Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-19

Now, 1T don't matter pms point whether
live or die !"
Poor Kenneth All this might be very
narrowing to our feelings if Ifalf the civil
lied world hadn't passed through this very
Slough of Despond, and afterwards got
married, and, like the people in fairy tales,
'lived happy ever after"
All of "a sudden he sprang to his feet
Halo, the tide appears to be rolling in
at deuce of rate p he excIaims, half "a
loud, "and the sooner | get out Of this place
the better Who would have supposed it
was so late Confound those breakers,
how they below One might almost fan
cy them possessed demons"
Kenneth Wayne picked his way leisure
ly down the slopiug floor of the cave, al
ready becoming wet and slippery with the
advancing tide, to where he had fastened
the little boat
1t was gone.
A sudden thrill passed across his heart
as if it had been clasped by icy fingers
the full peril of his situation flashed on his
mind in appalling distinctness. Alone in
the great Cavern, with his boat gone, and
the tide coming in with the howling fury of
a wild beast
1t does not matter pins point whether
live or die y
Those were the idle words that had rest
ed on his lips scarce half all hour ago; but
he had never dreamed when he spake them
that he should so soon stand face to face
with Death Now, as the cold dew broke
out on his forehead, and the pallOr of dead
ly horror blanched his very lips, the rashly
spoken sentence came back to him freight
ed with deep and solemn meaning.
Yet Kenneth Wayne was no coward
When once the dreadful certainty was i'm
pressed on his mind, he leaned with folded
arms against the jagged wall, resolved to
meet his fate as a brave man should
So the world was passing away from him
the bright sunshine, the blue outer air,
the song of robins in the gnarled apple-tree
at home All the bright visions he had form
ed-the aspirations he had built up i'll the
cloudy vistas of the future--the loves and
hopes that had clustered around his path
way-all, all passing away. And even
through the roar of the raising tide he
could hear the silver ticking of his watch,
and smiled bitterly to think how soon Time
would be but meaningless name to him.
Dead He could not fancy the strong,
warm, throbbing vitality within his frame
transformed to cold corpse, with dank,
streaming hair and livid, upturned face,
tossed hither and yon upon the cruel crests
of those leaping pillows. Would he be
carried far out to sea, and picked up days
afterward by some passing ship? Or would
his body be dashed to pieces against the
hidden breaker of that fatal coast and none
know how or where he died ? Or perhaps
some wave might throw him on the beach
at Schooner Head, and Lettice might look
on his dead face with pitying pang.
Lettice Ah there was the bitterness of
death
The waves were creeping around his
knees now, and throwing tongues of spray
about him, as a serpent throws his Shiny
tongue over its prey before the deadly sting
and his head began to whirl strangely with
| the hollow boom of the waters against the
echoing walls He closed his eyes in a
sort of dumb agony of despair to await the
fate that was so certain, so relentless.
Kenneth Kenneth Wayne !"
Was it but the sickly phantasy of the
death hour, or did Lettice Moore's wild voice
sound under these vaulted recesses?
1t was no phantasy--a warm, living hand
was drawing him through the black wa
ters.
"Quick--the boat Oh my God ! to
think that you were standing so close to
your death"
He stared blankly at the white, eager face
opposite him-even then he did not fully
realize that he had escaped from the very
jaws of destruction
Kenneth, speak to me ! Oh Kenneth
you have not lost your reason in that dread
ful place"
He bent forward with look of deep
gratitude that brought the scarlet blood in
to her cheek, but neither of them spoke.
Let me take the oars, Lefty" he said,
after a few minutes. "The waves are very
high, and you are weak and worn out"
She shook her head.
We shall reach the Head soon, and a
mistroke might cost US our lives. You have
not been used to the management of boat
since you were a baby Ihave Y
Slight and slender as that pale girl was,
what brave dauntless spirit she carried !
Kenneth Wayne looked at her with a feel
ing almost akin to awe, as the salt blast
blew the hair away from her ashen face ,and
the clouds, dropping in black ragged mas
ses overhead, cast strange reflection on
her forehead.
Suddenly she leaned o yer and looked at
the shores they were approaching.
1.-The moOrings are under water" she
said, calmly. ave can not land there"
"Can not land there Then what are
we to do 2"
Kenneth, lister, TO me-" she said, in low
distinct tones "They are waiting for us
on yonder shore, but no boat can put out
now, nor can they aid us to land A rope
would part like cotton thread in such a sea
as this Do you see that ragged edge of
rock projecting from the Head beyond" ?"
il" Yesn
Il shall wait until yonder great breaker
rolls in and let the boat ride in upon its
crest Then | shall throw the coil of rope
over that rock"
'But, Lettice, the receding billow will
snap it like hair"
"You must not wait for the receding
wave. Spring to the shore ; they will be
able to help you before the next breaker
sweeps you away"
"And you, Lettice !"
II shall have saved your life-that will
be enough"
| He sat silently watching her, until sht