Evening star., 1926-11-02
Light Housekeeping.

M AIRY LIE DUE walked hur-
nH riedly out of Little Cham
w plain street in the city OF
1 L old Quebec. She carried a.
worn, imitation.alligator-s skin
case in her right hand, black wrap.
ped bundle in her left, and lost no
lingering glances on the narrow.
musty street as she made her way
hastily to the pier row.
For 20 years now she had waited
for Joe French to make a home for
her, and. for 20 years Joe put it off
until tomorrow. Finally word had
come to Mary through Capt. Gautier to
the Yonge, coast schooner, that he,
Joe, was planning their home in Nova
Scotia, and would she come with the
captain on his return trip?
The loose cobblestones in the dingy
street turned to ocean tides tapping
on rocky shores as Mary passed hur.
riedly over them; the unsightly stoops
leading down into the street seemed
aglow with romance; the gray shale
rock OF the house walls seemed now
a mountain side by the sea. Her face
was beaming with a Joy it had not
known since Joe first asked her to
wait for his home. Since then Mary
had sewn plain garments in barren
room decorated by a single crucifix,
and waited. Each morning saw the
sun rise with new hope and each
evening saw the sun set, with faith iii
the morrow looming. .
How glorious life suddenly seemed
to Mary as the August breezes car
ried the sailing craft northward!
Capt. Gautier found it necessary to
cast anchor occasionally when they
ran into school Of fish, for codfishing
was part of the captains occupa-
ton. However anxious Mary was to
reach her destination, she curbed her
anxiety with the thought of another
week of tomorrows. for all tomor-
rows eventually turn into todays.
The coast rocks loomed as trown-
ing bulwarks as the Yonge lay early
OF Sunday morning in the Cape a
lBegle. Mary was on deck early to
greet the sun, which had greeted her
for 20 years, frowningly. Now she
laughed in his face and he returned
the greeting tenfold. Now she could
look at any one and smile, even her
mocking landlady. She could smile
with the coming and going Of the sun,
for the wheels in the balance had
finally swung round. The frowning
old rooms of Little Champlain street
would never again see her hugging
the warmest corner to keep warm !;
the shopkeeper at the end of the
street would never again refuse her
food. She laughed a scornful laugh
as she pressed her needle pierced fin
gers to her lips-never again to sew
for the madame's windows and bed
rooms. It seemed too good even to
think about. She would be here with
Joe-here where the wind blew freely,
here on the rocky, waterworn coast,
and the sun smiling early at her, fresh
out of the water.
She turned to the sound of a clog
ging boot.
"Mornin', Mary" greeted the cap
tain.
Morning, Capt. Gautier!' return.
ed Mary, preoccupied. She was study
ing the lighthouse on the rocky shore.
That be a wonderful lighthouse,
beant it?" queried she-"so white and
clean-like." She seemed fascinated
by the picture before her.
''Is this where Joe will be-" she
asked, finally.
Yes. this is where Joe is supposed
to meet you," said Capt. Gautier, in
matter fact way. I'm goin' ashore
an I'll bring Joe back if he's there"
he added by way Of cheering her
waiting heart. For Capt. Gautier
knew MARY as a child, and he knew
Joe, too.
The lighthouse was on a jutted
rock about 200 yards from where
the Yonge lay at anchor. Mary stood
spellbound, eyes searching for Joe,
and again following the keeper of the
lighthouse at his tasks about the
place. The waves rolled triumphantly
against the purplehued rocks, only to
be dashed back time after time.
It was noontime, but no captain and
Joe What coul keep Joe so long?
She had expected him within the hour
when the captain left-now it had
grown to three hours. She waited
and watched. The gulls flew low,
some even venturing to perch on the
masthead.
"A skiff came around the promon-
tory of the lighthouse. headed for the
Yonge. Mary clutched the box which
served as her chair. She caught her
breath quickly. They We're fishermen.
A fisherman was Joe-cOuld he be
among them? They exchanged
greetings with the keeper of the
light house and were headed for the
starboard side Of the vessel. But the
captain was not among them, and
surely Joe would not come without
the captain.
However, they did not stop. 1t
was only a curiosity to view the
schooner closely which sent them out
of their way from across the bay.
At o'clock the captain came back
from the mainland.
Mary was too disappinted even to