Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-09-20
Gales aud Sketehes.
INA TUNNEL.
A STORY OF SUMMER-TRAvEL.

" y AAdiidu' 4dhO SdtO Va JOui
self and come again next summer. A
pleasant journey =" Then the "New Bruins
wick" began to swing slowly around, and
in another minute the paddle-wheels had
drowned the good-byes on the wharf, and
her travelling experience.
Her courage almost left her when she
saw the spires and wharves of Eastport
fading away and thought of the long night
which she must pass upon the water.
But at last she took heart of grace, and
settled herself for the afternoon in sunny
corner where she could watch Grand Me
nan, and fancy that she saw the sails of
the coast-survey schooner which was car
rying her sister away from her. For it
was all ''luck and chance" that had left
her alone. She and her Bohemian sister
Nora had, for once in their lives, spent q
summer together with some far-away
cousins in pleasant Eastport Hannah
had promised to be at Bethlehem on the
twenty-third of August, and was to join
her escort in Boston on the twenty-second.
Nora was tired of Bethlehem, but was
willing to 60 there for Hannah's sake,
until she had an invitation to join a coast
survey party which was to spend week
at Grand Menan. The temptation was
too great for Nora, for she was an artist
who was thought to have keen eye fol
sea color and a skillful hand for putting
it upon canvas. She therefore picked uI
her flannel gown, paints and umbrella
and left her innocent little sister to the
mercies of a cold world.
The innocent aforesaid, though thirty.
eight years old, always looked up to Nora.
ten years younger, us the business head oil
the family. At the present time she was
troubled on account of dozen pairs OF
gloves and black silk gown which she
bought in u days trip to St. John Ii
Nora were only with her, she thought,
the officers would nevor dream that they
were smuggled, but she knew that she
herself carried guilt in her face. How
ever. she could do nothing but make the
best of it, and with this thought she gave
herself up to day-drcam of her summers S
adventures.
1t had been the gayest summer that the
hard working little music-teacher had
known for years. She had been enticed
into sailboats, and had danced over the
waves in PASSPORT harbor when every puff
of wind blew spray over the gunwale
She had sailed up the st. Croix. ant
wound in and out among the islands, and
had gazed at distance upon the cruel
hungry wolves which had nearly swallow
ed up the steamer New England.
She had gone day after day and sat upon
the green bank that sloped down to the
harbor, after the steamer had been towed
almost ashore, watching for the moment
when, at the word of command, it should
flop right side up. And she had
watched in vain, for one night when she
was driving home from a picnic the deed
was done, and she not there to see. She
had spent.one golden enchanted day sail
ing up-river through the green meadows
and calm hills, to Pembroke, and at
another time she had gone at twilight into
the great iron mill, where the weird red
light of the glowing masses of metal had
shone on the black ralters and walls and
the white faces of the workmen She had
stood there, repeating to herself
''Ts binding white tits blasting bright;
The red sun shines not SO;
The red sun finds not on the earth
Such fiery, fearful glow
Wen! Pembroke and Campobello, cedar
trees wreathed with moss, Herring Cove
and its pebbly beach. fragrant coffee made
over gypsy fires, wrecked steamers, sail
boats and drives, were all things of the
past, and she was going into the noun
tains, not knowing whether they would
ever seem to her like the sea.
By this time the steamer had gone
through the narrows, past Lubec, and was
swiftly sailing between the clearly cut
coast of Grand Menan on one side, and
the Maine rocks on the other. Hannah
shivered n little, and, taking her shawl
from the seat at her side, drew it around
her. Just then gentlemen who had been
standing near her. looking through his
glass asked, ''Is this seat engaged ?'
The answer was cool "No!" and the
gentleman seated himself. Hannah did
not like strangers, and, besides, all hel
friends in Eastport had given her innu.
merable warnings about making acquaint
ances on the St. John steamers; so thai
she made her sweet face as cross as posi-
BILE, and before long, thinking that he
companion was staring at her, went ava,
to her stateroom, into which she locke,
herself with great firmness.
Meanwhile, her llow-trayeller though
to himself, "Now that little woman's gon
I'll make myself comfortable" He coul
not smoke, for the rules of the boat fol
bade it but he took out the latest St. job
paper, put his feet on the round of tn
chair in which Hannah had sat, and be
gan to read. He was pleasant, fresh
looking man Of forty or 50, with an Eng
lish-made suit of clothes, tourists glas
slung over his shoulder, and a blonde bear
with dash of gray in it. Not wolf a
all, apparently, even in sleeps clothing
although he had frightened our poor lltti'
lamb, who was at that moment sitting Oh
her berth. in mingled state OF fear and
indignation.
"Some money of his /" asked the other.
~ don't see how you managed to get it, j
..Oh, it was easy enough. III tell you
all about it, Let's come and have smoke.
Hannah's blood ran cold. Could the
well dressed gentleman in gray be a robber
perhaps murderer? She half-expect-
ed that he would spring out at her, when
she went through the saloon, point pistol
at her head, and demand her money or her
life.
That night was a long one for our poor
Hannah. The window of her stateroom
was in the top, and while she lay with
wide-open eyes in her berth she could see
by the starlight the ceaseless motion of the