The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-18
FISHERMAN ROSE
BY CLARA INEZ TAYLOR,


| Copyright 1sl5. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate.)
Rose Brent was broken in health
and pocketbook. As she said to her.
self. I'm badly bent in purse and
broken in spirit. The games too fast
for me here"
When Rose Brent appeared in her
native village she arrived on foot
from the neighboring town and she
was dressed in the guise of an anti
quated fisherman. Always clever at
any sort of makeup, Rose had Sc
cured garments resembling those
worn by any old native fisherman
along the shore. She had successful
ly made a hump in her back, dis
guised herself completely by clever
application of brown grease paints and
large dropping fisherman's hat.
She got possession of an old fish
ing boat. got tackle, bait and every
thing necessary. She had been brought
up among the old fishermen-theyh had
been her playmates as child. There
fore, fishing and fisherfolk ways we're
second nature to her. She knew
the spots where to market her goods.
and she was possessed of the spirit
of the adventure. The big blue trou-
sers and the enveloping yellow oil
skin coat she wore were old but they
fitted into her makeup wonderfully.
Day after day she came from the
little room she had rented from an
old woman whom she had know in
her childhood days The old woman
was partly deaf, partly blind, partly
senile, so Rose felt secure in board
ing with her
Summer boarders occasionally
came to the beach where the fisher
folk held sway. and Rose always
heard herself spoken of as 'the anti
quated fisherman She pretended to
be deaf and led an absolutely quiet
life.
One day as she sat in her old boat,
which she had drawn up on the sand
while she prepared her tackle for
days fishing, she observed moving
picture man casting his eye about for
New England scenes of fisherfolk. At
least, so she gathered from the way
in which he seemed to be observing
the types.
The camera man placed his camera,
got his film ready and began to turn
his crank on the beach scene. To
give the action Rose deliberately
showed off her boat before it was
ready and equipped. Her little hump
backed figure sat itself in the seat and
Rose began to row out steadily, real
izing all the time that the camera
was focused on her.
ITO make it good should capsize,
but | cant on sea like this and in
this tub she laughed to herself since
no one was close enough to hear the
chuckle from under her grizzled make
up.
And like the look of that movie
man-Tom Martin. think his name
was-now that l see him here in ma
lures own country" Rose could see
that the girl in her was waking up.
For weeks she had no sentiments ex-
cept those fitted to inhabit the being
of an old fisherman.
That night, for the first time since
her arrival In the village, she fetched
out her little bundle Of Rose Brent's
clothing and donned the garments.
Then, the old lady below being either
asleep or too deaf to hear, she found
her way out to the moonlit beach and
along to the hotel, nearly a mile dis
tant She walked erect and stood
erect and enjoyed the springing gait
she had been unable to use for so
long.
She knew that she was going in
deliberate search Of Tom Martin,
the camera man. And she wondered
why not. 1t was perfectly natural
for her to want to see someone from
her former life.
approached him. He was starting
out for a stroll on the beach, since
he knew no one with whom to asso-
ciate.
"M-Miss Brent, Is 1t possible?" he
stammered, when Rose deliberately
let the moon shine in her face as she |
passed him.
And you, Mr. Martin. How odd"
Rose said. hypocritically.
"Odd. but delightful. Are you going |
somewhere, or do you want to walk |
with me?" he asked.
Rose walked with him for three |
hours, and In the end she told him |
the whole story, even to the episode |
of the day while he was turning his |
camera on her.
"You-you're a trump, Miss Brent. |
And shall you continue long in this
play?" he asked.
ooh, yes, for while, for I'm gain.
ing my strength"
Tom Martin looked at her. And, |
II may add it. your beauty"
After that the moving picture man
managed to spend more than one
weekend at the old fisher village, |
and whenever he did he and the little
old fisherman we're seen in sign con-
on the beach But at night |
their words were not in sign Ian
guage. unless Cupid's language Is