Ellsworth American., 1871-11-09

the sunken lodges that lie near, and
the steady dip Of the oars as the men
pulled for the beach
The restless surge round sunken ledges moaning |
sounds ts hoarse chime across the midnight sea, |
With mournfal voice its ancient plant intenng |
From all eternity.
Beyond the dark hills cast their mighty shadows |
Der wooded isle and still noonlghted bay, |
Wrath like the mists rise from the lonely |
meadows.
As silently they glide away.
To give facts as nearly as possible
in his own words:
We steered for stretch of low
beach that showed itself white in strong
relief against the green fields that lay
beyond and sioped upward at some dis
tance from the shore TO where stood n
low-roofed cottage, the only dwelling
in sight on the island no smoke rose
from the chimney. No signs of busy
life were apparent; all was still as if
the inmates were wrapped in sleep.
The boat was drawn upon the beach,
the men dismissed, some To wander at
will, two or three 90 to the house. rouse
the inhabitants if any there were, and
obtain the food necessary for our fast
ing boat crew.
| followed more slowly taking the
path leading by a spring that bubbled
up clear as crystal in little hollow be-
side the way, and showed itself mid
way between the house and beach.
The path lay through 4 small cleared
field, not even clump of bushes or
tree intervening. BY this time with
the fast approaching dawn, and the
light Of the moon just setting in the
west, l could clearly see. | was slow
ly making my way toward the spring,
when suddenly looking up, observed
woman moving down the path COM
ing toward me, evidently going for wa
ter as she had 4 pail in her hand.
looked earnestly at her, for not seeing
any one but a moment before, her sud
den appearance surprised me. Iowev-
er had time To notice her dress, feat
ures. and general air. She was Young,
clad in dress ofdark home-spun stuff;
WAS bare-headed and bare-armed She
carried the pail in her left hand, and
came steadily on. looking neither TO
right nor left. Whether looked away
moment. or whether while | was gaz-
ing at her. she suddenly dissolved into
thin air, | could never tell. | only
know that one moment she was visible.
the next the path was clear-no person
in ,ight. | looked arond me bewilder-
ed, thinking she might have stepped
aside for a moment, but there was no
possibility of her hiding, as no shrub
berry was near. Clearly it wa, most
mysterious thing. | could see the men
who had preceded me far up the field,
but no such figure as stood but 4 mo
ment before almost III my pathway.
like Bunyan's pilgrim, Il walked on in a
maze
went back To the beach and ques-
toned the men 10 know whether they
had seen any such person. No one
knew anything about it. | turned
back and started for the house. The
smoke issuing from the chimney an
noGnced that some one within was stir
ring. | did not 90 uirectly up to the
house, but reconnoltred for awhile.
Meantime the men who had zone for
milk. came back AMI reported that
they found no one up, and that thev
reused the family, only after repeated
knocklngs at the door. | inquired Of
them If they had seen Young woman
going to the spring, describing her a,
she appeared TO me. They replied.
mo, neither within doors or without.
Then | thought | would myself 70 To
the house. The family were at break
fast; | received hearty invitation To
join them, but accepted nothing but 4
glass Of milk. | saw no person III the
group around the table that rescmbled
the person | encountered in the early
morning. Being curious to know Il
any one had been stirring at the time
we landed, | asked If some one Of the
ialnllyhad not been down to the spring:
The answer was III the negative. .aey
were all in bed, and were lust aroused
by the men knocking at the door
We didn't know what to make ont,
said the sturdy fisherman we thought
it was them Britishers come to take u.s.
l said l thought had seen some body
in the vicinity Of the spring.
wall, 1t want none Gus, for we
were all abed n sleep
Where's Abgail,' said he, turning to
his wife 'aint she up yit:'
Before the women had time to reply
an inner door opened and in walked
the identical damsel Gas supposedly
whom | had met going down toward
the shore.
Come, said the man, we've over
slept yerself this mornin'.'
Didn't We hear the racket
The mother then explained that the |
night before the household were kept |
up by father n the boys bein' out late
a tishin. and Abigail had set up late to
EStheir suppers.
This accounted for the sound sIum- |
bers Of all the party. l gazed at the |
girl in perfect bewiiderment. There
were the same features, the same dress.
Nothing was wanted bat the pail to
complete the picture
Not being satisfied with what | had
heard, | turned to her and asked if she
had not been out that morning?
No. she replied, and her mother
added, she's just got up
l explained again that l thought |
had met some one who closely resem-
bled her coming toward the shore as |
came up; but she strongly averred that
she had not been Out-there being but
one entrance to the house she could
not have gone in or out without being
seen by the family-the men, who were
in advance of her, must have met her
going one way or the other.
More mystified than ever, left the