Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-09-14

rey conSOllng hlmselt Wild those dtrge-llk(
airs at dead Of night, or was II the shout o
angry waves besieging the ship, the sound
of voices half drowned by the blast, o
winds chorusing in the rigging OF feet hur.
rying from stem TO stern2 Had they been
boarded by pirates, struck a reef, OF sprung
a leak7 She dressed herself hastily and
opened her state room door. Mrs. Bruce
was already up, wringing her hands and
pacing the saloon.
II always said so; / k1leW we should 20
to the bottom sooner or later" she cried.
sob, Serena, you'll never see Calcutta, nor
any bodyi And there's all your trous-
seau'll never do any one any good-and
that splendid peacock silk that was so be-
coming-and to think he'll never see you
in it-and going from Dan to Beersheba
to match the trimmingsp'
"Are-we-going-d ?" asked Sere-
Da, steadying herself aud her voice With an
effort.
"Any minute, for all / know, can't
find out exactly what has happened, but
know the Fairy has become unmanageable
and she's drifting about at her own weet
will. We might as well have cat at the
helm. The three men who went to sea in
a bowl aren't circumstance to us. They've
cut away Heaven knows what, aud there
was a noise like the crack OF doom just
now, which must have been mast"
"Where-ls-Mr Surrey7"
If don't know. Swept overheard, for all
eau say. Mr.. Bruce would have allowed
me to 20 10 the bottom in my sleep do be-
lieve. He never so much as called. Well,
Mr.. Surrey" a. that gentleman appeared,
"this is a nice situation for Mr.. Bruce to
drag his innocent family into, isn't II ?
Don't mind me. Comfort Serena, IL he who
has promised 10 love aud cherish leaves me
at such crisis, what can l expect of a
strangerH Will the ship hold together till
sunrise, do you thinkf"
"Fve no doubt OF it," he answered, cross
ing TO Serena. AT that instant there was
sound as if the heavens themselves rolled
together like scroll The ship quivered at
every fibre, aud seemed TO crack at every
beam. Mrs. Bruce threw up her arms and
uttered prolonged cry. 81 think we have
struck said Mr.. Surrey, solemnly. "Pm
afraid our days are numbered. Miss Sell
den -Screna-hadn't we better take Amy's
advice and make up2 III may not live in
the light Of your counieuauce, you will not
deny me the privilege Of dying with
your"
For an instant ii seemed TO him that her
figure swayed toward him, that she trem-
bled and half turned 10 hiu, with an un-
wonted softness in her gaze, and then she
had drawn herself up proudly, and had left
him with outstI etched arms, alone.
1t proved that they had collided with a
merchantman, bound homeward from In
dia with cargo Of jute aud gunny-bags !;
but while the Fairy was found 10 be in a
sinking condition, the Comet, being a heav-
ier vessel, bad sustained but slight inju
and was enabled 10 put about 10 the rescue
of crew and passengers. II was a CHASTITY
scene that followed, photographed indel-
IDLY upon Miss Selden's memory; the awe
struck faces OF the rough men who we're
lashing little Amy upon Mr.. Surveys
shoulders; the Intellectual fare of lights
against The twilight of dawn the boiling
sea " hich tore the life boats into chips the
slippery cable across which she toiled TO
the Comets side hand over hand, now sus-
pended above some deathly ocean chasnI,
now almost shrouded in the spray of its an
cry waves.
II shut my eyes tight" said Amy after
ward, land hueged Mr.. Surrey. 1t was
awful dark and lonesome. Have we got to
do It again Do we always stop that way 2"
"Heaven save us r. CALCULATED Miss Sci.
den. II don't believe but l should slip in
to The sea and have done with it, if were 10
do over; !" and she leaned back indolenuy
in her seat under the canopy which Surrey
had improvised, being on deck for the irst
time amer days of illness, the reaction from
excitement. "What are you reading, Mr..
Surrey? really begin to be persuaded
that am still denizen OF this breathing
world, and TO take an interest in my spe-
cies."
"I am reading tho Calcutta Daily, and it's
like a ewspaper issued the day before the
flood. 1t tells us things we didn't know,
to be sure, but which are old stories al the
same time"
"W0 are finding new road to the Iudies
like Vasco da Cana, only it isn't short
cut. What is there new in Calcutta, or rath-
er what is there oldf ?"
"I see that my old clsssmate, Ned Lom-
bard, has forsworn himself and married-a
Begun princess, for all 1 know. That
won't interest you, though. Here's an in
teresting account Of the reception of the
Prince of Wales, and Are you faint,
Miss Seldenf Shall take you belowH"
az must see the Calcutta Daily first,
please but the letters all swan before her
eyes. "Who did you say was married
Your old classmateP Who2
"only Ned Lombard. You knew Of him,
didn't youf'
"Married Ned Lombard married Yes
-I-knew-him. If you could give me
your arm, Mr.. Surrey the ship is pitching
badly, is it notf I was going to Calcutta,
you know, to marry-Mr. Lombard. sup
pose he has treated me very badly, but
can't feel so sorry as 1 ought. may as
well tell you, Mr.. Surrey, that 1t is six
years since l saw him-out of sight out of
mind-and they say that absence conquers
love- That's some excuse for him If not
for me. Imagine me sailing into Calcutta
and finding Mrs. Lombard in possession
Wouldn't 1t have been awkward r. and she
tried TO laugh, aud broke down. "Pm sure
1 don't know why 1 should cry, only it
isn't so pleasant to be jilled, even if How
ever, would you ask Mrs. Bruce 10 come
heref l must let her know that shall bid
you all good-by when you leave the Comet,
and keep on to New York. 1 suppose she
will consider it horribly improper without
a chaperon but what else can do?'
"There's the Rev. Mr.. Hymen on board,
the missionary from Upper India, though
he has hardly been out of his berth" unused
Mr.. Surrey.