Saint Mary's beacon., 1909-04-01

- as2& was 11&r MG0 UV SAr
castle humor and keen ridicule O
human action which showed som,
grudee against the world, and. a
the same time, denoted conversanc,
With mankind and bv no means !.
dehciency OF education. But. IN
general, bis vein was peevish. and
apt 20 vent itself In indiscriminat.
petulance or stern reproof.
A small painting Of Sc. RomualC
at his devotions. by the hand of Sal
vat0r himself. hung over q dressiuc q
table In the back room OF the hut II
which the bed OF The Crinrle wa.
placed. and this exquisite gem q
art. which she possesxorassned duly
% appreciate. was surmounted by !,
crucifix, indicating the religious
faith in which he worshipped This
might be gathered also from a curious
antique pix, OF heavy gilded metal
q ponderous m;ssal with silver
clasps, few old volunesof the lives
OF the saiuts, and other furniture o.
the like nature. all OF which denoted
that the ingredient of q religious de.
votee formedan element in his sim
gular compound OF character.
The superiority Of his mind and
attainments over those of the mass
OF the Inhabitants OF the province had
contributed 70 render The Crippl q
an object OF some interest as we'll as
OF dissrust amongst them, and this
sentiment was heightened into one
approaching to vulgar awe, by the
reputation Of the person who bad
always been somewhat in his con.
fidence, and now attended him as
his servitress and only domestic
This person was the ungainly and
repulsive beldam whom ! have al.
ready noticed as ministering in the
household concerns OF the hut. She
was o woman who had long main
tained o most unen viable fame as
The Woman OF Warrington. in the
small hamlet Of that name on the
Cliffs OF Patuxent, from whence she
had been recently transplanted to
perform the domestic drudgery In
which we have found her. Her
habitation was o rule hovel some few
hundred PAGES distant from the hut
OF The Cripple, on the margin of ST.
Jerome's creek. and within gun shot
OF the rear Of the Black Chapel. To
this howell. after her daily work was
done. she retired 10 pass the night.
leaving her master or patron 10 that
solitude which he seemed To- prefer
10 any society. The esurly1rnastiff
bitch, We have noticeskalternatsly
kept guard as the hut nfyflse master
and domestic - rowing r nEaen the
two In nightly patrol, W o gruff
and unsociai fidelity,-ncs Hsuitable
go-between 10 so strange D pair. II
will not be wondered at. that. in a
saDerstitious age, such an associa-
tion as this OF The Cripple and the
crone, In tbs vicinity Of such spot.
desecrated, as the fisherman 8 lodg re
had been, by the acting OF a horrible
tragedy. should excite. far and wide
amongst the people. sentiment OF
terror sufficiently potent to turn the
steps OF the wsyfarer, as the shades
OF evening fell around him, aside
from the path that led to st. Jerome's
The Cripple, at the time have
chosen 10 present him to my reader,
was seated. as | have said immedi-
ately beneath the window. A pair
OF spectacles assisted his vision as
be perused q packet OF papers, sew
eral Of which lay scattered around
him. The dim light for while per-
picked his labor. and he had direct
ed the door TO be thrown wide open
that he might take advantage OF the
last moment before the approaching
twilight should arrest his occupa.
ton. Whilst thus employed, the
deadened sound Of q shot doomed
across the bay.
Hal" he exclaimed as he threw
aside the paper In his hand and d.
rected his eyes towards the water;
there is o signalt-an i'll bird is
flying h0meward Did you not hear
that shot, woman?"
Il had my dream OF the brigan-
tine two nights ago." replied the
servitress; and OF the greedy kite
that calls himself her master; the
shot must DO his"
Whose eau 10 be else?" deman
cd The Cripple sharply, as he swung
himself forward 70 the door. r.sill and
shook his locks from his brow in
the act Of straining bis sight across
the dim surface OF the bay. "Ay,ay;
there it In. Hark-another shotl-
that Ia the true pass word between
us:-Dickon. sure enoughl-The
brigantine is In the offing. Cock
lescraft is coming In with che speed
OF gull. He comes full freighted-
full freighted. as is his wont, with
the worlds pluuder. What dole
hath he done this fiight7-what more
wealthy knave than himself hath he
robbed? Mischief, mischief, mis-
chief-good store oft, I'll be sworn: :
and keener knave than himself
be bath not found In his wide ven
ture. He will be coming ashore TO
visit The Cripple, hai-he shall be
welcome-as he ever hath been.
We are comrades, we are crouies,
ard merry in our divisions-the
Skipper and the Cripple-merry
men bothl"
These uprisings OF the inner
thoughts Of the man were uttered in
various lonesome moment scarce
audible, the next with an emphatic
enunciation, as IL addressed to bis
companion in the but. and sometimes
with the semblance OF q laugh, or
rather chuckle, which was worm
wood In its accent. and brought the
rheum from his eye down his check.
The beldam. accustomed 70 this habit
OF self-commnnion In The Cripple,
apparently needed not these mutter-
ings, until be, at length. accosted