Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-04-01
CHAPTER |


You know Alastair? No-how should
you: Very few people know it, and |
have don" my best TO keep the secret to
myself. TIE place lies. however, not so
very .ar from great cities on the Allan
tic COAST. You take Z train northward
from Boston, and when you reach the
proper station YOU alight and climb into
a coutryman's wagon. and he drives you
through the pines by twisting. sann-
built road TO Alastair. You will know it
because you can 90 no farther, Unless you
choose to drive into the waves.
Few people come to Alastair. Most
of the travellers in this part of the world
turn of about a mile inland from the
beach and go on for another mile and a
half to the Penguin Club. The latter is
full of New Workers who come to the
pines ard the sea to hunt and fish and
forge Wall Street and Fifth Avenue.
They forGet it by keeping close together.
and dressing for dinner. and dancing
every other night.
AIastair itself is only beach between
two great headlands From the end
where my cottage stands. Snugly hid in
the pines on the edge of the dunes, the
beach stretches smooth and white to Il
little laud-lockcd harhor at the farther
end Sit on my porch and look down
along the sands to the east and you
will see Il reef of rocks shaped, like the
letter that closes in little salt water
lake with the aid of distant cliff. 1t
is not quite a lake. rather small in
land sea- for th, tides hay" room TO ehb
and flow 4 ship is settled into the
sands If this sea, settled upright. so
that one may walk the decks, and |
often 20 there of an afternoon when the
tide is low and climb On hoard, 1t is a
good place to sketch. and | can leave
my paints and canvas in the cabin.
! stumbled across AaStair when | was
looking sor quiet place in which to
write. found the dilapidatcd cottage
camI.c3 in il for week, and fell so much
in love with The beach that | went to
town bought the house and part of the
woods and moved in. Charles. the man
who had served my father before me- dc.
INJURED nj first, but finally gave in. and
turned himself into cook, housemaid, anG
vale, EAR my sake,
From my balcony ! can see the distant
rocks Of tlc lit,lr inland sen and stand
ing up above them. thc high sides of the
shin. and its single remaining broker
mast Toiu,in ing straight to the heavens
Sometimes the stars seem to outline
whore the missing Spars and sails should
be, ard on bright night | can half cIost
my eyes ard fancy chat | see the rigging
lighted and lanterns burning on the quar-
tcr-dcck.
There ) history hidden in that bat
tered hulk. She is no ordinary vessel
and may once. for all | know have beer
a pirate craft. She has tire long clippe
lines Of swiftneSs. and her high bulgin.
bow is Of a type long past When :,
first came to AlaStair | made inquire.
a. 10 her history, but the oldest farme
could tell me only that She had Away.
been there ST far as he knew. and dis
missed The subject as of no Importance
The people Of the nearby country ap
ptarcd never to have boarded the caSta
way. ! felt the joys of CruSor when
FIRST climbed on her deck The nam
was gone long ago washed OFT by tn
sea the deck was bare, and the top o
the iorc>aStlc chok"d with sand.
brought shovel aud dug away the ram
part drfted against The matches. \
las; I could open the door and, clearin
the steps Of what little sand nad site
through. | descended into the cabin. l
was mildewcd with damp and water. bu
in time. by battling and letting the Su
in | dried il out and found quite hal
table apartment furnished with rabl
and chairs and row of banks along th
seaward side. Whatever there had bee
that was portable the first wreckerS mus
years before have carried off All tina
was left was heavy oaken chest. stuC
ded with brass nails. now gvecnSh-ye
loN, and when | broke the lock foun
the chest bare.
Ny fancy loved to play about Il
shjp. often l dreamed of her and of
man who should come up out OF the sc
and tread her deck again. He was Il
ways a magnetic figure. and nevt
could resist the call Of mystery to igl
beside him.
CHAPTER II.
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