The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1922-10-19
A Man and His
Mirth
By ANNE WHITFIELD

W. l5EZi Dy western newspaper OnlOn)
The sealing boats were coming in
into Grand bay. Four months they
and hoods all the way up the rocky,
Rebound shore of Labrador They
were coming in laden with pelts.
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 II were nineteen that
meant tragedy never far from those
seafarers' lives. He could not discern
clearly, and went on counting.
Along the shore, and by the edge
of the tiny pier, those who had stayed
at home shook their heads at one an
other.
"What will Georges Racine do when
he learns that his brother Pierre has
married the girl he was engaged TOT"
"Will he try to kill himT'
"Hey, they are very we'll matched,
that pair. 1t 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 II would be too late. Too late
to UNION 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, l am not afraid Of Georges"
boasted Pierre, as he staggered out
Of his cottage toward the wharf. II
am as good a man as he is--better,
else thou hadst not married mech,
little MarieT
He kissed her nolsily.
perhaps that plan Is better" sobbed
the bride. But 1t will be terrible to
face him."
"Ho, there will he no need for thee
to face him 20 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
staggered 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 meet7
Would it not be better to send for the
cure?"
mo, let them fight II out"
Suppose they kill each otherY"
"That can hardly be. If they have
knives, we must dlsarm them. Bad
blood gets worse by keeping; let them
fight 1t out and be friends"
THAT they will never be. Both
brothers loved the girl almost to mad
ness"
They listened to Pierre, who was
Boosting, perhaps because he was
secretly uneasy, and wished to keep
up his spirits. Friends, have moth
Ing but my fists, but l married my wife
fairly, and I'll hold her! If my broth
er Georges so much as casts black
look at me, III 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. 1T will
be amusing to watch his face when he
learns" he said "And l shall tell
him. shall say, Eth, Georges, dost
thou remember the little Marie to
whom thou vast engagedr 'Wellr he
replies. And now she Is married.
Married? Show me the dog 1T Is l,
Georges That is all. And, as l said,
it 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 Henri, waiting to meet 1t.
The sails came down, the ships were
almost alongside. Voices exchanged
halls. Pierre Racine stood near the
head Of the pier scanning to find his
brothers ship.
"Eh," croaked old Henri, "there are
nineteen of you, not twenty. Who is
missingT
''Eh, yes, to pulped wood, If he in
terferes with me. l shall tell him."
Pierre detained among his cronies.
Some one was shouting. "Eh?" The
crowd suddenly grew silent. Georges
Racine's ship. Lost In the Ice. Georges
and his boy" Eth, there would be no
a.