The Little River news., 1922-12-09
A Man and His
 Mirth
Bv ANNE WHITFIELD


 into Grand bay. Four months they had been at sea, hunting the harps and hoods all the way up the rocky, ice-bound shore of Labrador. They were coming in laden with belts.
 Old Henri Bedard counted them through his glasses from the top of the cliff. Twenty-that was right! No, only nineteen! Was 1t nineteen or twenty? If it were nineteen that meant tragedy, never far from those seafarers' lives. He could not discern clearly, and went on counting. sit
 Along the shore, and by the edge of the tiny pier, those who had stayed at home shook their heads at one arl- other.
 "What will Georges Racine do when he learns that his brother Pierre has married the girl he was engaged to"
 twill he try to kill himY
 "Hey, they are very we'll matched, that pair. It would be bull against bull"
 Marie Racine, the bride, who had turned from the one brother to the other after her first lovers departure on the sealing voyage, sat at the door of her cottage, trembling. She loved her husband, but she had always been terribly afraid of Georges. That was why she had got engaged to him. Georges had demanded that they be engaged, and she had not had the strength to refuse him. Besides, Georges had dominated her, as he dominated every one in the port, by his mental and physical prowess.
 What would Georges do? The watchers pictured his elemental wrath, the furious fight that would ensue, though it would be too late Too late to unjoin those whom the priest had joined. But Marie trembled.
 "Take thy revolver or thy knife, dear Pierre," she begged. "But not to hurt him, only to protect myself"
 "HO, I am not afraid of GeOrgesi" boasted Pierre, as he swaggered out of his cottage toward the wharf. "I am as good man as he is-better, else thou hadst not married mech, little MarieT'
 He kissed her noisily.
 Perhaps that plan is better" sobbed the bride. "But it will be terrible to face him."
 ''Ho, there will be no need for thee to face him !" answered her husband. ''If he as much as casts a black look at thee or me I shall hammer him into pulped wood with my fists."
 Marie looked in admiration after the stalwart figure of her husband as he swaggered along the sandy road to- ward the pier. He passed toward the pierhead, and the crowd, watching the boats turned their heads and said: Here comes Pierre Racine.'
 "What will happen when they meet? Would 1t not be better to send for the cure?"
 "No, let them fight it out"
 Suppose they kill each other1"
 "That can hardly be. If they thave knives, we must disarm them. Bad blood gets worse by keeping; let them fight 1t out and be friends" sro3nsrs sas enss nss ss %, girl asss1 Bsa Bsts ness."
 Bhey listened to Pierre, who was boosting, perhaps because he was secretly uneasy. and wished to keep up his spirits. Friends, have noth- ing but my fists. but married my wife fairly, and I'll hold her! If my broth. CT Georges so much as casts a black look at me, I'll hammer him into pulped wood"
 They looked at him in admiration. There was no one in the village could stand up to either Georges or Pierre.
 Pierre rOared with laughter. Tt will be amusing to watch his face when he learns." he said. And I shall tell him. I shall say, 'Eh, Georges, dost thou remember the little Marie to whom thou vast engagedY 'WellT he replies. And now she is married,' Married? Show me the dog It is I, Georges That is all. And, as I said, 1t will be amusing to watch his face."
 The sealing boats were quite near now. They came on with the sun shin- ing on their canvas sails, forming in line as they moved up the harbor each toward its place on the side of the pier. Foremost came the vessel of old Henri Bedard's son. and there was old Heqlk waiting to meet it.
 The sails came down, thesships were almost alongside. Voices exchanged AailA PbeEDe Racine stood near the head of the pier. scanning tC fnd his brothers ship.
 "Eh," croahed old Henri, there arc nineteen of you, not twenty. Who is misstnsY
 ~Eh. yes. to pulped wood, fl he in- terfefes with me. shall tell him." Pierre acclaimed among his cronies.
 Some one was shouting. "Ehr' The crowd suddenly grew silent. "Georees Racine's ship. Lost in the ice. Georges and his boy" Eh, there would be no fight after all. It was lucky Georges had not left Marie a widow.
 Pierre stopped in the midst of his