The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-17

home now. L know it, and he's bringing
his bride with him. Pve come down to well
come them when they come. We felt it for
a long time" and she sank down before the
| fire, and held her withered hands towards
the blaze.
The men looked at each other in silence,
with tear upon their hard, weather-beaten
faces before this bent old woman, who had
been watching for so many years.
Soon the dull sound of heavy gun was
heard, followed by another and another.
"a dread signal that she was drifting help
less towards the shore.
They're firm guns to let us know he's
comm with his bride, and such BRIDE
such bride!' she said in feeble triumph,
peerlng into the darkness as she rocked to
and fro.
For half an hour they waited, listening to
the dull booming, which grew more distinct
as the ship, hidden by the storm, drfted to-
wards the shore.
AT last one came so near that the flash of
the powder was seen.
With glance al each other the men took
up their coils of rope, and one after another
went down to the edge of the sea, followed
by the Widow Crawford
Then came crash as the ship struck a
rock, great cry filled their ears, and then
nothing but the crashing of the waves and
the roaring of the wind.
The widow sat upon the sand in the blind
ing rain in patient silence, her dripping
cloak drawn tight around her.
The bodies began soon to drift in. and
through the night the little band worked at
their task with grim devotion.
Two sailors were the only persons saved,
and these towards morning helped in turn.
When the sun rose few fragments of
wreck and row of still, drenched figures
lying on the sand were all the sea cast up of
its prey
The silent watcher in the cloak had waited
for her son as yet in vain. AS each body was
washed ashore she had crept to it and care
fully examined its face, only to each time
shake her head and watch with yearning
eyes until the next came in.
The first rays of the sun were reaching
through great lift in the clouds, touching
the gray dull rocks and foam-fecked sand
when the last corpse was washed ashore.
The fishermen gathered around it silently
as the slight figure in the cloak knelt before
il, and, with a low, crooring cry claSped its
head in her arms, and sat rocking to and
fro, her wet, gray hair falling over her face
her son was found.
One of the rescued sailors peered curious
ly over her shoulder, then cautiously lifted
the left hand of the corpse. Around the
tllfu LilgeT was ueep purple 1nuentatlOli
As if a ring much too small had long been
worn there.
One of the fishermen grasped him by the
shoulder and angrily drew him away Cant
We leave her alone with her dead?'
mo offence, mate,' he answered, apollo
getically. ''But you see, was lookin' fol-
somethin' as was there last night" lowering
his voice. ''He came aboard at Alexandria,
and we heard about him then, how as he
was the last one left of caravar that was
swallowed up in the desert. Some say he
was saved by the ring he wore, as was a
charm. Howsomever, from the hour he
came aboard ill-luck followed us, and such
weather that we nigh sunk dozen times.
He used to walk the deck all night. and talk
to himself, an look over the side into the
sea. When the moon shone he was worst.
And he KEEP growing thinner and more like
a corpse all the time, till the men said he
was cursin the ship with that serpent ring
of his; and, sure enough, it did. But it's
queer, mate, for it was there last night a
shinin' and gleamin on his finger, where ii
had growed on, being too small, and now
it's gone-clean goner' he muttered, as he
walked away shaking his head, leaving be-
hind him the little group of fishermen
around the gray figure with the drenched
head in her arms.
The sea had once more won the ring.
Had its last wearer won the first?