The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-06
Copyright, 1909
By George H. Doran Company


who does not" he replied, as his keen
eyes took in the unbroken expanse Of
sandy grass which lost itself in the
sea beyond. 1t was an impressive
view, but Dexter Reece shuddered in
voluntarily; he was man of details,
and the large in Nature or human af-
fairs oppressed him. I'm afraid I'm
not much use at sports of any kind,
he said; "but may plead in extenua-
ton that I have never had any time
to devote to them. I have had to
work all my life, and precious hard,
too. When you spend the whole of
your days fighting for bread and
cheese, you find that you are supplied
with sufficient excitement to be able
to dispense with the games other men
amuse themselves with"
Evelyn glanced at him with some
interest.
81 don't think you are much to be
pitied, Mr.. Reece," she said. after
all, one is sent into the world to work.
1 suppose; and there must be great
deal of pleasure in making your own
way"
"Yes-if you make it, he said, his
eyes narrowing. Sometimes you
don't"
IT hope. am sure, you will" said
Evelyn, with an air of conviction,
which was not without its effect On
Reece.
They drove down the steep hill, his
hand closing on the rail beside him,
as the young horses tried to make
rush for it: but Evelyn had them well
in hand, and they reached the bottom
in safety. AS they entered the mar
row street of the little town she said:
az want you to notice the people.
Like the place, they liveiapart and to
themselves; they are nearly all sailors
or fishermen, and good sailors, too. A
man has only to say that he comes
from Port Dale and he is at once en-
gagged by captain. They have the
character Of being very fierce, almost
savage, and quarrelsome. In the old
times, indeed, not very long ago they
used to fight terribly, and not seldom
used the knife; you see, they are
nearly all of them foreign, and have
Spanish or Italian blood in them; but
they have been much quieter lately;
and they are always kind and nice to
me-"
Some women, nearly all of dark
complexion, with black hair and eyes,
came to the doors Of the small and
quaint-looking houses, attracted by
the sound of the carriage, and their
teeth flashed with a smile, and they
nodded in friendly but by no means
servile fashion to Evelyn, who nodded
and smiled back at them. Children
ran about the streets like rabbits; but
the intelligent horses picked their way
carefully amongst them, with that re-
gard for children which horses al
ways display.
''They are all barefooted." remark
ed Evelyn; mot because they are
poor, but because they hate boots and
shoes. They put them on to go to
Sunday-school and chapel and church,
but most Of them take them off and
carry them over their shoulders when
they are coming out. The soles Of
their little feet must be like leather.
for they can run about the streets and
over the beach without taking any
HARM
The carriage ratified on to the cob
ble-pa-ed quay, at the edge of which
gently rocked the small trading-ves-
sells and fishing boats. Some men
were standing about in groups in the
purposeless but contented manner
peculiar to the sea-faring man when
he is on shore.
There was foreign look about
most of them; some of them wore
their dark hair long and almost in
ringlets; they were powerful-looking
men, with a certain air Fof independ-
ence in the expression Of their faces
anu their Ol CdTIyluS IuCIu-
selves. Some of them changed their
lounging attitude to an erect one. and
all Of them touched their foreheads,
and smiled a pleasant greeting to
Miss Evelyn of the Hall.
She pulled up the horses and, look
ing round with a smile, said:
Good morning! What beautiful
weather, isn't it? Have you got many
salmon lately?"
Parrish, miss; not terrible sight"
replied young giant taking his
hands from his pockets and advanc-
ing to the carriage. "They haven't
been coming up SO plentiful for the
last day or two"
"Oh, but this fine weather will
bring ther,'' she said brightly, and
with a little nod of assurance. "And