The Newtown bee., 1879-07-23

| | looked like immense opals or pieces of | the sunset sky She thought they were mother of pearl, but handsomer than any l of that material she had ever seen, and was now convinced that they were made of these abelona shells.
 All at once strange rolling sound was | heard in the air, like the roar of artillery, and Mrs. Beales, starting from her nap, exclaimed, ''t Whats thatpn as if she de- tected in the sound something more ter rible than the approach of thunder. i Then 9 flood of rain struck the house so suddenly that 1t seem to reel, and brought them all to their feet.
 It's comingn said Obadiah; it's the tid'l wavem
 And there was no denying the deluge that swept down from the sky as if it meant to carry everything before it. 1 Hetty began to cry at seeing her father and mother so agitated, and clung to Tom as if he alone had power to protect her from the fury of the storm.
 We emust go up stairs, said Obadiah, 1 leading the way, lamp in hand. " Pm ready for it! I've got the boat hitched fast to the chimney, an it's big enough to hold every one of us."
 Tom might have smiled if Hetty hadn't been there, but her alarm was so very genuine, and MT. and Mrs. Beales were so convinced that Long Island was to be swallowed up, that his sympathy quite overcame his sense of the ridicu- 1 lous. It was, indeed, a rain of terror,
 rom which an ascent to the upper regions afforded no measurable sense of relief The roof leaked horribly, the wind tore off the shingles, and but that 1 the thoughtful Mandy had provided couple of umbrellas. there would have been no starch left in any o the party. Obadiah stood near the window watch ing for the waters to rise and bring the | boat on a level with ms hand, when, in 1 less time than it took Noah to embark he would put himself and family on board, 1 including Tom, and locate somewhere above high-water mark.
 Tom clasped Hetty in his arms much 1 closer than was necessary, but she made no objection, and the umbrella was not 1 Q very large one.
 i Hetty,n said Tom, iE a whisper, " If this was the end of the world, what would you say to me?"
 i I-don't-know," said Hetty, tuck | ing her head more closely to his breast.
 Couldn't you" But at this moment Obadiah called Tom. and that individual | felt obliged to relax his hold of tle l terrified maiden.
 Don't go! don't leave me!n said Hetty, feeling as if without Toms sup port she should sink to the floor, and become prey to the angry elements.
 "I'll stand by you forever" said Tom, ! speaking rapidly, if you'll only say you i love me-"
 "I've always loved you," said Hetty, l the darkness and danger favoring so bold a confession.
 "Why didn't you tell me so before?" said Tom, dropping the umbrella as if there were no further need of any such protection, and finding his way to Het- ! tvs lips by a sort of circuitous route that took in her forehead, eyes, cheek and chin, lingering longest, of course, at the final resting place. Why didn't you tell me before?" Tom again repeat ed, with masculine pertinacity.
 Because sad Hetty, with a funny 1 little laugh, "I didn't find it out until 1 little while ago!n and the answer seemed quite satisfactory to Tom, who gave an -elliptical acknowledgements and moved 1 toward his prospective father-in-hw.
 relief, $ l believe the storms most over"
 Looks like it," said Tom, peering i through the window. the flying clouds and the distant thunder confirming his ! opinion. All along the western horizon was line of silver light that shone i brightly in contrast with the dark clouds moving like retreating armies from the { scene of conflict.
 l ''Td sight ruther hoe turnips all day!n exclaimed Obadiah, in a tone of disgust, as he turned away from the window and prepared to descend the stairs. 'An' I never want to come so near bein' scairt to death. Mandy how this roof leaks?" he added, as if he had just made the dis cOVerv
 ''I should Jnlnk 1t did," said Mandy; '' an it II leak worse than ever now, for 1 the way them shingles rattled off was a caution. l declare fort 1 want half as much afraid of the tidal wave as I was that the house would tumble down and l bury us all under the ruins,''
 "There is a blessing in every calam- 1 ity," said Tom, giving Hetty's hand an eloquent squeeze, and the storm being over, there was no excuse for his tarry- ing any longer: so. having said good night, he went off with a happy swing and lighter heart than he had carried , in his breast for many d day.
 Obadiah was right in one conjecture. ] That storm was the prelude to the l tidal wave which dashed with such fury against the sandy shore on the eastern end of Long Island that great damage was done and several lives were lost. But there were its proud waves stayed, 1 and Long Island still retains its position and its reputation for scrub oaks and sand. But an event took place in Crowfield that astonished all the inhabitants and was of sufficient consequence to excite the wonder of Squire Kings family, who represented the aristocracy of the place. This was nothing less than the denolish- ing of the old house where Obadiah Beales father, grandfather and great grandfather had lived and died, and under whose roof he had expected to end his days-if the roof had only held out.
 May Carol sent word that she and Sidney wouldn't be able to make the promised visit that summer, and Hettv and Tom bore the disappointment with a wonderful serenity.
 Mandy superintended the erection of the new house, and Hetty insisted on having a piazza, which Obadiah objected to as an additional and unnecessary ex- i DenSe But Hefty cOaxpdsand cried and