The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-11-02

I'VE AOo
salvation the Laughing stock, or the ter.
ror Of the world.
he appeared in the latter form to
Alexis and me. Slowly, surely came
the conviction that there was no neace
Tor US 90 Gods earth while he stood q,
it; so powerful, that at times 1 aim, st
succumbed to vague belief in his im-
mortality. On this night, especially,
l was stricken with horrible-curio-
sity, think it was a wish to see
whether he could die,-whether the
grave could swallow him, and death
have power upon his flesh, like that of
ether men.
More than once, as he passed under
huge beam, 1 thougnt-shouId that
tall ! as he leaned against the ships
slde-should it give way But only,
l declare before Heaven, in a frenzied
speculative curiosity, which 1 would
not tor worlds have breathed to human
soul; especially to Alexis Saltram. who
was his sister s son, and whom he had
been kind as to child.
Night darkened, and our walk ceased.
We had said nothing,-nothiug, except
that on parting, with kind of desper-
alton Alexis buried my hand tightly iu
his bosom, and whispered, To- mvr,ow?'
That night a sudden hurricane came
on. In half.an-hour all that was left Of
the good ship Argo was little bat,
Tiled almost to sinking with half
drowned passengers and few sailors
c!'nging to spars and fragments of the
wreck.
Alexis was lashed to mast, holding
me partly fastened to it, and rarity
sustained iu his arms. How he had
found aud rescued me I know not : but
love is very strong. It has been sweet
to ne afterwards to think that L owed
my life to him-ard him alone. I was
the only woman saved.
he was at the extreme end of tho
mast; We rested face to face, my head
against his shoulder. All along, to its
slender point, the sailors were clingiug
to the spar like flies, but we two did
not see anything in the world except
one another.
| Life was dim, death was near, yet
think we were not unhappy. Our
Heaven was clear for between US and
Him to whom We were going came &c
threatening shadow, holding in its re
morseless hand life, faith love. Death it.
self was less terrible than NJ. Anastasius.
We had seen him among the saved
passengers swayiug in the boat then
We thought Of him no nore. We
cluDg together, with closed eyes, salts
fed to die.
"No room-off there No room ~
heard shouted, loud and savage, by the
sailor lashed behind me.
l opened my eyes. Alexis was gaz.
ing on me only. I gazed, trans6xed
over his shoulder, into the breakers be-
youd.
There, in the trough OF a wave,
saw, clear as see my own right hand
now, the upturned face Of Auastasius
and his two white, stretched -out-hands,
one of which had tho we'll known dia
mond ring-for it flashed that minute
in the moon.
"OA!" yelled the sailor, striking a,
him with an oar. "One mans life's a:
good as another's. OFF,
The drowning face rose above the
wave, the eyes fixed direct on me, with.
out any entreaty in them, or wrath, o,
terror-the long familiar, passionless,
relentless eyes.
I see them now I shall see them
till die. Oh, would I had died
For one brief second l thought o.
tearing off the lashings and giving hin
my place; for I had loved him. Bu,
youth aud lite were strong within me
aud my head was pressed to Alexis
breast.
A full minute, or it seemed so, was
that face above the water; then
watched: it sink slowly down.
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.