Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-30

" T dawn, and the fshermans wife was early
astir, making ready the little breakfast for her
man, for he must catch the out going tide.
- From the window of the low, matched cot
tage he could the water, the turbulent
Channel, wind-swept and blue.
There already coming and going around the
dozen brown fishing boats, beached high and await
ing the tide to bear them the for the
days work. For this hamlet of fishers had no piers
or modern ways. With the tide they went forth.
Haste thou, Marie" said the husband. he sat
before the table in the lowceied kitchen, bare but
clean. Hasten, for 1 be moving"
Marie brought the bowl Of stearning coffee, the
long loaf and crisp fried egg, and sat looking on
with pleased pride as they disappeared
He "a fine day before wife"
God willing she said, and putting her hands
on his shoulders, looked aectionatey into his face.
She had of fisher people, had seen her
. mother mourn the men out in the tempest, had,
herself known grief, and could see her strong
young husband go out to earn his bread the
treacherous waters without fear in her heart.
1.-THE little feow?" said Jacques WELL won't
break his sleep; kiss him good-by for his dad, and
tell him to be on the sands welcome back"
and off he went, tightening his red SASH his brown
face smiling and bright.
All was ready, and Marie the boats
lifted high upon the wave and carried out the
water.
She watched them go; watched till they far
OUT for it early yet, the day was long, and
she would waken little Pierre and feed him with
father. For food something to thank the good
God for it hard, and sometimes when
The winter drove the into fierce heights, and all
housed with naught to and little to eat,
then not always to be had, and the
ming soup and the morning bread for the winter
time had to be well toiled for through the short
fishing season, and at all times must be eaten CRATE
fully
These thoughts were in the mothers mind
she ated for little Pierre to waken. Pierre, the
md who
looking out upon the and watching the strange,
far-of ships go by, for he, too, to be fisher
just life his father, whom he thought the finest
in the world
well, we'll said Marie at last after the
had been tided the fire freshened, and the table
laid for the little who still slept on; "Well,
well, must take peep at the laddie So she crept
softly into the other of the house there
were but two-and lifted of the curtain
which shut in the childs bed from the current of
air so feared by the peasant.
With low cry, she tore open the curtains and
felt in the tumbled bed "Where art hiding, Pierre?
Come forth, dear, do not tease thy mother
But no Pierre peeped out with merry eyes, nor
erept up from behind to startle "Manan"
Looking hurriedly around she saw that his
clothes neatly folded over the little chair. were
gone; that his wooden sabots too were gone, that
he must have clothed himself and stolen out to
play. while she had been busted in the kitchen
Running out she searched the narrow street and
asked the urchins about if they had seen Pierre.
"But, no, madame
And SO she down by the sea, that fatal sea
which charmed Pierre away from his play and
from his mates She hurried along the sand, sure
of finding him breakfastiess and sleepy, summing
himself and watching the white-caps.
But Pierre not there and quickly the alarm
spread The village was small and every lane and
climbing path searched and nothing
nothing to be seen of little Pierre Then, in
deed, a. and thoughts turned toward the
and the stricken mother reached her hands to the