The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-09-28

what is the matter?" demanded the
baronet.
"Oh, Sir William! oh, my lady-oh,
my dear, good Lady
And then Emily shrieked three or
four times running, and, turning white
as death, fell back into chair in fit.
'Heavens and earthr' exclaimed Sir
William, "what is the meaning of all
this? Chambers, do you know?"
"Only, Sir William" said Chambers,
very slowly, and selecting her words
with precision which showed that she
was resolved neither to under or over
state what she had heard from Emily;
''only, Sir William, this much. Emily
Carter came to the door, as l were
looking out on the lawn, and with an
awful countenance, and every one
knows what Emily's countenance is
when Emily's in one of her,
''Confound it, woman! come to the
point?' cried Sir William.
$50, sir, she says to me-" said Cham
bers, suddenly quickening her pace;
sc the children says she; the boat
says she; where's my ladyp And
when | told her, sir, where you and my
lady was, she rushes in, and as my
names Sarah Chambers, that's all as
Emily Carter said to me-"
Though Chambers information was
neither copious nor distinct, it conveyed
forcibly enough that the children were
in danger, and that the boat had some
thing to do with it,
1t is impossible to describe the ghast-
ly hue which spread over Sir Williams
face, as the thought flashed across his
mind that his children had been
drowned. But he had hardly time to
realize the possibility of such calam-
ity, when in stole the curate, with q
soft step and smiling face.
"There is no imminent danger" he
said at once. "There is yet half an
hour, during which it is quite possible
to save them. But lose not moment
in sending messenger on horseback
to the nearest fisherman, and bid him
bring round his boat directly. If you'll
lend me one of your horses I'll 90 my
SELF
Orders were given for the Immediate
saddling of a horse, and meanwhile
Sir William learned from Mr.. Ling that
Master William had run his boat upon
a sunken rock; that she had filled and
gone down; and that the boy, with his
sister, were now upon point of rock
quarter of a mile from the shore from
which they were cut off by the flowing
tide. In half an hour the point on
which they stood would be a foot be-
low water, and unless boat could be
procured by that time, they would be
in peril.
In few seconds more the saddled
horse stood at the door. Mr.. Ling
mounted it and rode off.
By this time, however, Lady Windus
was on her way to the shore. The
moment she heard of the boat. she
guessed all the rest.
What were the feelings of Lady Win
dus when she reached the shore and be-
held her children on q small spot of
rock, with the sea all round them
smooth almost as glass, it is true, but
with the tide flowing, and every min
ute covering fresh portion of the rock
on which her babes were standing.
But in vain did her mothers heart
swell within her till it was well nigh
bursting, as she saw the little dimpled
hands of her Joan stretched out toward
her, and her brave boy take off his cap
and wave it cheeringly to her with
manly courage, which he drew from
her own generous blood, much more
than from his sire's.
But could nothing be done?
Sir William now appeared on the
road which ran along the shore. He
was followed by the old gamekeeper;
by Emily Carter, who had recovered;
by Sarah Chambers, who wished to see
with her own eyes what the precise ex-
tent of the danger was; by the house
keeper and the stable boy.
Well, was there no one there who
could swim?
Unhappily Sir William could not,
nor the gamekeeper. And the tide was
rising. Smooth as glass spa
cious and smiling as lying hypocrite
it was rising, and Lady Windus could
see that it was already licking the feet
of her children.
"Look, look, Williamr' she ex-
claimed, at the same time directing her
husbands attention to the rock; "he
lifts her up. The water is at their feet!
My God! can we do nothing?"
Yes, it was true. The water was at
their feet. William has raised Joan in
his arms; and as he saw his. mother d.
rect the baronet's attention to them, he
called out, though she couldn't hear
him:
"All right, mamma; there's plenty
of time yet"
Plenty of time! The sea was flowing
in. Often as the party on the shore
turned their eyes in the direction in
which Mr.. Ling had ridden to procure
a boat, there was nothing in sight.
Lady Windus had tainted. Sir Will
liam stood picture of agony, looking
at his children. Sarah Chambers,
Emily and the stable boy, were grouped
around the old gamekeeper, who
assisted them in shedding many tears,
but had nothing better to offer to his
young master and Miss Joan, though
he vowed, and perhaps truly, that he
was ready to die for them.
care those your childrenP" Asked
a man who stood at sir Williams side,
but whose approach had not been
noticed
The baronet did not turn to look at
the speaker. 1t was some seconds, in
deed, before he recognized that anyone
had addressed him, but when he did,