, 1872-12-29

not our two lanterns. They will only run to the
9lst OF Janunry, the nights are 30 long.
That is cur condition when old Nipples,
bringing back the mail, brings letter from
Boston to say that the Osprey has 1roken na nor nor
18th Of January; that Mr. Cutts will therefore,
if be need oil, take an early opportunity to sup
ply himself from tho light at squires', and that
an order on the keeper at squiEes' is enclosed:
cult task to q Tripps Cove man. It would
and an n me. squires' is On the main-1and,
our nearest neghbor 1T the Ball and Hammer:
Tom waited day by day for fine day,Iwopld d; - 1
Year came in, but that lothian Fields, the other
nssistant, came down with q fever turn wholly
beyond taura's management, and she begged
Tom to take the first hne day to carry him to q
doctor. TO bring doctor to him Was out OF the
question.
tsAnd what will you do?" said Tom.
"Do? nv dear boy, will wait till you come
home. Start any fine day after yon have wound
up the lights on the last beat, take poor lothian
bring back your oil. shall get along with the
children very well, and I will have your dinner
hot when you come home."
Tom doubted. But the next day
was worse. Nipples voted for carrying nun
ashore, and Laura had her way. The easier did
she have it, because the south wind blew softly,
and it was clear to all men that the run could be
made to Squirrel in short two hours. Ion
finally agreed to start early the next morning:
as would nthos not saEe I a bis sooros sof an and ID
home The weather was perfect and an hour
before daylight they wero gone. They were
ne,-an three had to go. NIPPLES could not
could one Of them manage the boat, take the
oil, and see to poor Jotham also. WISE or not
this vas the plan.
h h s an B9a5 :t'F But hs tse sa2
hsd had risen %D' red, I and had pumped
into cloud Before lothian vas carried up the
cliff, the wind was northwest, and the air was
white with SLOW. You could not see the lore
sheet sheets, the he air nv was $50 50 white With snow: They
carried lothian up. But they told John
Wilkes. the keeper at Squires', that they would
come for the oil another day. They hur,
ried down the path to the boat again pushed
mined not to lose moment in beating back to m
the Bell and Hammer. Who in tire world could
have believed that the wind would haul back so
| without sign OF warning?
"Will it hold up, Simon z" said Tom to Nip
| pies, Wishing he might say something encourag-
And all Simon Nipples could say was,
"God grant it may!"
| And Laura saw the sun rise red and lowering.
| And Ladra went up into the tower next to the
house, and put out the light there: Then she
left the children in their cribs, and charged the
little boy not to leave till she came back, and
ran down to the door to 20 and put out the 9TH
er light, and, as she opened It. the
binding SNOW dashed in her face! She had not
WAS on, she pulled on her boots, ran quickly
| along the path to the other 1ight,-two hundred
yards, perhaps,-clmbed tho stairway and ex-
tinguished that, and WAS at home again before
| the babies missed her.
For an hour or two Laura occupied
herself with her household cares. and
pretended to herself that she thought
that this Vas only snow-hurry that would soon
clear away. But, by the time it WAS 10 o'clock,
she knew it was stiff Northwestern, and that he1
| husband and Nipples we're caught on shore.
Yes and she was caught with her babies alone
on the island. Wind almost dead ahead to a
boat from Squires', too, il that made any differ
ence,., That crossed Laura's mind. stll she
which Was much better than saying she would
not brood. It crossed her mind also that it wae
the day before Christmas, and that the girls al
Trips we're dressing the meeting house fol
crossed her mind the dear old man's speech a
ali weddings, "As you climb the hill OF life to
gether, my dear young friends !" and poor Laura
as she kissed the baby once again. hat
| CQuIAR9 10 T6p0aL II A4 aAUu0 w AeL zaAA 4cl
brother, to the infinite amazemento Of them both
They opened their great eyes to the widest, Al
Laura did so. Nay, Laura had the heart to take
d hatchet and work out to 1eeward Of the house
up eavin bush from the thicket. ant
bring that in, and work for an hou
evergroen festoon to hang over Gen
eral Cults picture. She did this that Ton
might see that she was not frightened, when b
| got homo.
When he got home !" Poor girl, at th
very bottom Of her heart was coming the 1ea
anxiety, IT he got home" Laura !zI",, kney Tom ON
knew old Nipples, too. So she knew, as well
she knew that she was rubbing black-lead O.
the stove, while she thought these thing
ovor,-she knew that they would not stay q
lothian Fields. She knew they would do jus
what they did-put to sea, though it blew guns
Nay, she knew that when they put to sea, i
did not blow guns, though now the surf va
cunning it's worst over the tsos seals Is Back
sas missed Ine The '0G island teey 'DSz Would
been here, at the latest, before !
o'clock. And by the time it was o'clock, sh
could no longer doubt that they had lost II
island, and were tacking about looking for it il
the bay if indeed, in that gale, they dared t.
tack at all. No! Laura knew only too well tha
where they were was beyond her guessing; thu
only the good God knew, for that they, mos
, uke, kne" as utIle Nnelo tney "e1e ae sno u1u'
"Come here, Tom, and let me tel
| you story. Once there Vas little boy, and h
had two kittens. And he named one kite
Mutf,-and he named one kitten Buff"
Nhang! What was that2
"Tom, darling, take care Of baby,-do not lie
her get out Of her cradle,-while mamma goe
to the door," Down stairs to the door. tn
gallo has doubled it's rage. How eve
did it get in behind the storm-doo
, outside? That ",chang" was the blo'
, with which tho door, wrenched OF its hinget
was flung against the side OF the wood-house
! Nothing can bo done, bnt to bolt tho storm doc
= to the other passage and bolt the outer windo'
, shutters, and then go back to the children.
:, 'Once these VAS . little boy, and he had tn
i Kittens, and he named one Mlnna, and on
a Brenda"
: "No, namma-no-one Muff,-and one"
,, "Oh! yes, my darling. Once there was Iii
= tie boy and he had two httens-and he name
one Buff, and one Muff. And one day he WEI