Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-15

out on the ocean aad watching the light
ming play over it, while Phil felt his
| way inside, striking a match now and
then in a vain attempt to find candle.
81 sent up box of candles in the load,
Frant," he said at last, doubtfully, "but
can't find them.''
Frant laughed, and, hurrying in, moved
here and there in her own even, quiet
way, till soon light cleaned brightly
from the little window and the warmth
| and pleasantness of home asserted them.
selves in the humble dwelling.
The storm ragged on, but Phil and
| Frant had built blazing fire, and had
heated water in the bright new tea
kettle with view to social cup of tea
before they should go to bed.
While they were drinking it, a man
knocked at the door. sThere's bad
surf, Phil" he said, ''an' there's boats
in the offin', bad driv'. A schooner's
just gone to pieces, an a big steamer
she's lost her smoke-stack, an she's
a-beatin' an a-beatin'. They want
you.''
! Phil barrow was as brave as he was
strong and handsome. The light changed
in his eye. ssI'll be there" he said.
He kissed Frant-he always kissed
Frant when he went and when he came
and was gone.
The cabin was tucked neatly into a
little depression in the cliff. Across a
wild, sea-worn gully, close at hand, a
mile of the northern shore was plainly
visible from its windows, but the south
ern, where stood the hotel and the pier,
was hidden by the projecting height OF
the headland.
| Frant busted herself for few minutes
about her work. Then she fixed her
fire and her light, put on her water
head, and started up the headland,
hoping to see something of what was
going on below.
The rays from the great lighthouse
made the darkness gray around her, but,
though she could hear the sound OF
voices in the occasional pauses between
the gusts, she could see nothing. Ac-
custOmed as she was to storms, however,
she could readily supply the scene hid
den beneath the pail of fog. She could
see the bending masts of the schooners
and the pitching of the dismantled steam
ship. She could hear in imagination
the walls for help, and could see the
life-boat putting off to the relief of the
sufferers.
For an hour she strained eyes and
ears to see and hear something beyond
the battling mist and the deafening fog
horn and the gathering and bursting Of
the mighty waves. She felt as though
there was work to do; she wanted to dc
it, and, though she was drenched
through, she determined to feel her way
down the cliff. There, at least, she
could see the great waves.
The cliff was rough, and she found
plenty of points to cling to in her de-
scent, till at last she stood face to face
with the gray-green thunders, which
flung their white spray all over her.
Suddenly her eye caught something
on an incoming wave, thrown out into 8
feeble relief by the rays of the headland.
light. Was it box, or fragment o.
ship-timber, or-something else?
In came the wave again, tumbline
fiercely almost against Frant's brave
feet. Again she saw the light, white
burden borne back by the retreatine
tide. She clambered up a little higher
and waited for the wave to come again
This time it cleared the beach, and, bear
ing on it's crest the same white burden
crashed past her into the gully. Wher
it went back, there was nothing but foam
on it's shining surface.
She rushed in upon the track of the
wave and felt distractedly about the
ground. Suddenly her hand caught il
something. 1t was mass of dripping
human hair-the long, fine hair of {
woman.
Frant gave a shrek of horror anG
drew herself away, but it was only fol
an instant the wave was coming. Sht
seized the woman by her arms and begar
to drag her through the wild plum-bush
es and over the rough stones out of thu
reach of the hungry water.
She was thinking hard all the time
Perhaps the woman was not dead. Sh.
had seen people revived after they haC
been a long time under water, and
though there was no feeling of life il
the woman, she determined to try ant
save her. Oh, for a light! Oh, fol
Philly! But she began to drag hel
limp, wet burden, half-carrying it w
the steep, rough bank. It was plump
young figure, but not large, while Fran
was strong and tall; and in a little tim,
it lay in Frant's new white bed; anc
Frant herself, with flush on her pale
steady face and her kind eyes glowing
was rapidly stripping off the shred
that remained of the poor girls clothing
and applying restoratives. At last thu
warmth and motion penetrated to thu
numb young heart, and, just as Phil'
step sounded at the door, Frant's tasl
was done; for the girl, whose face, ever
in its death-like pallor, was very lovely
opened her eyes feebly.
Phil came in, noisy and staring, bu
Frant lifted her finger. What-wha
is itp" he stammered.
81 found her, said Frant, briefly
and pointing to the girl. ga grea
wave tossed her into the gully and go
her."
"You got herp" said Phil, with
strain of awe creeping into his voice.
There was no awe about Frant. Sh,
was very practical. Lift her head
Philly," she said, 'while change he
wet pillow" "a
The girl opened her eyes again an,
tried to speak. The neatness, tn
warmth, the light, Frant's clinging, ten
| dor fo,,oh tho StrOpr 1OoE On hor ia no