The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-09-13

Not one word passed between the friends;
but next day Joan's husband set off on
Journey to London, where he meant to lay
the mysterious case before eminent doctors,
both spiritual and physical, in the hope of
obtaining relief for his devil possessed
wife,
Not so Dick Berkeley. That love is ca
PRECIOUS, and, moreover, covers multi
tude of SINS. we all know. The glamour
was over poor Dick. who was so passiately
fond of Lady Joan that he envied the devil
the pleasure of ferrying her to her nightly
task and Lady Joan, who had grown weary
of the evil tempter. and surveillance of her
husband, proved herself nothing 10th to ac-
cept Dick s homage And Dick finding the
lady willing, and the coast clear, made
such use OF his time that in week from
her husband s departure, Joan had eonsen-
ted to elope with her new lover, and carry
off with them all the wealth she could
bring to account
They embarked in French sloop, the
captain of which argeed to take them to
Cherbourg but, as i'll luck would have it,
the vessel was becalmed just beyond the
Needles, In the haunted Scratchels Bay
"I'N be able to keep nv VOW at last"
laughed Lady JOAN "Sir Samuel was
buried here if there is fiddler among
the crew he shall come up, and | shall
dance over the old wretch's grave in spite
Of his queer will
There was no fiddler Dick, who ever
since the wind had fallen so suddenly and
left them in the fatal bay, had been get
ting more and more frightened, managed
to persuade Lady Joan that such an action
would be folly, and soon forgot the hor-
rors of the past in the happiness of the
present.
AT midnight Dick, who was still awake,
saw his mistress rise. lie rose too fol-
loving her on deck, perceived the same
scene of horror he had witnessed before !;
and as he leaned against the bulwark, the
devil prompted him, he thought, why
not leave her here, and carry off the riches
| she has robbed the old man Of !"
No sooner said than done. The breeze,
which seemed to be waiting for his wish,
sprang up the sails filed, and the sloop
began to move through the glancing water.
Bnt only for second the Heavens grew
black thunder peale1 and the fiery bolt,
rushing down from the angry clouds, split
the ship in two.
| Dick found himself floating on the waves
| cllnging trantically to broken mast not
another vestge Of the wreck was visable
But there, promoting, with streaming hair
| and gasping lips, Lady Joan danced her
| death dance. r-r
Dick was sorry for her now, and called to
her in his own despair and agony but she
| needed him not As long red streak away
in the west told of coming day, the shrieks
grew wilder aud the dance more furious. :
Higher and higher spread the rosy dawn,
until the Needles caught the reflection, and
reared themselves like blood stained hand.
| Dick tried to shut his ears; but the frantic
shrieks would not be drowned. One, at
last, came wilder and more horrible than
all. The white figure disappeared beneath
the waves. now glowing like fire., and the
unhappy man was left clnging to the spars,
| aloue upon the wide waters. :.
| Hours after he was picked up by pass
ing ship and carried to Ireland :; from
| whence he wrote, detailing the circumstan-
ces, and announcing his intention of taking
holy orders, wherefrom he hoped to obtain
abso,ution and relief. $3.50
Such is the legend of Scratchells Bay !;
and although | never could succeed in see
| ing the phantom dance of the Lady Joan,
| the old boatman who gave me the history of
her fate assured me that, when he was
fishing off the bay. he saw her and wa.
so ightened that he drank whole bottle
| of rum, and found himself in the morning
dfifted nearly to Southampton water.
fancy my friend was of the poet opinion,
and might have justly said
Truth, they say, lies in we'll
Why, | vow l meier could see;
Let the water-drinkers tell
There it always lay for me.