Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-30
, Cape pesolation.


grocery. A mist of salt spray blurred
it's small windows-the weather-worr
door shook, as If to spirit hand. Cap
tain Ira Berry, the proprietor OF the
place, a crippled sailor, relegated BY
Fate, after years Of adventurous row
ing, to the counter Of this one only
store on Cape Desolation, paused In
the very act of weighing pound ol
tea, and said, impressively:
Its a-going to be screecher!
A curious den was BerTys grocery
low-raftered, smoke -blackened, crowd
ed with various sorts Of merchandise
At one end, a flight Of rickety stairs LED
I'D to a sail loft. The mingled odors ol
dried fish and kerosene gave piquancy
TO the atmosphere. A stuffed sea oird
fixed on a perch near the counter, kept
watch over the sugar and molasses
The forked tail Of a shark was nailed
to the door. In the rusty stove hre
burned-the night was chilly, even to1
the Maine. coast-and round II half
dozen fishermen in flannel shirts and
indescribable trousers sat smoking
clay pipes, and talking with unwonteo
animation, for, generally speaking, the
men Of Cape Desolation, whose lives
were always at the mercy of wind and
wave, were a grave and taciturn lot
Captain Ira, having tied up the pound
of tea in brown paper bag, rested his
manned leg against a keg Of salt pork
and leaning both arms on a pile OF
dried fish, listened to the gossip going
on around the stove.
BY the great horn spoon" said Hi
ram Duff, a graybeard fisherman, who
had tilted back his chair at perilous
angle, and was hacking away at plug
Of tobacco, just purchased from Ira
Berry, there never was but one family
on Cape Desolation that set themselves
up for gentry, and that's the Hillyer
tribe. though the Lord knows they've
come to nothing now-Caleb Hillyer
being the last man Of 'em ALL"
A cloud Of tobacco smoke arose
about the stove, making a partial
eclipse of the kerosene lamp, and add
ing another odor to the many already
circulating through the grocery.
"They were always proud lot-them
Hillyers," said Captain Ira, from the
counter; proud as hossfies! Look at
the family tomb out there on the road
to the cove-that tells the whole story,
1 reckon. The graveyard was good
enough for other cape folks-sich. !
mean, as the sharks didn't eat-but not
for the Hillyers-they must have
burying place by themselves. But the
women of the race!" and Iras leathery
face softened unconsciously-"by the
Lord, the Hillyer women, one and all,
were the handsomest critters l ever
clapped my eyes upon!"
There war good men among 'em,
too" said Hiram Duff; "for instance,
Captain John Hillyer, as was master OF
his own ship at three and twenty. No,
better seaman ever sailed from Maine
port. That gal Bess, over at the cove,
is his only child. Her mother was of
Massachusetts stock-came Of some
high and mighty Boston family. I've
hearn tell, though, she was poor
enough herself Well, she died young,
and Captain John took the child, and
carried her away with him on all his
voyages. Afore she war ten year old
she'd been round the world agin and
agin. Captain John always called her
his sailor gal"
A little stir went round the stove
as though Hiram Duff had touched a
subject of general interest
"Bess Hillyer can sail ship as well
as her father afore her." cried Ira
Captain John taught her everything
he knew himself. He used to say the
only playthings she ever cared for were
his maps and charts and compasses
and how she were never at home but
in a ships cabin. She used to study
with him on their long voyages, anC
share his watches on dangerous nights
al sea; and finally the little crittel
went and got herself talked about, fal
and near, by bringing her fathers shiI
into Portland harbor, all the way from
the Mauritius-Lord bless u.s. It's &
story to make a mans blood tingle."
Jest So" assented Duff. THE fe'
yer broke out on the ship, and Captain
John and his first officer died the same
day. The second mate, he went by the
board, too, and half the crew were
down. Then that spunky little gal
Bess, she up and took command, anC
brought the ship and valuable cargt
safe into Portland besides which sh'
nussed the sick men, and kept the key
of the medicine chist. and give ou
doses, like a doctor The owners o
the ship presented her with thou
sand dollars. Why, the gal WASH
more'n sixteen year old when the who'll
thing happened"
Il reckon she's found a tol'able goo(
home with Uncle Caleb" said anothe
fisherman. Il see her often down a
the cove, with that other witch, Rose
The two gals keep up the Hillyer rec
ord for good looks. If l war a yOunl
man." glancing ScOrnfuly at the JUNO
members Of the company, Il swear
woldn't be a-loafing round this 'er
rusty stove of an evening a-watchinl
Ira Berry measure groceries-no, b,
gum. I'd put on my store clothes, AM
slick my hair. and take the straigh
road to Hillyers Cove"
A laugh arose from the fishermen
Only one young fellow, who was loung
ing against the perch of the stuffe
bird, not smoking, but chewing straw
like a meditative OK, preserved
gloomy gravity. He had a heavy face
a shock of pale-red hair and a fist lik
a sledge- hammer.
Much good it would do YOU" h
sneered; "the Hillyer beauties amt 70
common men, l take It,"
Old Hiram gave the speaker a kindl
wink
Look here, Dave Grant" he sait
"you know a mackerel from herring
and dogfish from a cod, but your
no jedge of the female sex. They lik
spunk, boy. This wOrshipping o 'er