Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-05

selves to-mgnt we mag as well give up.
ing voice heard on Navy Island. "Say. Hank.
why not send this dolt over with my coffin?'
That's just what we win do. boys. What
be another thing from catching one Of us"
Its running great risk" said somebody.
hardly above whisper; cold, disagreeable
C voice II s this thing goes up we are ruined
some OF his passengers talking about it to-day.
They think we make the run from Grand Island
to Tonawanda-that we have a canal boat or q
lumber sloop In the business. The captain don't
suspect Jerry. Asked him about his grand
mother the other day. 1t seems there is good
deal OF interest In the old lady" They laughed
at That, and the dfsagreeable voice broke In
"Tn not trust this boy until have tested
him. You say he Is Roman Catholic?" Miss
when she said the old lady was dying. well.
you send him up the lake shore in about an
hour from now. I'll play up Father O'Leary.'
Their voices fell as If something had hushed
beds outside the door, where the weeds had
chOked the lettuce. What terrible place for
me to be In And the sun was down. Why had
father let me come? / looked Of in the iirec-
ton OF Grand Island, and was just on the point
of throwing down my spade and running }
where Dancing Polly was hidden. when Mis-
Nancy came out and babe me go to hut on tn .
river bank half mile away and borrow a skiT
The old woman was sinking, she said. crosse |
myself. There was missionary priest VIII
was sure-a house where there was sickness
farther up the lake. | was to find the prizes
without fall The fishermen In that locality
would know about him. That much she m adj
me hear, but she thought me duller than usua
them.
Once out OF the water should have made for
Grand Island, but Miss Nancy stood on the
bluff watching me with her eagle eyes, and
knew very well she would send a shot after me
II 1d1sobeyed her. No; would go through with
hr1fn nh
that had never been such silly girl!
There is swift current, you know. where the
river tide sets In from the lake-twelve miles an
hour, or more-and had something beside silly
the shore as could, and had not gone as far as
l expected when saw fire burning on the
beach, such as the fishermen make. Between
1t and me stood the figure of a man. l could
see that he was reckoning for me to come to
shore. He was dressed like priest-Father
O'Leary, OF course-and was glad should not
did not forget to be deaf. He screamed at me-
and asked II would take him two miles farther
up the lake; he would pay me we'll Another
priest was waiting for him, he said and it was
long Journey by land Surely any good fisher
man would do as much for the sake Of the bless
ed st. Peter.
But I put In my plea for the dying grand
mother. He said no, he would not go, and looked
at me as If | was something to run away from.
He was good actor, that Father O'Leary, and
SO . was Peggy Herriek for once.
for had pulled up to the beach and he had got
into the boat that those folks are s.nugglers
This Is wicked pretence OF yours to get me
into into trouble s6 G91fess your guilt at once or
made him believe that l believed In Miss
Nancy and the grandmother; that didn't see
through him and his trumped-up Clothes and
that was just the one to 60 over to Buffalo
that night. SO, after a great deal of urging on
my part and much hanging back on his we
rOwed for the point.
Hes all right, | heard him say to MISS
Nancy, who was waiting for our return. Then
they went into the sick room, Miss Nancy pre-
tending TO wipe the tears from her eyes l
was called shortly after to bring hot water,
ana had stumbled through the door quite into
the grandmOther'S presence before Miss Nancy
could check me. / only saw coffin standing
upon table near an untidy bed-not a large
coffin, but it was empty ana open, and the
SO lost seeing anything more; Miss Nancy
laughed when she had followed me out into
the Kitchen, and said the old lady was very
queer; she had had that coffin by her bed for
more than a fortnight Then she went on to
say that while was gone message had come
from Jerry. He was sick at Black Rock. If his
grandmother should die that night they were
to send her remains directly to him. Somebody
would be waiting for them not far from the
house where he was. She was glad was such
good boatrnan. 1 would have to take the
would follow in another boat with Father
O'Leary, If he could be made to go at all.
Why not wait for the daylight" l asked.
''Then we might miss Jerry. He gives the or
ders. We must do as he says"
Iwent up to the loft where my bed was but
with no idea OF going to sleep. l did not un-
that was all l knew until was awakened by
Miss Nancy about midnight. The grandma
ther was dead, she said, and in her coffin. Fa-
ther O'Leary would not cross the lake in the
night for any money. She would have to stay
at home. and must make the trip alone
l moved about as in a horrible dream, talk
ing to myself IN my thoughts, aad then only
Don't give up. You are almost through. No
thing will hurt you; and by to lnorr0w-only
to morroW-you will be a very rich girl
Peggy; well paid for this nights work Keep
up, Peggy. keep up"
That was a very heavy coffin Miss Nancy
and carried down the bank In the black night,
considering The size of it and the weight or
most old women. But l said nothing-only to
Peggy Herrlck The boat sank almost to the
waters level when got in. A black b )at,
pa, black , cloth over the coffin, and Miss Nancy
lake was smooth, but the clouds hid the stars,
and there was no moon. l was to steer for
Buffalo light. knew the way, and IL was no
new thing for me to be out on the water in the
dark. My orders were to steer for Buffalo
light until was half-mile or more from port.
Then was to put In to light that l would
see In high building to the north about a
half mile-betWeen poplar tree and a church
Steepie. The light would be in the third story
and Jerry or sOmebOdyelSe at the dock Ny oars
were mUified-1 knew that at the first stroke
and silent as death my boat pushed out, Buffalo
light cleaning family over the black waters
"Now, Peggy, cut for home,r said aloud
when was well out from the point, and look
ing over my shoulder for the necessary bear
i ipgs; Ia! knew every tree-top dmly outlined in
the distance against the sky. In two hours ut
most would be at home. for the current would
help me. Should they follow we would have
race with our oars, that was ali. But how could
they see my course in that darkness? The clouds
were breaking; but it would take better eyes
than mine even to see such a black shape as
my boat and Its cargo pushing through the
dark.
! Twas perhaps a mile from home A strange
ing how surprised father would be- and how
many dollars the poor old grandmother would
be worth, when my right oar creaked horribly
under my excited pull. Another stroke, and it
broke the oarlOck! Good heavens! and | was
not dreaming! 1t was not all a nightmare, NV
oar was broken! had no other! My boat was
gliding into the main current of the river the
Niagara river, andthe falls not fifteen miles be-
low!
What did / do? What could I do but sit
frozen In terror. helpless and numb? On, on, on
was steadily floating. The night shutting me
In; nobody to hear, nobody to help: the distance
between me and the bank of Grand Island
growing wider and wider; that black, cruel cur
rent, the very gulf OF DEATH No. | did not pray
unless the wild shrill Cry gave when saw the
roof OF our house against the sky was prayer.
had thrown off my wrappings to make the
desperate plunge that would only bring death
the sooner, and save me from that nurrying
dash through the rapids ahead, when gave a
loud deSpairing cry-a Shrek so terrible l could
not have repeated 1t but for the quick ansWert 1t
brought. Old Pont answered me!