Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-02-09

awoke the affrighted passengers to all
the horrors OF shipwreck.
The poor emigrants forward were the
first on deck, and in q .emi-clothed
state they ran frantically about, mad
with terror and the sense of HELPLESS
ness. The captain and chief officer.
cool as ever, tried, and not without sue
cess, to calm this seething mass of hui.
man beings as they rushed to the side.
Holding them in check fo- moment
by moral force the captain ordered out
the boats. The crew worked brayely,
and disciplin told. The boats were
got out. Meantime the few cabin pas
sengers had come on deck, and stood
huddled together on the poop. The
men assisted in getting the quarter
boats down, and then, all being ready,
the ladies were lifted in. The long,
rolling swell made it matter of some
difficulty to enter the boats alongside,
but even this was successfully accom-
plished.
All danger was apparently over.
Land was close at hand, when suddenly
a skiff, pulling through the semi-darx-
ness, came directly toward the gig in
which some of the cabin passengers
were seated. A warning cry came too
late. Borne upon the crest of a rising
wave the boat came on numerically.
A crash, and in moment the occu-
pants of the smaller boat were strug-
Cling in the waves. Blakeley struck out
but had not proceeded many feet when
he felt himself clutched by despair
ing hand and almost pulled under water,
By great effort he disengaged him
self, and after struggle succeeded in
bringing the drowning person safely to
the shore. A hundred ready hands
soon dragged them in, and the roaring
water Kissed away in wrath, banked Of
its prey. Cheers and praises which
sounded strangely to his English ears
we're all unheeded. The dawn had re-
vealed to Blakely that the lady he had
rescued was Miss Clayton. He would
the day before have given his future to
know that she was on board.
He saw her safely bestowed, and
then hurried off to assist the other pas
sengers. No lives were lost, all had
come safely ashore; but the baggage
was lying in the stately ship now swept
by the rising waves, and incapable of
proceeding, although not permanently
crippled. Another vessel was tele-
graphed for, and meantime the baggage
would be recovered if possible, and
every assistance was rendered to the
passengers.
Blakely believed his star was in the
ascendant He had done chivalrous
action. No further introduction was
necessary. He would call next day
and renew his acquaintance, and then,
afterward-who could tell?
But the next day he was unable to
move; severe bruise and sprain,
which III the excitement had been I'M
noticed, kept him in bed Tuning at his
ili-luck. Three days afterward when
he inquired at the hotel he could dis
cover no trace of Miss Clayton; nor, on
no less authority than the purser's list
of passengers, had any one of the
name, nor had any lady answering the
description, been entered as on board
the Inflated ship. &
He succeeded in ascertaipg that
young lady had been received in the
hotel on the morning of the wreck, but
had gone away with lady and gentle
man in a carriage to q mansion in the
neighborhood. A note had been left
for gentleman who mad rescued her,
and this note Blakely at once asked to
see.
1t was warm and most grateful
tribute of thanks from the lady's
friends, and postscript written by her
self showed how deeply indebted she
was to her preserver, and how anxious
to thank him in person. Hsr address
was attached, and the signature was sc.
Vivian" She had only come from
Scotland on visit, and as guest of
the owners of the Steam Line.
"Well, | could have declared it was
my charming young friend of Ben Lyd-
ding" murmured Walter, as he folded
the gushing misssive. 81 can't go all
that way to call; we sail tomorrow.
Just my luck Oh, if she had only
been the other."
So he sat down and wrote suitable
reply, and then went on board a vessel
which had been sent to take the passen-
ScIS oll III lCoo tLhl loitllikhe LAG
was in New York.
Winter passed, spring came, and the
end Of April found Blakely again in
London. His picture bad been ten
dered to the academy and declined;
then it had found its way to the kindly
portals of the Grosvenor," and there
the rejected masterpiece had found
an appreciative welcome. The artist
entered, and naturally sought his own
work.
AS he approached it he met his old
friends, Mrs. Rydal and her daughters,
who all welcomed him joyfully.
eve had no idea you were in Eng
land, Mr.. Blakely. When did you ar
rive2 We were just admiring your pic
ture-how charming it Isl We are all
puzzled to know where you met Miss
Vivian, and how you managed 10 ob.
tain such an excellent likeness
such subjects, tool"
Particularly as she says she has new
err seen you," continued Katie Rydal.
al ass,,ra Won | have never seen the