer. Being .pAssionately fond Of
calling aud not being a sailor myself.
I 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 q little boy and had some private
conversation with my sailor. l noticed
that he spoke to her very gently, even
affectionately. Sld 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 cid man there was a shad
ow on her face, but on turning ava,
her lips parted in happy smile.
Once on the water. after much plead
ing and many promises, got story
from my navigator:
Il knew Annie Miller when she was
a slender little thing of fifteen. Al:
her people were fisher folks, as every
body in this place is. Her father bac
bad luck and got very poor. AL Bar
ker, Teller about thirtytive who's:
gone to sea and come back with some
prize money for town in deserted
vessel, betriended MIN, and the two
made it up between em that Al WAS
10 hill
had grown TO be twenty and as prett!
a craft as you ever saw. She'd a lover
on the water. bn he made long voy-
ages. so her father and AL had good
chance to br.1g 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 ak
stove in and ready to sink.
''Al spent few months at home.
then went on a long cruise. He'd beer
gone year when in comes Jack Tuck
er, 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 a ship
buckin' up against waves driven by
q hurricane. Then without goin' to
see even his old mother he lights out
and doesn't show up again for another
two years.
lone day body of man was found
up in the inlet. There were certain
marks about it that led some people to
think it 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 it. and head
stone was PUT up over the grave. sacred
to the memory of Alfred Barker. The
widow put on mournin'. 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 off. but she said she feared she
might have been mistaken about her
husband bein' dead and put him off,
He went on another cruise. and when
he came back. no change havin' taken |
place as regards AL. Annie married |
Jack. He left cruisin'. 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 lookin' aout for somethin'
or some one.
1T was FIVE years ago comm No |
vember. The Tucker kid was about |
six months old, his father and mother |
havin' been married year and half
That was the fall we had the big stor-n
that swept the coast from Nantucket TO
Hatteras. IN the middle of the night |
heard boom out at sea Then the
life savers went by in hurry I got |
up. dressed myself and went out. A
ship was Griftin' in. draggin' her an
Choir. She stuck on the bar and went
to pieces in an hour. Then wreckage
and bodies came in. strewin' the beach
Just as it was comm light turned
and saw Annie Tucker just behind me.
She was whitc as corpse. Takin' me
BY the sleeve she led me. without q
word, to little cove between two
rocks. There lay dead body. At
,nce fecocri zed Al Barker.
~ took in the situation at once. Shed
been Twin with Jack while another
Cah's wife.
Il stood lo,kin' from the body to her
and from kel to the body She was
picture of despair. Then an idea &C
cured to ne. Coin up beyond high
tide and tak!n' bit of board that had
oeen washed ashore. l began to dig In
he sand.
"'What You goin' to do? Annie
asked.
Bury hin NOBODY but you and NE
Knows tina: lie hain't been dead all this
line. and don't propose they SHALL
II dug shallow grave. put the body
n it aid covered it over with sard.
Then l took Annie by the hand and
aid to her:
If you value the peace and comfor:
# your hC:tand and son, keep this Q
)ecret'
''She jist threw her arms about M
leck and cried.
Il sent Der home and watched tie
rave ali dag 70 see that the tide didn':
% high enough to wash out the bodv.
nd that night I uncovered It, put /,
d nv hOat and cailin, n,,< ;o<o 49,. |