The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-25
BY VIRGINIA BLAIR.

k1opSTight, 1871. by Associated
Literary Press.)
The time to visit Captain Tucker
is not in the warm weather, when he
is busy with boats and nets and sum-
mer people. but in the winter. when
he is snug in his little house on the
west shore of the harbor, sheltered
from the high winds that blow fierce
ly on the outer beach.
Yes I've lived here all my life
the captain told me one night, as we
sat in front OF the fire waiting for
the chowder whose fragrance was
waited in from the kitchen.
Now and then the door would open
and Mrs. Tucker would trip in.
plump and glowing person, who ex-
changed smiles with her husband as
If they were kisses II was cold out
side and the gale blew steadily from
the northeast, but so strongly was
the little house set among the rocks
that we felt no fear of wind or waves
Yes I've lived here all my life.
the captain repeated. but | liked IL
up some after ! was married. MY
wife likes 1t here because shes safe
from storms. She used to live over
there on the neck. she and her
brother, where the sand shifts after
every blow and you never know
whether yon're going to wake up and
find your house on its foundations or
In the middle of the Atlantic.
1T was in a storm that | found
her" the captain was smiling into
the fire. and it was in storm that
took her away to be married
He hitched his chair closer 10 the
blaze, and | settled myself to listen
Il was caught in gale ofshore
one September evening that drove
my boat to pieces on the rocks. BE
fore that happened, however. naa
Ifaunched my dory and was MAKING
run for it through the breakers GU
know a small boat will slide over the
waves in sea where bigger crazy
cant live.
We'll. when the dory bumped her
nose into the sand, was spilled OUT
and l found myself at last hish
among the sand drifts. with the ram
washing down on me In sheets. 4
sat IN and looked around. anu 1t
seemed to me that through the gray
ness there was yellow ntur' SO !
followed it and came presently ="
a house and stood on the steps KNOCK
ing ,aoa
'@she came to the door, he NODDED
his head in the direction OF ing
kitchen. land she didn't look rhuei,
as she does now. She was ht'ie CIV
white and she peeped through the
crack. and said in Kino o. a,'s re
ened way, Come in. on. amt 'he
wind dreadful
seemed kind O crazy over it.
!" II means shipwreck and dt-att
sailors. and | hate it, she said, ana
lust stood there shivering
IT didn't know just what to say,
so I took off my oilskins and asked
her il / might put them ont In the
kitchen. and she said. es 30 !
went out, and there in front OF the
stove was man. He was cooking
ham in a frying pan, ana when !
came out ne nodded, and went on
with his cookin.
ta7 II didn't know, what sort a pllat STe
I had struck. But l told about my
boat goin' to pieces. and he finished
the ham, and broke six eggs into the
nan and put the coffee where it would
boil up, and then he said, You'd bet
ter set down and eat. You'll likely
be hungry after bein' out all day.
80 | sat down, and pretty soon
the girl came in and drank her cot
fee, but she didn't eat anything. She
tried to talk to me, but every Tune
a blast struck the house, she turned
white and looked sick. and 1t made
my heart acne 10 see HeF.
After supper she washed up the
dishes, and her brother went right
of TO bed. after shown me where
was to sleep. It's goin' to be aw-
full she kept sayin' over and over.
'..It amt goin' to be any worse
than 1t is now told her. You come
here and sit by the fire and talk to
me. You won't feel half so scairt IL
you have company.
$50 she set tiown beside naey and
told me how that fear had come upon
her. 1t seems that her rather and
her brothers-ail except the brother
had seen--had gone our one morn
Ing and had never come baek--and
since then she Just couldn't stand IL.
And then there was another reason
for her 10 be nervous. for the house
was old, and she said that once In
February blow the waves at high
TIDE had washed right through their
settin' room, and they thought they
was gpin. to float ont to sen.
1T wasn't much of life for a
timid woman. was it? iSut she said
her brother wouldn't leave While
she didn't complain. ! maze out that
he was the lazy kind that liked to
yet around the house and do woman s
work, but she didn't have much idea
Of earnin' liyin'
Why, I'd work ms fingers 10 the
hone to get away from hare she