Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-02-22


her position, the white sails of vessel,
l. She W surprised 1t this, for no vessel
was OK pected TO leave before the coming
week. Ga came the light craft, the land
wind sending her on 30 fast 81 o scanned
| ia of buoyant life. Soon the schooner
was abreast Of t q ledge, and tnen Sarah
| pentley saw that it was the Spray, and
her heart told her why it was going so
$ on with no parting cheer TO give it q god
speed.
somehow the scene grew cold and desc
lst- after the Spray mad been lost among
| the shade VS., and with sigh she turned
away from it and sought her home.
Thee WAS much wonder when 1t was
known that John Holt lad sailed SO soon,
but none que .sed the cause ss 81.
The old fishermen, who believed In him,
shook their heads wisely. and muttered:
Cute fellow, smelt the fish"
And the reports that came back during
the summer seemed to confirm Thu? for
the Spray was doing better than ever be-
fore.
O:her crafts called at the harbor and
stay ed a few days. and such, previous to
this, had been John Hollis custom; but the
summer passed, and he came not. The
season was over and the autumnal equinox
at hand and still the Spray was out. ... 4
There came day that will always be re-
| membered ut Rough Reef beach-one OF
| those days that take hold OF time ana acts,
and become marks In tue years--knewn as
| the great Hood" or the September
gale"
The sun had risen gray and lurid, break
| ing from the low banging mist like ball
ofhot steel. The air was hot and oppres-
sive and the gulls came flying landward
screaming discordantly.
Then the blue sky paled away to q gray
ishHess, and the san faded from sight
Soon the sea grew fretful, and the air was
full of woe. .s.. a.
In the east q dark line gathered along
bla'ker as II rose in hight Still no wind.
no rain,
Then, under the low-lying blackness, q
white line growing broad, but rolling along
the face OF the ses, told that the storm haze
come. -ae- --=-ez. q -..,.4-.-. ..a...s..-
Never before had the shock been SO
great or sudden. Sweeping like demons
filled with the power of wrath, the huge
waves broke upon the reef and ran
foaming up the beach. But there was no
rain. The foamwhirl filled the air, but
the clouds held firm. .-a.
The old men had gathered at Pently's
shop, while the younger ones were watch
ing the moorings OF, the crafts in the
harbor. All could see the ocean, tossed
by the wind and raging for prey. s.r
Then a cry arose. Tnrough the tossing
crests far out at sea, came the W lite line
of sail. Nearer, nearer,-and the nigh
ledge was thronged with Bxiou watchers
who had hurried there; men from the shop
and harbor, women and children from the
cottage, for fear had seemed to fall up
on them all and fill them with dread-the
fear that the vessel in the mad fury yon.
der was the one that held lives dear to
them-the Spray.
On she came, the foam flying over her
and often hidiHg her from view; and still
the stray sights given them had told the
ID wss.the Spray. ss~sf
There were white lips and prayers, but
no tears. Death was thing with which
the wellers of Rougs Reef Besch were too
we'll acauainted to call for such notion
until it came. 71-
They new that Holt was making for the
bar Dor, and could he make it, he would be
safe. But would he make il? Still the Spray
came on White face wa ched her, but whit
est Of all was that Of Sarah Pentley;
"Oh, John, JohD-I love you; / love
you'll"
SO rang the echo in her heart; and If he
should be lost, would it not ring SO forevers'
When she knew it was the Spray that
was driving before the storm, and heard
that it was a mere chance whether she
woul1 come in or not then with the shad.
ow of death hanging low over her lovers
heard, her heaIt, awakened to the know
ledge that he was all to her.
He shall not ie-oh, God Is too goodW
she said. And so she waited and watched
A few va DIS more-only few yards
more and then all wo Id be known:
"Uh, Godt" There was despair In the
cry, and death seemed to reach out It's
hard to take the crew of the little crdft.
As she entered the channel that ran
through the reef. gust OF wind seized
the sails OF the Spray and took them, and
before John Holt could shift the helm to
meet the emergency, huge roller dashed
the little craft nigh on the reef and rolled
over her.
Then it was that the cry arose--a cry
that but one mouth answered, and that
mouth grew firm and set, and whispered
rather than spoke:
III shall not die"
A small. boat-a mere shell to meet the
mad shock of the .sea-lay in the little
cove rmed BY the ledge and sheltered by
its strength. Into THIS Sarah Pentley jump
ed, and before any one WAS awAIe OF her
intention, or could stop her, she had push
ed out into the boiling foam ut the coves
mouth. NE
Her fsther called her but she Kept on.
Il love bin, and will die with him or
save hi,n," she answered but the WIND
drowned her voice. Eager eyes watched
her, eager hands were stretch out TO save
her, when wave came roaring in-out
u seemed 'nas sne ia'e "a "oo was Will
he ST., ,,,. ,u .ho n, -, ,h.t,u;r,
C'owIyi ous ~ eu ~; CIV vi, "nd
VI Inc sea soho'nk nef suis way @n.su"s, nuo