Fairhaven High School - Huttlestonian Yearbook (Fairhaven, MA)

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THE HUTTLESTON1AN 15 If the fishermen would not sell their quahogs to him, he would take the shellfish away from them. It is often the custom of the fishermen to leave the shellfish overnight in their rowboats. They do this because they arrive at the dealer’s shops too late to sell their catch or they prefer to wait until the next day to sell, for, during the night, they work overtime, as it were, to get more quahogs, and consequently more pay. It was Vincent’s plan to plunder these boats during the night while the fishermen were resting from their day’s work. One afternoon, as Vincent sat watching the thriving business at Lawton’s, he saw a group gathering farther up the shore. A sound of cheering drifted over to him, and the group marched toward him. A thin, weazened man with a dilapidated derby hat seemed to be the leader of the party. “Well,” snapped Vincent, as they stopped before him, “what do ye want?” The thin man spoke. “We’ve decided that we don’t care to see ye or those crooked bushel baskets o’ yourn anymore. So we’re giving ye three days notice to beat it.” “An’ if I don’t?” Vincent countered. “Ye’ll be sorry ye did’nt leave,” the thin man answered. Vincent only smiled sarcastically while the party drew off. But soon his face showed bitter hatred. Drive him off, would they! He would show them! And Lawton would pay also. He was the leader of that group. He would jail Lawton for this. On the third day there would be a police militia waiting to arrest them all. He would show them. That night, Vincent shoved his water-soaked rotten rowboat upon the bay. With the exception of the quiet creaking of the oarlocks, and the even more quiet splash of the oars as they dipped into the sea, Vincent made his progress silently t o the rowboats scattered over the harbor not far from the shore. At every rowboat, he stopped and looked in. In some he found what he wanted, and unloaded what he found into his own skiff. Similar operations lasted two hours. He rowed back to the shore with a boatload of stolen quahogs. The next morning dawned rather ominously. All the men seemed and acted surly, except Vincent who was cheerful with the (Concluded on Page 42)

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14 THE HUTTLESTONIAN THE SEA PLAYS THE AVENGER ARRY VINCENT, gentleman and quahog dealer alias crook, L, highway robber, sharper, and what-not, boasted that the end of a decade would see him a millionaire. In the last fifteen years, since the establishment of his quahog industry, he had cajoled the fishermen, pleaded with them, and argued with them, actually pick¬ ing their pockets for every cent that he could grasp. If, during the autumn months, the price per bushel of quahogs became greater, the size of his bushel basket increased, thus unlawfully scooping in a bushel and a half of the shellfish where there was supposed to be only one. Vincent also managed to cut down the price for the supposed bushel. That was how he had raised the hundred thousand dollars that he was worth. Though rich in money, he was very poor. He had none of the comforts of life that the working class had. The humblest cottages along the shores of the bay were superior to his. Everything he owned slowly rotted away. His wife and children were the objects of sympathy on the part of the poor fisher folk. Yet he went on his way fearing nothing disastrous, and breaking at will the iron law of the sea that “whoever wrongs a fisherman, to the sea he owes a toll.” A newcomer to the little fishing community wrecked Vincent ' s dreams. Lawton was his name. He became Vincent’s bitter rival in the weeks that sped by. Vincent’s industry suffered because his new competitor paid the higher prices. Another source of trouble had arisen. His wife was by nature a meek and silent woman taking without complaint all the hardships that life had to give her; but now she became a spirited creature that nagged Vincent, comparing his high-handed methods with Lawton’s square dealing ways. All this maddened Vincent’s jealous disposition. He strove to get back on an even keel with his new rival. He raised the price of quahogs even higher than Lawton’s, in an attempt to regain his old customers. They returned to him, but he robbed them even more outrageously than before. After that, he had no customers left, and day after day he watched his competitor reaping in the products of the waters. Jealousy and revenge bit deep into Vincent’s heart. He longed and schemed for the chance to do away with Lawton, but no opportunity presented itself. An idea, however, struck him.

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16 THE HUTTLESTONIAN TWO POEMS BY HELEN MARTIN, ’28 Silver Birches The birch stands beaded with crystal dew That’s coaxing the wee brown budlets through. A silver bark its trunk entwines Like a knight of old its armor shines. As a herald it trumpets a message sweet, Slender arms birds in passage greet, To twitter gaily from the branches While their green plumes flutter and enchant us! Hearts and Flowers Mother Nature awakes from a winter’s rest Draws back her white mantle to show her green dress While beautiful flowers sprinkled thereon. Did ere you wonder where their colors came from? In the same, garden plot plant two little seeds, From one blooms a flower, another a weed. So are our hearts a garden of thought; Plant not weeds where flowers are sought.