Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-11-30
A MYSTERY OF THE SEA.

1
There is just enough air to. keep the
Dolphin moving at a quiet rate, and
the passengers are gathered on deck to
enjoy the matchless evening.
A short distance away stand two low
ers-Edmund Prescott and Florence
Harris, looking out upon the ocean,
and meditating and conversing upon
tie sccne
How different this sky from our
own American ornament, remarked
the latter, after pause. can hardly
recognize my ftvorite constellation =
The Southern Cross is beautiful. but
then / miss the others Ursa Major
has entirely disappeared, and as for
the Minor Bear, scarce star of him
visible"
At this observation, which was intend
ell for no particular ears, Adolphus
Fitzgibbons, aroused himself.
"Aw-wbat's that, Miss Harris aw
have you seen bears at sea p
eyes, and monkeys, too" was the
quick but good natured reply
All of us laughed, while Fitzgibbons
looked very silly, then grinned hugely,
then seemed to mediate some scathing
witticism, then concluded he would
not, and stretched out upon his side,
with his back towards the lovers, and
pretending to, OF really did fall asleep,
within the next fifteen minutes
1 was reclining on the deck, about a
dozen feet from where the lovers stood
not with any intention of listening to
their words, but simply because had
taken my position first, and was too
languid to chance it. I had been an
invalid for years, and was now recover
ing from very severe spell of sickness.
was lazily drawing at my Havana,
putting the thin fragrant smoke from
my mouth without removing the cigar,
and gazing upward at the brilliant stars
as they slowly sailed overhead. I was
in that delicious dreamy state, half
asleep, and half awake, hearing only
the murmur of the voices around me,
as one hears the faint sound of dis
tant waterfall.
| presume [ had lain thus for nearly
an hour, and my cigar had burned al
most to my mouth, while the long col
umn of ashes was still unbroken, when
something struck my ear like the sound
of bell. 1t was not until | had heard
it several times, that it seemed really
to affect my senses.
All at once I gave a start, the ashes
dropped upon my bosom, and I arose
to sitting position, and gazed around
me.
clark p said I, didn't you hear
that bell ?"
"Just what have been trying to
make Edmund believe !" laughed Flor
ence Harris he persisted in not be-
ieving it,
'Listen l''said l, raising my hand.
Aud Immediately there fell death
like silence.
And while thus intently listening,
there came across the sea, faint but
distinct, the soft, distant sound of a
bell We scarcely breathed for min
ute, and the strange solemn sound was
repeated at regular intervals, as if
swung by the hand Of some exhausted
sufferer, OF tolled by the swell of the
ocean,
The captain, by this time, had APP
preached, and stood i'll the attitude of
attention.
"We must be near the land, ven
tured, rather in the form of an inquiry,
than in that of an assertion.
"No, SIR responded the captain ::
"the nearest island is good eight
hundred miles away, and this doesn't
come from there, ! reckon"
what can it be ?" asked several, in
the same breath.
"The sound comes from that direc-
ton" said Florence Harris, pointing
towards the equator.
Perhaps it is on board ship" I
again ventured.
Don't think it IS" replied the cap.
tain, with shake of the head,
What CAN'T be ?" asked Florence.
| To this no one ventured II reply for