The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-11-09
XIII.
THE "MARGARET ANN"

rough at midday; but"
"Rough at midday! Why, mother, you
called it rough the other evening when
there was hardly enough wind to blow out
the fishing boats"
1t was Alex who had interrupted, the
eldest; brave, fearless lad Of thirteen.
We stood on again, in silence.
.Ob. dear, wish we could have tea,
mamma I" said impatient Gerty, presently.
as it of any use to wait longer
"Well-yes; perhaps We had better have
tea replied Mrs. Whitnau. "Please to
ring, Dorothy
1t was surprising how dark the room had
become, and how long we must have stood
watching the sky and sea. | had to grope
nv way TO the bell The landlady answer
ed il herself, Mrs. James, bringing in the
candles.
With the curtains drawn, and the room
bright, we sat around the tea-table, and
forgot the sea. All at once, when there
happened to be minute stiffness from
tongues, every mouth being full of bread
and butter and shrimps, sound like a
rushing, waihng moan swept past the
windows, shaking the house to its founda-
ton. Mrs. WMtnall dropped the teapot
and looked up with a scared face.
"Was that the wind T"
u ha
not have asked it.
What night it is going to be-
Alex went behind the curtains to look
out Little Ethel was running, too, but
told her to come back, and not throw down
the heads and tails of the shrimps.
1T is nothing but a land wind, mother,
said Alex, in his wisdom. .'The sea is
not bit rougher than it was before.
Just bark That's the drum of the
circus" bcwailcd Frederick. g Aud poor
papa not to come back to take US !!
The drums could certainly be heard, and
| for the first time in our remembrance.
But We were quieter tonight than usual,
and the wind set this way. Children feel
disappointments keenly, and the shrimps
seemed to lose their flavor.
| Mrs. Whitnall chose the one hundreth and
seventh psalm for reading that night
thought | knew why-and then the child
rem Went to bed Alex sadly wanted to
| sit up, to be i" in at the landing" but his
mother would not allow him. When | got
down stairs after seeing to the little ones,
! Kate and Ethel, she was standing in the
hay-window behind the curtain, calculating
the possibility. or not, OF her husband 5
comm. in. But that we were inexperienced
land-womcn, we should have known thai
there had been no chance of it for hour,
past The Margaret Ann could not have
lived in such Il sea.
Dorothy, lust come and i~~i- :. =
now"
There could be no mistake that it hat
turned out wild night; for that matter
though, 1t had been !; wild afternoon
Gusts of wind shook the panes; the biacl
clouds had given place to lurid ones: th'
sea rose higher and roarcd aloft. Sh,
sto III with her hands tightly clasped.
Dorothy, am getting faint with fear.
Nay, Try and not do that, Mrs. Whit
nall Gods mercy is over all. Remembe
what you read tonight.
The singular thing is, why they shoul
not have returned in the afternoon, a
, agreed upon" said she. 1T was not to
rough then.
Not too rough in the early part of i
Mrs. Whitnal.'
1t almost seemed to us, watching there
that we could see the air moving-movin
as fast as the clouds. The waves tosse
as if they wanted to meet it. She locke
very pale, poor wife, and felt all kinds {
terrible doubts myself. Accidents happe
or the sea SO constantly. Why, why d
Robert Whitnall consent to 60 ?-he WI
did not ike Me sea! Was he safe ?
/! would he be safe, and come home to |
ever again
''Shall get your work, Mrs Whitnall ?
"Oh, Dorothy, | have no heart to wo
|. tonight! "
1t was the first time we had left Lond
in three years. Mr.. Whitnall could n
afford the expense of holiday every a
1 tumn Two weeks had gone by since '
4 came, and we were to stay two wee
" more 1t was great enjoyment for all
US. The very day of our arrival, \
Whitnall chanced to make the acquaintar
of Captain Sand, formerly a commander
the merchant navy. He lived in pre-
cottage villa higher up, and was most
tclligent man, with bright generous te
per- Mr.. Whltnall had taken a great
S ing to him. Captain Sand possessed
boat, the Margaret Ann. He called it
Yacht; but | think it must have been
- smallest yacht in the world A lit
cockleshell of thing it was, with WI
sail, and the supreme delight of the c
tain's heart.
Is. This same morning after breakfast, vi
nc l was hearing Kate praetiee-for tho'
nothing of player myself | could supe
tend that, and Kate was willfully care
i saw the Captain and Mr.. Whit
walking about outside on the strip of gr
II. Presently the latter came in, and )
Captain Sand had persuaded him to 90
u for sail. We laughed little; Ro'
had so resisted being persuaded bef
They intended to be home in the aftern
As 10 dinner he said, when his wife q
IS. toned him, the Captain was going to
some bread and cheese and beer, anG
r could have some cold meat with his
We laughed again after he was gone al
idea of Roberts eating on board the Y