Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-02-23

Z. "Sit here, Julia" said Victor. "Wor
mum and must go down there and Sc
what is to be done.'' Aud so the,
waited, while Barbara wondered VIII
this one wreck of all she had known fl
the twenty winters of her life shoulG
make her thrill and tremble as the 9th
ers never had. Had there NOS been
castaways on this bit Of coast in every
month of every yearP Had she not seen
scores Of times this far-off thronging OF
the towns-folk, this flashing of rockets
and shooting of life-lines, this slow
passing of hammock-netted people over
the taut cable, this plunging of crates
and planks and spars in the plunging
surf? Why should each feature of it
now stab her with new painp At last
she could endure it no more, but threw
herself down on the sand, still ribbed by
the ice of the old foam ridges, and hid
her face from the sight of it all.
Steps came up the beach; some one
paused and spoke with Julia, who full
of excitement, paced up and down the
sand. SIT was a Mediterranean brig,
that had stood by to save wreck only
fortnight since herself-had several
members going to No Mans Land to
join the geographical expedition on
board now, all that had been saved, at
least" Barbara's heart stood still. All
that had been saved, at least. Some
were gone, then. He was gone. Weak
as she already was, she turned with q
deadly sickness, and the world and con-
sciousness were just going out together
when strange music of voices seemed
ringing in her ears; she felt as If a pair
of strong arms had caught her up, and
a long kiss upon her lips had brought
her back to life. She rose upon her
elbow, gazing eagerly over sand and
sea, as if her chances were messengers
sent abroad to gather word of the
wreck; and presently she was on her
feet, and running swiftly down the
sands, her cloak streaming out behind
her.
Young Wornum was beside her; and
when she stopped for breath, he put the
glass into her hand, just as the clouds
stripped away and let the moon out,
broad and full, over the black waters
flashing themselves to foam, and for one
moment she saw it-saw that arm
wound in the ratlins, that white face
looking out over the angry surges-and
then the giant wave came roaring and
rearing on, shaking its gray plumes
above it in the moonlight. There was
crash of thunder. The wreck was
gone; the place was bare and waste.
Barbara threw down the glass, and
ran on. " Somebody must save him.
she was crying. 'He was alive mo-
ment since. Somebody must swim out
and help him in. He is strong, but he
is not as strong as the sea-"
Ill Al, ~. IL
and crying, the wind tearing the words
from her lips, so that she seemed to
make no sound, and was desperate at
her impotence, the people on the beach
and in the surf were working. And as
she came on, breathless, some one rose
from the little throng about him, stag
gered a moment, rallying the strength
left from the wrestle with the waters,
and moved toward her.
"Are you safe?" she cried, wildly.
oh, are you alive? Have you come
back to me?'' And her arms were
about him, and she had kissed him
there before the people, innocent of a
thought of them.
81 told you," he whispered-ssI told
you the time would come when you
would proclaim it publicly. / have al
most paid for that kiss with my life, but,
oh, my darling, hold it cheap at any
price,
And Penrose did not tell her for
year and day that he had been mem
Der of no geographical expedition at all,
but of a conspiracy instead-that he
had never escaped from the wreck, but
had been one of those going out to its
rescue, since he had been hiding in
Beachline all the time. Perhaps he
never told his mother-in-law at ALL
Harper's Magazi,ee.