Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-06-09
The Light-Keeper's Daughter.

The Light-keeper's Daughter.
A lighthouse on rocky coast. Outside,
thunder, lightning. rain and wind, and great
black waves dashing up against the rocks at
the foot Of the tower. -1nside, winding
fight of stairs leading TO an octagon-shaped
room containing the plainest furniture. The
occupants, girl Of eighteen, tall and 1.-THE,
with black hair hanging in massive braids
to her waist, and luminous gray eyes under
straight black brows. Her dress of gray
waterproof cloth was short and scant and
hung in wet folds about her limbs and
strangest of all girdles, a coil Of rope encir-
cled her waist and trailed one end on the
floor. BY her side boy Of fourteen years.
with his blue blouse open at the throat, and
faded plush cap on his dark curls. These
two were bending over man who lay all
his magnificent length on the floor. A pic
resque-looking-man, with fair hair cling
ing in dripping masses to his forehead; a
curling golden beard, and white, firm
throat aud one might be persuaded that
the closed lids with their long fringes GOV.
cred pair of steel-blue eyes.
"Reckon he's goner Liz" said the boy,
as he paused in his vigorous rubbing of the
mans hands.
The girl was forcing some liquor from a
tin cup between the blue lips, and did not
answer directly; but when the object of their
solictude gave the faintest possible sigh, she
exclaimed joyfully: "See, Neddie, he
breathes Now work fast p whereupon they
both fell to rubbing him at great rate.
When Allen Mcintyre opened his eyes he
looked about him confusedly. The odd little
room; the girl with her black braids, and the
coil of rope about her waist and the boy
looking so like her that one would at once
recognize the relationship; the drenched
condition OF all three, and the strange Ian
guor through all his frame-what did it
mean ? He closed his eyes YEARLY, and then
the boy spoke out in bluff fashion:
"You came near going under, cap'n, but
Lizzie pulled you out"
Then Mcintyre remembered all, and Ian
guidly raised himself into sitting posture.
at is too wild night to be afoat in a
little craft like that" said the GIRL making
gesture seaward, where tiny boat had
broken up an hour before.
at was fair when | left Shore" replied
the man. al ventured further than / in
tended. Then the wind went down, and
could only drift until the storm arose. l
have a recollection of fierce rush of wind
and wave that upset my boat, and blow on
my head, probably from some part of the
boat as | went over"
"Yes," said the boy, "there came a flash
of lightning, and Lizzie and |, looking out,
saw the boat capsize So Lizzie caught a
rope and ran, and after her.
"We're used to that sort OF thing, eh,
Lizzie ?" Lizzie nodded, and the boy con-
tinued, animatedly, "You see, my father
keeps the light, but he is sick Just now, SO
Lizzie and tend the light-we always do
when father is sick or goes to the mainland
and we've pulled out more than one fellow
more than half dead. Why"
"Never mind that, Neddie," interrupted
his sister, gently, and the unspoken reproof
in her voice had the effect of making the lad
look somewhat shamefaced as he went back
to the first part of his story.
"Well, sir, we ran down the slope at the
side of the cliff out here, where the waves
were tearing up like ten thousand wild
horses. And every time it lightened we
could see you bobbing around out there like
piece Of cork. We were afaird OF your
striking against the lodges, so Lizzie fast.
ened one end of the rope about her waist
and held the other while she went straight
in and struck out for you.'
Mcintyre uttered low exclamation, and
turned his gaze from Neddie to Nedde's
sister. The boy wagged his head proudly.
"Ah," said he, with cleaning eye, " that's
nothing for our Liz to dol She caught you,
and pulled you both in, but you're mon.
strous heavy | thought we'd never get you
up stairs"
Mcintyre laughed as he arose rather
doubtfully to his feet.
81 feel trine shaky," he said; and then,
alt is easy to see that your are brother and
sister. | am Allen Mcintyre, at your ser.
vice, Miss Lizzie !" and he bowed in fash
ion that gave the lie to his declaration of
shakiness. "Of course l realize that you
and your gallant brother here have rendered
me great service-one for which you shall
not go unrewarded, although l can never
hope to fully recompense you"
Lizzie raised her head haughtily.
." Sir, such work as we have done tonight
we do not do for wages. If you feel strong
think the storm is passing over. We live
quarter OF mile from the light. Our &C,
commodations are plain enough, but there is
no other house on the island"
40, am as good as new, now," said Nc
Intyre but will you leave this boy here
alone 2"
She smiled.
"Ned is not afraid, and he can tend the
light as well as l."
"Very well will go with you"
He waved a smiling adieu to the boy,
and followed his guide down the narrow
stairway.
Two days later a small sail boat put out
from the island, which, when it returned,
brought McIntyre's luggage.
Lizzie's father, who was laid up with an
attack Of rheumatism, had taken fancy to
the young man, who expressed desire to
spend few weeks there at any price they
might charge. Captain Clyde straightway
ordered Neddie off in his new boat TO the
mainland foa the genteman's traps. The
youngster obeyed this order with alacrity,
for the good humored ease of the stranger,
together with his evident appreciation of
"our Liz" had wrought favorably on Ned
die. Even the maiden aunt who kept the
house smiled frostily at the prospect Of this
pleasant addition TO TO their family.
Mcintyre, who had been wandering about
three or four hundred miles from home in
search of quiet place to spend the summer,
congratulated himself on having drifted TO
the very spot.
Although 1t was an expensive style of
drifting" he remarked, with a smile, as he
enclosed bank note in an envelope, to be
sent to the owner OF the little craft which
had slipped him out into the waves abreast
of the lighthouse.
A week later, as he sauntered shoreward,
there came to his ears a wildly-sweet strain
of melody As he listened in amazement,
for he had seen no musical instrument about
the place, he began to realize that it was
part OF Strauss Artist Life waltzes that he
heard-a strain that he often whistled. He
stepped around the jutting cliff and there
leaning against the granite wall, was Lizzie,
her chin dropped carelessly on little red
violin, as she drew the bow deftly across the
strings. She flushed up like guilty thing
when she saw Mcintyre.
"You whistled that the other day." she
faltered, "and liked it so much-it haunts
me all the time"
lie stepped forward
"Why Lizzie Is it possible you play like
that without notes =
al don't play much now" she said, draw
ing her dark brows over her eyes. "A party
OF ladies and gentlemen came here to visit