The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-11-25

CApCCU SlOl1OuS SUN, we WC4o w Jul
rooms early, and were surprised to
hear, when we woke next day to- find
a wild gale blowing, with gusts of sleety
rain, that Mr.. Raymond had not re-
turned. However, he had undoubted-
ly found shelter in some hut along the
beach, they said; and after the mail
coach, an hour later, came in, we ad-
dressed ourselves to our various tasks,
having vainly tried to penetrate the
thick weather, which hid even the first
white line Of the breakers. I saw Ma
rlon, in her water-proofs 60 out for &
wrestle with the tempests, which suit
ed her defiant mood; but she was quite
powerless in it, and came back, half
blown on her way by the blast, and
wet with the flying spray and foam
flakes as we'll as with the rain. An
hour or two later, as one by one of the
gentlemen, and of the men about the
place, came in and threw off their
cloaks and overalls, we found that
there had been some uneasiness in the
house concerning Mr.. Raymonde,
which was increasing, and presently
that was the one theme of conversation.
1t did not need much urging to cause
exploring parties to range up and down
the shore; and as I did not care straw
for what any one said, I did not hesitate
to urge. But by night fall they had all
returned, unsuccessful, and the rain
was still flashing the panes, the wind
bowling round the house, while the
roaring and pounding of the surf made
it impossible to hear any other sound
if one put ones head outside the door.
And the storm and darkness did not
diminish the anxiety about Mr.. Ray
monde, when those who knew the
region stated that there was no shelter
on all the shore, except it should be
some casual gunner's tent, and as for
that, no tent could have resisted the
gale, and the danger was in the marshes,
into which he might have wandered in
the sudden shutting down of night and
mist, without light of any kind to guide
him, and where he might perish with
exposure.
Marion had sat quietly at the win
dow Of the drawing-room, with her silk
knitting, ever since she came in, for we
none of us kept our rooms; once played
a part Of q sonato, when some one
asked for it, and once she took up a
book and turned its pages slowly-not
too slowly. By-and-by she laid the
book down, and sat there, motionless
as q statue, till the dark fell.
"What agloomy night" sighed Char
lotte. 1T would certainly do no harm
if we 60 into the great hall and amuse
ourselves
"And have a drift-wood fire there!"
cried Marion "a monstrous one"
"a drift-wood fire." echoed I, for I
knew where the sun soaked timbers of
the old wreck had been slowed away,
and OWNED instantly what the light
of the uncurtained hall windows might
be to any lost wanderer. When we
returned from the tea table, where Mr..
Urquhart, the last arrival was testing
with Marion quite as if nothing was the
matter, although I fancied that re-
peated motion Of her hand across her
face was to brush away some trouble,
but could not tell if it were anything but
fancy, knowing she well deserved to
feel the trouble of memories never to
be brushed away-when we returned, |
say, a fire was cracking and rolling up
the big chimney place, and transfgur-
ing everything in the room with its
rosy illumination. Marion sat down
in one corner by the heap of old wood,
tossing every little while, with her
white hands and jewelled fingers, an
other splinter on the blaze. Young
| Maybank sat on hassock at her feet.
Arthur Stantly leaned over the back Of
her chair, and kept up the testing with
Urquhart, since the latter would have
| it, in the pauses of the rather dull
game that went on, all in a way that
allowed Marion to be silent. She sat
erect and strangely still, like one listen
ing for life or death, her only motion
being now and then to bend and throw
on a billet that sent a shower of sparks
up the chimney, and then a great wal
lowing flame, a sapphire changing to
an emerald glory, or burning away in
a ruby red glow of strontium, according
to the salts of the sea with which the
wood CHANGED to be saturated. The
splendid colors seemed to roll through
the windows wide and high. and lay
great beams of beauty on the storm,
and we imagined the flames to be the
risen spirit of the old shipwreck, and as
we clustered about the hearth we fell
to telling stories of the dangers of the
seas till we sould talk of nothing else.
It had come to be past midnight, but
nobody thought Of sleep; and while
they talked I sat conjuring darker
fancies yet; and I wondered, as I
remembered his melancholy if there
were any possibility Of Ray
monde's having sought his own
destruction. And g!ancing over at
Marion, I felt assured that she to had
no other thought. She stopped me-
chemically, for She was not gazing at
the fire, but the windows, and threw
| another niece on the blaze. and SAINT.