The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1868-12-17
A MYSTERY OF THE SEA.
From the st. Louis Home journal

rs From the st. Louis Home Journal.
| A tropical night on the Paciiic! The
SKY, iA studded with stars, which arc
nirrorcd in the vast deep beneath.
There is just enough mir to keep the
Dolphin moving at quiet rate, and
the passengers are gathered on, deck
to enjoy the matchless evening. g..
+ A short distance away stand two low
srs-Edmund Prescott and Florence
Harris, looking out upon the ocean, and
meditating and conversihg upon the
scene. G.g 81 .}.H
How different this sky from our
northern firnament! remarked the
latter, after y pause. II can hardly
recognize my favorite constellation. The
Southern Cross Is beautiful, but then l
missed the Others. Ursa Major has en-
tirely disappeared, aud AS for the
| AIisssr Dear, ecereo y star ur nm Is visi-
| blc."
At this observation, which was in
tended for no particular ears, Adolphus
Fitzgibbon aroused himself.
"Aw-what's that, Miss Harris: Aw,
| have you seen bears at sea?"
"Yes, and monkeys too," was the
quick, but good natured reply.
All ofus laughed, while Fitzgibbon
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 pretend
ing to, or really did, fall asleep within
the next fifteen minutes.
was reclining on the deck, about a
dozen feet from where the lovers stood
not with any intention of listening to
their words, hut simply because / had
taken my position first, and was too
languid to change it. l had been an
| Invalid for years, and was now recov-
sring from, very severe spell Of sick
meas.
was lazily drawing at my Havanna,
putting the thin fragrant smoke from
my mouth without removing the cigar
and gazing upward at the brilliant stars
~ they sailed overhead. 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 = distant wator-
fall.
presume had lain thus for nearly
All hour, and my cigar had burned a.
most to my mouth, while the long
column of ashes was still unbroken,
when something struck my ear like
the sound of u bell. 1t was not until
had heard it several times that
it seemed really to affect my sem
scs.
All at once gave II start, the ashes
dropped upon my bosom, and l arose
to sitting position, and gazed around
me.
clark" said l, didn't you hear that
belle"
:"Just what l have been trying to
make Edmund believe" laughed Flor
encc Harris; "he persisted in not believ-
ing it, ".s5
"Listcn".' said |, raising my right
hand.
And Immediately there foil q death
like silence.
And while thus intcntly listening,
there came across the sea, faint but dis
tinct, the soft, distant sound of bell.
! We scarcely .breathed for minute, and
the strange, solemn sound was repeated
at regular intervals, as ifswung by the
hand of some exhausted sufferer, or
tollcd by the swell of the ocean.
The Captain, by this time, had ap'
pronchcd and stood in the attitude of at.
tention.
I've must bo near the lando"
ventured to say, rather in the form
Of an inquiry than in that Of an asscr.
ton. ia z*4.
mo SIR" responded the captain; "the
nearest island is good eight hundred
miles away, and this doesn't come from
there, should think"
"What can it be-" asked several il,
the same breath.
1.-THE sound comes from that direc
ion," said Florence Harris, pointing
towards the equator.
G"Perhapsit it is OH board q ship
again ventured.
| >"Don't think it is" replied the Cap
tain, with 4 shake of the head.
What can 1t be"' asked Florence.
To this, no one yentured to reply 70
several moments. In the meantime
tho tolling of the bell had become quit
distinct, and Adolphus Fitzgibbon CAV
yawn, n groan, n kick, and awoke.
4 "Aw-ycs-aw-Iw was about to sug
gcst-that the tea-bell should ring-a,
--aw-aw"' lie stammcred, confusedly
rising to his feet, and pitching bac
and forth. Then, seeing all Of Us i
Z the attitude Of attention, hc askce
!, i"what-aw-the dooce is the matter ?
"It's the Bell of Doom!n exclailne
Backstay Bob, tall, scarredsailor, frol
his position at the wheel.