The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-02-04

and our signals were renewed, only TO
end in another disappointment.
We gazed eagerly through the mist in
every direction, and my old eyes soon
gave out, and sat down with that re-
signation that only comes when youth
| is passed.
| Mrs. Vanderheyden had not moved.
| touched her shoulder.
| Are you faint ?'' asked.
She withdrew her hands, and showed
q face calm and cold as ice.
| Not at all, !" she said, quietly.
| sour fate must be decided before
long," ] continued. "the boat drifts
rapidly"
| at is matter Of perfect Indifference
to me-" she answered; "for years
have net cared whether I lived or died. !"
[ looked at her in establishment as
she resumed her former attitude, think
| ing that the danger must have affected
| her brain; but anxiety soon usurped all
| other feelings, and I forgot everything
but our peril. With closed eyes / pray
ed silently for some moments. When I
| looked up again | saw that Mary Rath-
bone and Kate, Nathan Day and Frank
! Ronalds, were still keeping the signals
| aloft. but Allen Forsythe and Mr.. Van
derheyden had disappeared.
The chilly August mist had thickened
into fog, and the shore gradually van
| ished under the veil.
Kate left her post and hid her face on
my shoulder.
20 auntie! we are lost" she muir
INJURED.
The Others stepped down and hung
| the lanterns on the hooks.
tits of no use," said Frank RonaEds
"the fog has finished us.
Nathan knelt by Pearls side.
Come to me, poor child" he said.
with infinite pathos in his voice, and.
raising the girl in his arms, be bore her
| to the cushioned seat.
But, screaming with mingled rage and
| terror, she wrenched herself away and
| fell down upon the floor again.
| 81 shall be drowned! [ shall be car
ried over the fallsl" was her piercing
cry, mingled with tears and sobs that
| wrung the heart OF her lover worse than
the death hanging over him.
Mary Rathbo bent over her with a
bottle of salts.
| "Pearl. Pearl, do be calm! Take
these salts; there is still hope for us
all" she said earnestly.
| "Go away, go away all Of you! -
walled the voice. :" shall be drowned,
I shall be drownedl"
Mary Rathbone turned away and
seated herself by my side; we drifted on
in silence, aud it seemed to us as IL the
boat was gaining in speed.
Nathan Day finally succeeded in
drawing Pearls head to his shoulder,
and, as he listened to her continued
cries and lamentations, his face looked
old and worn in the faint moonlight.
Presently Mr.. Vanderheyden came
toward us from the back part OF the
boat.
"Aha good people, why SO quiet?''
he said, with boisterous laugh.
Rosy" and he seized his wife's hand.
She shook him off as though he had
been a reptile.
| Kate lifted her face.
us he mad?" she cried. Indignantly.
He is drunk" said the wife, coldly ;
che is generally drunk in the evening. "
| ~ say, Rosy, let's have waltz, con-
tinued the husband.
leave me, wretchi" said his wife,
flinging him away with all her strength.
"Cross, eh? Going to bite, eh?
me, have your snarled Oscar Wander
heyden, sinking into q seat. "a nice
vixen you are. my lady, but I'll tame
you yet," and the intoxicated man be-
gan to troll out fragments Of Il rollick7
ing drinking song.
II say, Forsythe, what's the matter
with your" we heard Frank Ronalds
say at little distance.
"Oh, there he is! I've been wonder
ing where he could be! Working at the
engine, suppose--hoping against
hope" said Kate, rising and going
toward the voices.
I followed her. It had grown dark,
as the mist and clouds obscured the
moon. What is that ?" I said, as
stumbled over PROSTATE form lis the
man dead ?''
"ODly dead drunk" answered Frank
! Ronalds. coming to meet us. 1T is the
assistant engineer; he and Vanderhey-
den are about alike, only this fellow got
hold Of the liquor first"
Leaning against the side Of tho boat,
with his head buried in his arms, we
found Alleyue Forsythe.
herently. Isn't it terrible? Isn't it
frightful? And there is no hope, no
hope - He trembled visibly, and his
face was ashy pale.
"Come, be man, FOrsythe,' said
Frank Ronalds, shaking him vigorously
by the arm.
''It is pure nervous excitement" in
terposed Kate; ''his high strung nature
is more impressionable than ours; He
breads the danger not 1OT himself, Out
for us all, for-fOr me-"
''That is it. For you," murmured AL
leyne, family. :.
II knew it," said Kate. "Come AL,
leyne, come back with me. Let us at
least be together"
THAT is it. Together" echoed the
trembling man.
At this moment the cries Of Pearl
Brandegee seemed to increase in VIC
lence. 1--WE shall be carried over the
falls!" she shrieked over and ovel
again.
80 Kate, cannot stand it'll" groaneC
Alleyne Forsythe, as these words reach,
ed his ear. 80 Kate, what, shall WE
do? Is there no hope?' and the tears
ran down his pale cheeks. Kate gave
him Der arm, and together they went
forward to the cushioned seats.
"A regular coward!' muttered
Frank, contemptuously, as we followed
them.
Some time passed, and the mist began