The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-07-07

had died all aloneand in the darks And
l:then | tried to think how things Hooked
from our window, with the water sweep
ling up to the very sill, and the red sunset
living on it-and beyond the pretty town,
land the steeple with the clock; and |
thought it was better for me to die than
fBobbsry, after all for he could ssee,
while II had no pleasure in my life.
| And yet wanted to I've; 1 wanted to
hear Bobbery's voice again; [ wanted
the waters to go down, and somebody to
remember me at last-for | was afraid.
/ Well, sir, God answers our prayers
sometimes in {. way that is terribly just.
It takes us a long time to find out that
everything is very good, | think, but We
come TO learn it at last-and learn, too,
to leave our prayers as well as the an
swers to God. Somebody did remember
me at last, and came back-somebody
whose laughing voice across the waters
was nearer every minute-somebody
| whose hands were on my shoulder, whose
eyes, [ felt, were on my face-somebody
who had never forgotten me-Bobbery"
Robbery! Bobberyr [ cried, and l
stretehed out nay arms to him..
Robbery said: at came over in a tub
only think! such lark! but, as l
climbed in at the window, our tub drift
ed away, and however we're going to get
over can't tell"
You must think of something" l
said Robbery, it was long day."
why, Of course it was" Robbery an
swerer, { without me- Come along, tie
rivers rising Ike. fury"
"Is itycry wide?" 1 asked
4" Oh, not more'n good stretch from
here to the dry land-but deep; over six
feet L should say but rising"
But,the bed, Robbery" Isaid, Sand
theother things?' - = 2 @s
Well, we must just leave them until
it is all right again"
"Will it ever be all right?n' | asked
Why, yes, of course" said Robbery.
He was such a splendid chap, sir, was
Robbery, and so clever! He took the
two chairs that were drifting about the
room, and tied them close together, and
then we waded across the room, and
stood upon the SILL
L think it's jolly good fun, said
Robbery. " If you could only see how
your boats bobbing up and down in
front here Get in quick or I can't hold
her. Here, port her helm, or something!
Are you all right?'
cts splendid" said, "come along"
But when Robbery put his foot on to
the unsteady raft, she went down on one
side with a plunge. Never mind" he
said; you've just got to push yourself
ashore with this pole, as straight as you
can go, and FL follow"
swear to you, sir, | thought that it
was true, or [ never would have left
Robbery, / took the pole he gave me
and went out on the restless waters, that
/ felt were blood-red where the setting
sun had touched them. People on the
opposite side cheered and cried and call
ed me, and Robbery behind cried out
once or twice, p" Ship ahoy!" in a shrill
voice, that | knew and loved better than
anything on earth, and once heard him
say, faintly,-hc seemed so far away =
g In port at last"
At last
The people on the shore had ceased
their shouts of excitement and encour-
agement, the light had died utterly
away.
In an awful silence, and an awful
darkness, / jumped on land and held out
my two hands.
g Bobberyl Robbery" I cried, 81
want to thank you
Did Robbery hear, sir, do you think?
Do people hear anything do people
understand anything, after they have
gone away?
| only knew that the awful silence was
turning me to stone, that the awful dark
ness was rising like wall between me
and Robbery, and [ was afraid. When |
called, no one answered me, and | was
glad. If his voice was silent, any other
voice would have maddened me just then,
and ] wanted nothing more to tell me all
the truth. l learned through the silence
on land and sea how God had answered
my prayer.
They told me afterwards how the
plank he was launching to help himself
to the shore drifted away from his hand
and was out of sight directly, how they
would have saved him if they could,
and how, when they began to shout to
him directions, he made sign for
silence, and stood straight upon the sill,
with the sunset creeping all about him
and the waters washing at his feet
They wondered why he had made no
effort to reach the shore with me-they
used to wonder, for long after, why he
had stood so silent, with his eager eyes,
and restless feet SO strangely STILL i
knew, of course; but what right had
any one else to come between Robbery
and me? / wouldn't have done any one
any good to know what / knew-that
Robbery wouldn't let me lose the faint
est chance; thought my blind, helpless
life as well worth saving as his own /
would have done the same for him, sir,
any day-for, Robbery and me, we were
always fond of each other.
The story's been longer than thought,