Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-27
CHAPTER II.
A Gentleman of a Single Idea.

the upper Maine coast and the currents
which wash it's sides have not long ceased
to be Canadian waters. A mile in length,
II has but a third of that width; virgin
though not particularly dense growth OF
wood covers 1t, chiefly pine and hemlock
and the northern half being high though
level presents a sheer and. abrupt face to
the sea, while the southern part possesses
smooth and pleasant character
Whether in the strict sense of the word
il is an isle we shall leave to geographers
to determine; it stretches north and south
parallel with the coast, sheltered by a
point of rock which some little distance
above thrusts itself out from the main
land, for all the world like a brown
thumb AT flood tide the island is sepa-
rated from the main beach by hundred
yards of swift. swirling current. but at
ebb one may cross where he will on the
sands If custom of speech give any au-
thority then island it is. for the native
fishermen have so pronounced 1t Tor -Vo
years; in fact ever since that time Wheh
the little band of Acadians, driven from
their northern home and wandering in
search of another more secure, nrSt
pushed keel upon it's sands.
What is Lavouche but the corruption III
their patois.. of lie de la Bouche! To TINS
-
tales give it the full and ancient appella-
ton. Therefore. The Mouth it is, which
finds a peculiar significance in the lorna
tion of the coast.
The village of Lavouche sits about. the
middle of the west side of the island on
low floor of rock. Behind 1t rises the
cliff some fifty feet in height. though this
descends In an abrupt declivity TO the
south Of the hamlet. permitting ROAD
into the wood. The houses are old, con-
or ad nv 10
previous, and built in the style which pre-
vailed at that period in France-of stone
the upper story paneled with oak beams,
steep and hip-roofed, one against an
dwelling to brace its neighbors and their
fronts to form two unbroken walls. be-
tween which runs the narrow street. At
the end Of this spreads the open beach,
where when the tide is in the fishermen
can draw their boats high and safe; when
the tide is out the wives can cross afoot
to the west. The narrow channel be-
tween the island village and the main
land Is, with the quaint but vivid figura-
tiveness of the French. named The
which shelters the isle was called lie
Dent-The Tooth.
To this spot years before, my father
and his close friend. Alexander Moore.
holiday. had put in to escape brewing
storm. Little known today, the place
was at that time undiscovered. The
charm of the island, the primitive and
picturesque life of the village. the simple
hospitality Of the fishermen captivated
the pair; and each summer thereafter
they made it the objective point Of their
outing. Later each bought parcel of
the island and built him house. That
Of Alexander Moore was ambitious. But
as my mother had died, leaving only my
father and me, a young boy, my parent
contented himself with erecting a COM
Portable One-story lodge. Life here at
Lavouche was suited to my taste. 1 ran
with the village urchins, swan, sailed and
dug In the sands for mussels: and by the
time / was fifteen. when l had my last
summer there before going away to
school for good, I could handle q boat
like the fishermen and speak their patois
as fiuently as they themselves.
Now, after so long an interval 1 was
going back to see into what fine brown
fellows had grown Jean and Gaspard and
Antoine and all the other youngsters
whom 1 had counted brothers.
On the pier in New York our steamer
party dissolved; the coffee merchant roll
ing away IN a taxicab to his offices, the
Journalist seeking his editorial chief and
Harrington making for the ferry. With
a hearty handshake he had promised to
join me at Lavouche as soon as he dis
patched his business-a week at the out
side.
Being midsummer, New York was nat
urally empty of people I knew. scattered
where they might escape its heat. So |
planned to set out for the north late that
afternoon, where Andrew, my family
servant. had already departed upon re-
ceipt Of a wireless message sent by me
two days previous. He would shake up
Stag Lodge and put 1t in order against
my coming. 1t was just at lunch time
when by a good turn of fortune j ran
across Jack Maitland. who had come
into town on business.
And you never sent word you were on
the way" he reproached, as we sat down
to table. Il say, Woodwork, that's shah
by treatment"
Il didn't know but what you We're off
on a cruise
THAT won't do A wire to the office
would have been forwarded. BY heaven.
you've acquired fine color, You could
sell yourself for a. leather antique. Thin
ner. too. That life in the saddle takes
the fat off fellow like a Turkish bath
Well. there's nothing for it now but to
come along with me to Newport Ethys
will be delighted to see you. Then there's
the youngster. whom you haven't yet be-
held-one year old last week.
/ interrupted him. See here I've all
my plans made to go north at s this
afternoon and have wired Andrew to ex-
pect me tomorrow.
The deuce. l want You to come, for
a month or year, as you WISH
That's kind, Jack. Extend the invita-
>
impossible. I've arranged for a friend to
join me up there
Well, you must come later"
THAT will
Ethys Will be disappointed when she
learns you're here and did not join U.S."
Tell her that l. shall come presently
and hold the baby
Our conversation drifted to general
topics. / described my life on the ranch
to Jack. with whom ] had kept up a
more or less desultory correspondence,
business successes Then talk veered to
old times at Forge
What do you think said /, ''our
friend D'Urville is prosperinG''
The devil he ix,'' Jack sat up Has
that rogue bobbed to the surface once
more?'
'Unduestionably. At present he's a
friend Of President Castro, and If not his
right hand, at least 'one of his fingers
OF late he has been conducting for Venez-
uela certain negotiations in which Alex
ander Moore is the American representa-
tive, and on which account he has spent
the last year and half in that country
For moment Jack drummed the cloth
In silence. Well, that's a rapid rise" he
remarked
But, then. anything may happen in
these pseudo republics" / replied. He
would be just the man TO grasp oppor-
tunities. just the man to make himself
indispensable to a president like Castro,
for lie would stop at nothing criminal
and meanwhile feather his nest"
Trust him for that"
But TO think of him meeting Mr.
Moore. and perhaps Elizabeth. as a social
equal.'
Hard to swallow. isn't it. charlie?'
L -1,.S