Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-01-21
WHEN TIDES LIFT
BY w. BERT FOSTER.
(CopyriEnt.)

The tide waits upon no man. There.
fore, the furmer-tiShermen Of Block
Island watch its moods and fancies
closely; for the sea. tickle mistress.
holds the island in an embrace which
Is today caressing. but may tomorrow
be as the clutch Of ravening beast.
In the spring and full, when the heavy
tides bring in their burden of rock
weed md other deep sea vegetation.
torn frsm its roots by the ground
swell, the windrowS cast up along the
shores must needs be secured to feed
the sterile farms.
ashore rights" are jealousy guarded
then. for the weed, together with the
shacklefish from the traps, constitutes
the Islands main supply Of fertilizer.
When the proprietors Of these tide
water privileges have stacked such
weed Us they need for the year, their
| less fortunate neighbors are allowed
to CLEAN as they may among the rocks
and along the stretches Of beach. And
it CALLED Abrum Biddc nightly to be
classed with the cleaners.
The Biddle place had fallen to him
heavily mortgaged. however, and when
he sold the ''home lot" to Arson
Sprague the shore rights went with 1t.
1t Is i'll for one man to consider an
other "luclly" when he himself has
been unfortunate; but Abrams feeling
had been passive until the day he saw
Arson walking about the old farm with
Belle.
| And so Abram, sore and heartSick,
went his way, and no longer fingered
at the church door for Belle OH Sun
day evenings, or drove roundabout
way to the harbor for the sake of pass
Ing her fathers door.
His gloomy eyes noted the tide lift
ing among the rocks, heavy with its
burden of brown and green weeds.
He turned his team ut the foot Of the
blum, and then, with the fork in his
hand, waded into the water and began
to draw the green masses Of weed
ashore.
Suddenly the rattle Of another wagon
Smote upon his ears. He glanced swift
ly upward. to see Anson's span Of
Erays coming over the bluff.
"Hullo. Abel" yelled Arson. Got
ahead Of me, didn't yef" Abrnm
grunted and lifted huge forkful Of
dripping weed into his cart
Abram kept at his work fever
ishly. He feared to speak. He de-
sired to get his load and depart.
"Them bosses O. yourn don't draw
much, do theyr' shouted Arson.
"Belle said to me she didn't think ye
was dom AZ well as common"
Abram dropped the relns and turned
on him In rage chat smothered In his
eyes and whitencd his lips.
$50 you and she discuss me atween
ye. do yer Amt ye got nothin' better
to dor"
"Oh. you'm mad this morning. Able"
There was hot mist In Abrams
eyes. Through 1t he saw the leering
face Of the man he hated, and Mt this
he struck. Then Abram delivered
mighty blow and his antagonist went
down.
Arson fell fiat upon his back, his
head coming In contact with q stone.
A single gasp. and--he did not move
again.
Abram, unsoftened by the sight,
turned away. He picked up his reins
and chIrruped to the horses.
He rode ON past the Allen house with
his head on his breast, not noticing
the girl who watched him from the
window. He was throwing of the
last weed in the barnyard when Uncle
Bozzle pulled into view.
"Jes' what been tellin' en- |"
wheezed the old man. another slice
of 1t gone. Some o you boys III have
a wreck over there yit." Abram looked
at him duly. More Of the bluff
gone. Jes' seen 1t myself"
'.rhe blum caved againf" gssped
Abram. "Wherer'
Abrsm shrieked aloud, and, leaping
from the cart, seized the first tmple.
ment to his hand--a shovel--and start
ed for the shore. Uncle Bozzle
watched him breathiessly.
oval, tn dern fool!" he calculated
at last.
Abram plunged down the side Of the
blum, his heavy boots blowing deep
burrows through the clay. Once upon
the beach he began to dig madly into
the heap.
"What in tarnatton ye dom there,
Abe--burrerin' like ground.haugf"
| "Anson--he's under there!"
"Git aout! He amt nuther."
"He is, I tell you, Allen! See hls
toam along yonder? He was drawn
weed this mornin'."