Jane & Pete piled out of the truck. Pete sat by
the door at Janes command. He sat erect, head held
high and seemed to be contented to sit there and
watch the goings on in the street.
Jane took a hand basket and collected a
few of the items on her list that she would need
immediately. She wandered back to the catalog counter
and looked for a good set of pruning shears. She had
planned on doing some extensive trimming of the
bayberry bushes and wild blueberrys that clustered
along the path.
When she had found a pair that suited her,
she filled out the slip and headed up to the main
counter. A small framed man of 60 or so sat reading
the paper. He glanced over the top of the paper and
smiled. "Find everything OK?"
Jane returned his smile and replied. "Well
yes, what I need now. But I do have quite a list here
for you to fill."
The man rose and extended his hand. "Jim Cultry
at your service. Are you going to stop back later for
the other things?"
Jane paused and then explained. "Well I
am hoping you would be able to tell me how I might
arrange to have this stuff sent to Eagles Point by
boat?"
"The old man slapped his head lightly,
"Why you're the New Yorker thats tending to our fair
lady this summer! I should have guessed it! But if'n
you don't mind me saying so, I never would have
guessed a looker like you to tackle such a job"
Jane beamed at the compliment, "Why Thank
you Mr Cultry."
"Please Just old Jim will
do"
Jane laughed, "Ok "Old Jim" Tell me what
did you mean by "Our fair lady"? Is that what the
lighthouse is called by folks?
"Naw, Eagles point is called Just that. BUT
the lighthouse has been called "the Lady of the lake"
for ages & beyond."
"Ahh so the Lighthouse is the Fair Lady.
But why did it get to be thought of as a lady?" Jane
Asked.
Jim paused and a unsettled look past his
features. Then he spoke up. "Have you been told the
History of the light?
"Yes the State gave me a Government
Folder on the lighthouse." Jane replied.
"BAH! Mindless Dribble, to be sure!
No I mean a Real History! Eagles point Lighthouse, is
also called "our Fair Lady" in honor of the Ghost."
Jim said with a straight face.
In the back of her mind, Jane heard
herself say, "Did he say Ghost?" She smiled and tried
real hard not to laigh outright at him. "A Ghost???
Ahhh Jim, you're not pulling my leg a little are ya?"
Again with a straight face that made Jane
take notice, Jim smiled and said. "Not at all. The
spirit of one of the Keeper's wife still resides in
the tower. Legend has it that her husband was killed
during a squall that blew in one November eve. The
point was ravaged, and many of the lights along the
coast went out that night. Keepers had all they could
do to keep things together. This was over 100 years
ago when they still manually lit the lights. It is
said that as the storm raged he knew that ships might
be lost if they could not find the point. He and his
bride of 3 weeks battled to get to the tower and
light the lamp. They held onto ropes that led to the
tower from where the original house was built. He was
swept away in a crashing wave and she struggled to
fight her way to the light. Driven to light it, not
only for the ships, but for her Husband if he was
still adrift and alive. The Storm lasted 3 days. No
one knows exactly how but all the lights went out
that night EXCEPT for Eagles point. The light was
kept lit or better to say RE-LIT over the course of
the storm. 4 days after the start of the storm all
was calm along the shores again. When rescue crews
came by boat, the lady's body was found at the bottom
of the tower stairs. Her husband was never found. The
officials figured sometime during the storm she
slipped on one of the trips up to light the tourch.
Keepers ever since have said they have heard & seen
her during the most violent of storms."
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