Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-06-02
The Fog on That
Day In '87
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By MYRA CURTIS LANE

60, 1928. western Newspaper Union.)
You see, a fog's different. Every
things different then. People are diff
ferent. And maybe some day there1I
be another FOG Ike there was that day
Ia 81"
The old man had been drinking or
drugging himself, but Bryant, who
was always interested In a human
story, leaned forward to hear
Il don't know as there's much to it,
except it's IA sort of symbol of life"
What did this br0ken-down old man
know about symbols? 1t was the man
Bryant was studying; he did not care
anything about his story.
1t appeared that he had been a
shipping clerk somewhere along the
water front, and all his life he had
wanted to travel in strange countries.
He used to see the ships come in from
his window-tramps, old sailing
schooners, manned by swarthy, gestic-
ulating men. Then he would travel
in Imagination through tropic seas,
and land on palm-fringed shores, pass
through old, crumbling cities filled
with color and incident and life.
Always he cherished that idea, and
1t took SO strong a hold on him that
at length he managed 10 save up seven
hundred dollars to start on his adven-
lures.
OF course there was the girl-but
which girl? None of the girls he
knew had mind or. bent for anything
like that. They wanted the gay life
Of Broadway, which then conferred
about Madison Square, gay little din
ners, theaters, fun.
There was one girl, a waitress In
the cheap restaurant he used to pa
tronize She was tall girl with fluff
fly, yellow hair, and kind eyes,
naughty, aloof; better game in hand
than the twelve-dollar clerk. He ad-
mired here; she was only tolerant In
friendly way. He had dreamed Of
making her the companion of the adj
venture, but he saw that hope was
impossible. Well, he would go alone.
He would find his companion in the
tropics, a dark girl, with raven hair
and flashing eyes.
A big ship was In from Honduras,
He could get passage for forty dollars.
He stood near the quay, watching her
unload. Huge punches of green ba-
nanas were slung ashore
Then the fog came down. 1t crept
In from the sea- shrouding everything
In a clammy mist. He did not know
the way back to the office, he could
see Notwithstanding but the fog.
Out of the fog appeared the face of
a girl. She came cropping toward him.
| It was the waitress of the cafe.
"Oh, please can you tell me where
ann" she begged. Then she recognized
him and gave him little nod.
He took her gently by the arm.
"Anice, you're coming with me to Cen
| trail America" he said
He saw her eyes dilate; he was mes
merizing her by the intensity Of his
will. For of sudden he knew as
surely as he had ever known anything
In his life that this was the one girl
| for him.
"Now," he said. "They're sailing at
three. It's only necessary to walk on
board. / have seven hundred dollars
in my pocket'-he always carried his
roll about with him. 1.-THE captain can
marry US. Come, Anlce."
"You-you're mad" she gasped.
Nevertheless, she continued looking
at him, and suddenly recognition
seemed to come into her eyes-that
this was the one man for her.
"Were not going back" he said.
Neither you nor me. Wen take moth
ing with us, just our love for each
other"
And he began talking of their future
together under two palms, and Of their
home in some old, decaying city, "Will
you come. Anice?" he asked
"Yes," she breathed, and he bent
toward her and kissed her. And she
returned his kiss, and they held each
other closely in the fog.
And then--the fog began to lift. A
sea breeze came in. blowing it away.
Slowly the outlines of the buildings
came into view. And now they saw
each other, and slowly he saw that
look Of recognition fading out Of the
girls eyes.
And some exultation WIS fading out
| OF her heart and, desperate to clutch
1t, he took her by the arm. Come,
Anice," he said.
She hesltated-then wrenched her
self away. "Why, you-you're mad"
she said.
She turned her back on him and
hurried away to the restaurant. That
afternoon he resigned his position and
blew in his seven hundred dollars
he never knew how. And he never
went to Honduras
That was what the old man cold Bry-
ant. but some day maybe therell be
another fog like that day In 81" he
said. People are different in q fog.
~