The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-06

IL IL the lighthouse on the rocks !"
cried, and my heart seemed to stand
still. ] remembered that I had been
out there once in my boat. An old
fisherman sitting on the rocks, and
dropping his line in the water, had
answered my queries concerning the
hight house. cit is where the red light
is hUisted of a very stormy night" he
said. "Not often used, miss, for the
beacon at Avondale guides the ships
safely to the landing. But this is
lighted sometimes to show where the
danger lies, If the night is DER danger.
ous."
His words all came back to me now
with dreadful distinctness. The light
seemed to burn into my very eye-balls
the light that shown clear and bright,
not the red signal of danger-high up
on the cruel rocks. Quick as lightning
1t all flashed through my mind. Some
one had lighted the lamp to wreck the
Cora Bell upon the rocks. Who could
that some one be but Breeze Rogers
He knew Rollin Weatherbee was COM
ing to me on that ship, and he was
tiend enough to wreck a hundred lives
for the sake of killing one man. What
could be done-how could the danger
be ayerted? Without even a glance
back at the house, I opened the gate
and sped toward the lake, knew every
inch of the ground.
On went till reached the hut of
fisherman. l gave loud knock at the
door, then burst it open without waiting
to be hidden. stalwart man and his
son sat over the CRATE. Both started to
their feet at the sight of my deathly
face and staring eyes. "Why, Miss
Rose-but--"I stopped them.
"For Gods sake" 1 cried, "come
with me The beacon at Avoudale
landing has not been lighted, and the
house on the rocks is burning a white
light, and the Cora Bell will be wreck
unless something is done. One of you
go to Avondale, and see why the keeper
has neglected his duty, and one of you
come with me to the light house on the
rocks"
"With you, Miss Rose, why"
eyes, with me / can't stay here,
l must go with you in the boat and see
that the light is put out. am not
afraid. The night is dark, but the
lake is not rough. The only danger is
threatening the Cora Bell. We must
be quick"
On we hurried, / keeping pace with
the long -limbed fisherman. Down to
the landing the young man fastened,
and up into the light house /; while
sprang into the boat which the old man
unlocked, and scarcely waiting for him
to seat himself, seized an oar and
rowed with all my might. How slowly
we went--how slowly. Would we
never reach the rocks? And all the
time that wicked, hateful light burning
into my very eye balls. There at last +!
The light made the landing less dan
gerous than 1 had thought. The old
man fastened his boat and / clambered |
up the rocks.
Careful, miss" he continued, "those |
rocks are wet and slippery" but l
reached the lighthouse, and entered |
with heart so wild with fears for the
Cora Bell, that forgot all danger for
myself. ran like squirrel up stairs,
ur the ladder-on-up uphill /
reached the tower. ] opened the door, +
l leaped into the loft where the lamp
cleaned aud flashed its white light into
nv very eyes. A man, with daredevil
face, turned at the noise. He bad been
SO intently gazing through glass out
upon the waters that he had not heard |
my approach. "Fiendr' cried, "what
would you do - and with one bound /
dashed my whole force against the lamp,
SCATTERING it in pieces, and extinguished
the baleful light. For one moment we
were left in utter darkness, and a mans
voice hissed-" Girl, you shall rue this
Il have you in my power now" felt
his iron grip upon my wrist, and
screamed outright. Then the door
burst open-the light OF a lantern
flashed into the tower, and the burly
form of the fisherman entered and stood
behind us. "Seize him-bind him
cried. He will kill me"
The burly fisherman set down HIS
lamp, and caught the arms OF Breeze
Rogers, and quickly as thought pinioned
them at his back. tore up the skirt
of my dress and twisted in a stout cord,
that securely fastened the villains
limbs. He scarcely moved--so sudden
had been the fsherman's attack, so
IRON like his hold. "Now bring him
down." / said, "I will lead the way
with the lantern" He took Breeze
Rogers 1.-THE, slender figure in his arms
as if it had been child's and followed
me down the ladder. It was treacher-
GUS descent, but we landed safely upon
the rocks, and took our seats in the
boat. Breeze was not gagged, yet he
had said no word-made no sound. We
had not rowed half the distance back to
the landing, when, Joy of jOysl the light
flashed out from the Avondale beacon
house, reaching far over the waters, and
/ knew the Cora Bell was saved.
Tho utraiD nn0n NV nnTVOug gVgtpm |
had been too great. AS we reached the
Avondale landing 1 fell in a dead faint,
and knew no more till / woke in my
room surrounded by a crowd of anxious
faces, Harwood was rubbing my hands,
mamma bathing my forehead, some
strange faces were scattered about the
room, and Rollin-my Rollin-bent
over me with tears in his blue eyes.
When was strong enough they told
me all. How / had been brought back
by the fisherman, hours and hours be-
fore, and tho story of my adventure
briefly stated to him. How the fisher
mans son had found the keeper Of the
light house in dead stupor, a drugged
sleep, and the lamps so tempered with
that it took him full half hour to right
them, and make them burn. How they
did burn at last, in time to guide the
Cora Bell safely to shore, and bring
Rollin and the wedding guests in season
for the morrow's bridal.
1 was pale bride, and had to be sup
ported on my husbands arm, but it was
a glad bridal for all that. We left
mamma, Rollin, and few of
the wedding company, that very day,
and have never set foot there since: