The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-10-21
A DAYS BETROTHAL.

wen, jenny, IL Will pe hard TO part
on the morrow"
Jenny answered not word, but turn
ed away her head, looking out to sea
with wistful, sorrowful glance. The
next moment, my arm was about her
waist. She did not repulse me. "Jen-
n.y." cried, why should we part at all
If you will take me for skipper, We'll
sail through life together"
We are on board the bark Petrol of
Greenock. bound eventually for Lon
don, with miscellaneous cargo from
the Mediterranean and we are now an
chored in the roadstead of Havre, little
to the north and west of the pier-head.
Jenny is the shippers daughter, and 1
am only passenger.
We had called at Havre, to dispose Of
part of our cargo, and the captain and
mate having gone ashore to settle some
dispute with some of his crew who had
uuwarrantably deserted the ship, left
Jenny and me on board, in charge.
We were practically alone on board.
The steward was busy III his caboose,
the black was asleep somewhere for
ward-in the sun-the ship was riding
easily at her anchor with almost imper-
ceptible motion. The town was SHIN
mering pleasantly in the sunshine, and
the white villas on the wooded heights
above shone like so many caskets OF
ivory. 1t was low tide, and a strip of
wet glistenipg sand was visible along
the shores of the bay bathers were
splashing about amateur shrimpers
were pushing their nets before them in
the shadows. Beyond, the bold head
land of the Cape la Heve, crowned by
its two white lighthouses, assumed the
appearance of some lazy pacific beast
couchapt on the sands. Time and place
We're alike prOpitious. I turned to Jen-
ny, and spoke to her of our approaching
separation; then 1 made the final
plunge.
The tide had turned, the flood began
to make. The ship was swinging slowly
around, presenting to us the opposite
half of the horizon. A loud warning
crash from the awning above made us
both look up. Never shall forget the
shock of altered scenes that met our
eyes. The sun was still shining bright
overhead, but to seaward vast livid wall
OF vapor shut out everything from view.
A shrill blast of wind trumpeted loudly
in the rigging, which began to flap and
creak and strain. The sea was rising
rapidly, and waves came rushing in,
crested with driven foam. Then the sur
was obscured, visible only as faint
and W. terry blotch the hills crowned
with sunshine, the busy, happy town
ali were blotted out; we were alone amit
asudden storm and fierce rising sea.
Jenny sprang to her feet, and, will
admirable calmness, began to lower the
awning; but in a moment the wind wa
upon us in full force ; the canvas tapped
wildly, and then, torn away from it,
fastenings, flew away to the leeward
visible for a moment in the sky, like {
white seabird, and then lost in the
gloom.
"Won't father be angry !" cried Jen
ny, clasping her hands ); " so many yard
of good canvas.
care We not in frightful DANCE
here2" I aeiG. Why, L wonder, ha
yOur father not returned =
Jenny shook her head Gone cam
foresee everything, Perhaps he is nov
on his way" She took up the binocu
lar, and peered anxiou,ly through tn,
mist. But no boat was to be seen. TIL,
sea seemed of sudden deserted, excep
for one or two fishing smacks to tn,
south ward, that, with great brown sail
half lowered, were scudding rapidly TO
the harbor. But for us, in the teeth o
this southwesterly gale, the harbo
mouth was as inaccessible as the moon.
Jenny left the poop, and ran forwar'
to the forepart of the vessel. | followe,
her as we'll rs / could, holding on by thi
and that, for our ship was now pitching
heavily upon the swell. L found her b.
the bowsprit, watching the rise and fal
of the ship with anxious eyes. Th
great black chain that, as the vessel fell
would be invisible in the waves, as sh
rose, stretched itself tight as a bow
string, with a clank and groan tina
made me shudder. Our lives hung upo
that chain that the waves seemed t
sport with as a toy. As we stood there
wave larger than the others rose upo
us without warning, and swept the dec
with irresistible force. bearing every
thing movable with it. I chung despel
ately to Delaying pin, and Jenny clun
to me and after while the Petrol ros
gallantly to the shock, the water stream
ing from her sides. Drenched an
cowed by the violence of the shock, W
made our way back to the poop.
AS we reached the cabin door, th
steward was reeling across the slopp
deck, carrying steaming dish of potl
toes. 1t was three o'clock, the hour fo
dinner. Sink or swim, he would hav