Rock Island Argus., 1911-10-16

/ side of the island. and on that side the
4 Atlantic's waves are unbroken by sny
/ land or shoals, so that they come
singing in upon the rocks. Surround
4 ing the house. except on the sea side,
/ are fir trees, whose odor hangs pleas
/ antly upon the air, especially pure in
! that region. The people who live on
Bailey's and on Orr's island, being
next north of Bailey's. are mostly fish
/ er folk, though some of them do lit
| tie farming in vegetables and milk.
! The several summers during my oc-
| cupancy Of my cottage girl about
seventeen years old-Myra Crofts was
her name-brought me milk. She
drove about among her customers in
little blackboard wagon drawn by a
small horse, so used to his mistress
stops that he would stand quietly
wherever he was placed. Myra was a
study for an artist. Her clothes were
of the poorest, but her face was
comely and her figure ft for a model
for a statue. l did my own house
work and used to receive the girl at
the kitchen door, and since l liked
her would always speak a pleasant
word. One day | said to her:
"Myra, it seems to me that 1t is
nearly time you were getting q hus-
band"
"Oh. dear. no." she replied, showing
by a toss of her head that the subject
deeply interested her There's no one
on the island who wants me, and 1
never go off it. And. as for the sum-
mer visitors. the young men are all too
much taken up with the visiting girls
to notice one who peddles milk"
l had my eye on a young fisher
man, to whom l had taken as much
fancy as had for Myra. During the
months of July and August he gave
his attention to the summer visitors,
taking them out in his motorboat,
but after they had gone he would re-
turn to his fishing. l went out with
him frequently and had every conf
dence in his ability as a skipper. There
are numerous Iedges in Casco bay,
and Ned Ballard Scould sail among
them almost with his eyes shut. l
was once with him in a fog some seven
or eight miles out to the eastward,
numerous islands and reefs interven-
ing between us and home. Ballard
brought me into port safely, never ly
ing to for a moment, and when we
landed l said to him:
How in the world did you do it?"
-"Oh. to me-" he replied. Its like your
walking about in your own house in
the dark. l notice the flow of the tide
by the direction of the buoys. l oc-
nc Sin oil nf a
bit of shore. point, which confirms
me in my opinion as to where | am"
This was all unintelligable to me. for
/ had during the whole period seen
nothing but that driving fog so com
mon on that coast.
1t occurred to me that Ned Ballard
and Myra Crofts would make a good
match. Ned brawny and strong. Myra
a fine specimen of country girl. So
interested was l in bringing the two
together by a plan l conceived that
when the season ended and the other
summer residents and visitors departed
stayed on. For a few days after the
hegira from country to city ! felt
lonely at the changed appearance the
region took on. but as soon as l be-
felt more pleasure in my surround
ings than ever. There was above me
the great blue dome of the heavens.
about me the waters of the bay, and
breathed in as pure air as it is pos
sible TO find Oh the globe.
To carry out my scheme for bringing
my two favorites together was
obliged to stay till after Halloween,
for on that day it was 10 be put in
practice. My sailing days were not so
frequent now since Ned Ballard was
gagged with his fishing His work
was in the night. and he slept by day.
He fished principally for mackereI
spreading his nets at set of sun and
taking them up at its rising. and when /,
lucky would find them well filed with
fish, which be sold at a handsome I
price. He told me that in one haul /
be once took in 1900 pounds.
Moonlight nights were his favorite .
time to fish. There was sufficient
light by which to work. but not ,
enough for the fish down in the water
TO see the nets in which their fins
were caught. l have myself seen him
put between my cottage and Ragged
sland-so called from its ragged shore
and when his boat would lie in the
simmer / could almost recog-
nize the silhouette of his figure.
That year Halloween came at the
full Of the moon. | had thought Of
inviting Ned and Myra TO my cottage
unknown 10 each other and contriv-
ng to have them see each others re-
lection in mirrors. but Ned was hav-
ng such luck with his fishing and the
light OF the moon was so valuable to
lim that l could not prevail upon him
o give me even one night. So / was
obliged TO invent another plan
Ned knew very little about Hal
oween. He had heard Of ii. but de
act know that on that evening girls
we're liable to get vision of the man
hey would marry. There was no
IuperstitiOn about him, and I know st
would be impossible for me tc :8d30e
him 10 Ask Myra - lsz hjg wife