Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-12-22


while night hir.l screamed aiuy,
hilu. flying on through -pacr. Oc
cit0ionally a ,icss Apw!eI in he d.,
tancc. and the growing OF harny;trl
fowl. smotc his car with lone-oul,
sound.
As he nearcd the town be noticed
a black, low-lying cloud in the south
and thought how frightened his wife
would be if storm should como
while size was alone. While be was
looking at it 4 carriage passed linn
coming in from one of the prairie
roads and rolling rapidly forward
For moment he stood quite still
his heart throbbing painfully. He
did not know what it meant; bat
sensitive and heenly alive to every
impression that night. nothing cs
capped him. He ran forward without
knowing why he did 50. the rumbling
of the carriage leading him. It went
his own way, too, straight for the
landing, and, turning a corner, he
saw a steamboat lying at the waters
edge.
He was in luck. after all, he Thought
this was the boat Hero, and almost
ready to start. The bell was ringing
Justify, but the plank Was still out
and few passengers We're making
their way across it. He hurried on
board and got back into the shadows
where he could see without being
seen. The perspiration was standing
in cold crops upon his forehead and
face. and he trembled SO that he
could hardly stand.
He had always been a plain,
straightforward fellow, little given to
noting the particular phases of his
own mind; and now, with no evidence
of his senses to assure him that it
was SO. he could not understand why
he believed so firmly that his wife
and George Way were on board the
steamer with him.
The steamer glided out into the
stream and went sailing smoothly
forward, its great lights making a
shining light on the waters. The
cloud which had been lying in the
south was rising, and now COVERED
half the sky, an occasional CLEAN of
lightning darting from it. The wind
was rising, too, sweeping across the
deck in strong, steady gusts. Lean
ing upon the deck railing Harry Vane
watched the rising tempest. He saw
that the cloud had reddish tinge,
and that it still hung low.
These thoughts wero flashing
through his mind when the tempest
came in its full fury. The boat was
caught up from its course as play
thing is taken in the hand of a
child, then dash forward. No sound
was heard, no shrek nor cry, nothing
but the mad roar of the winds and
the terrible crashing of the thunder
Like some goaded. maddened beast
the Hero rocked, plunged and leaped,
its timbers crashing and breaking,
the foam rising in great sheets above
and about it. Then, it seemed hard
ly moments time, the wind lulled to
a calm, and instead of the hurricanes
roar was heard the screaming of
children; the groaning of strong men.
"The steamer is sinking-to the
life boats, quick!' some one cried in
a loud voice.
Then shrieks followed, and half
clad women and little children cling
ing to their mothers breasts, their
sweet lips frozen with fear; men,
helpless with terror, rushed out Of
h. nolx,,, n,,1 hot 10 fha n
of the sinking steamer.
A few men, nerved with superhu-
man energy, put out the boats and
helped the passengers into them.
One man stood, tall and strong above
the rest, a very Samson in strength.
the bravest among the brave. Bruised
and stunned by the falling timbers,
yet he had been the first to rally the
the men to their duty, and now he
stood drenciled to the skin, lifting
women and children into the boats.
They were all in at last, and he
stood alone.
Gomez some one cri Jed, reaching
up hand to him; "therc is no time
to lose. There is room here"
"Are you sure that the boat will
net be overburdened?"
He spoke rapidly and in a low
tone, but from the boat below some
one gave out a smothered cry. He
had not time to say mOre-a strong
hand pulled him forward, and the
next moment he was in the heavily
laden life-bo
"Let us make for the Shore" one
man said.
"Move easy, if you value your
lives" answered another. The
boat is filled to sinking"
Beyond this was silence. Now
and then the lightning flashed over
them, showing white faces, shiyering
forms and figures crouched and
trembling with fear. In the end of
the boat, quite near the brave man
who had fought 80 gallantly to save
them, a woman sat, her hands
clasped about the arm of a man
whose face seemed shrunken with
terror. Whatever there had been of
beauty in the regular. effeminate fea
euioo, ~ Woo Souo IO", 1od'iuS OHiy
weak cowardice. The woman was
Sarah Vane, and the poor, fear-jaded
creature beside her, for whom she
had deserted her husband, was
George Way.
ave shall sink if we go on in this
way. The boat cannot carry this
load" some one said. How maby
men can swim?.
"Swimi It would be death to try
it." was the answer.
"Then we shall go down together
Sarah Vane turned to the man be-
side her.
You can swim, George?" she
whispered in his ear.
"Hush! do you think l want to
die?"
She shrank away from him, look
of supreme contempt sweeping over
her face. This was her hero. her
god. then-but the poorest of clay in