The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-02-23

afternoons % mako nets, weuld assD hs
hands nto her lap and lock eut with dsn.
wistfI expression ovst ths SEE. % bpsod,
head might have been q storehouss Of
knowledge and great thoughts, but It was
empty. She could neither read nor write;
she knew nothing Of the world exceptin its
most SOL did aspects of dire poverty, drunk
enness and brutality. She had never set
foot in a CHI rch, and had no idea Ct q God
save that she had heard and believed that
there was something above those skies
which were now SO golden with sunlight,
now 50 black with thunder. Occasionally
such natural impulses Of good as were in
the girls heart would we'll up in short
scraps Of advice which she gave to Mark
Brat waite: "Mark, you'll not get drunk
l he father. There's no good in drink" or.
"Mark, if I were mon, I'd learn summit
and become q scholard."
This is what Margaret Pencorrow was ct
eighteen, and on the night alluded to in
the first line of this story, when her worth
less father stood, drunk as usual, on his
watch, and unheedful Of the storm that was
gathering
The storm broke presently with frightfu]
fury. Long streaks Of lightning rent the
skies, and the waves were dashed upon the
In despite Of tic deluge Of rain the crew of
the lifeboat came to the shed to get all in
readiness, and great many other fisher
men and their wives trooped out OF the COT
tuges; but this was only because sleep on
such night was impossible. Most OF the
eyes that looked Stewards with expectant
chances were rather hoping for profitable
wreck than eager for chance to save life.
Margaret stood in the shed with Mark
B1athWaite beside her, Harold Trecorpe be-
ing on the other side OF the boat. The &C.
casional glow Of the pipe he was smol ing
lit up his rugged face and made it s.,em
devilish as he cursed the ill luck that had
fallen upon Polloot, and expressed his con-
viction that the lifeboat lad "witched" the
place, driving wreck off it. Dong yo,'"
cried he, striking his fist on the boats side.
you've done us harm from the day 20
COON here! 10 hev'."
Suddenly there was cry from every one
under the shed: "A light; blue light.
Look, there's another"
Far off in the ofing there was ship in
distress sending up blue lights. They rose
CLEAN and vanished. Harold Trecorpe Ut
tered shout Of e-sltati.a. Its big
ship, cried he, "aere, gle as the blue
rockets, wench."
what for the blue rocketsI" asked Mar
garet, who was standing near a box of fire
signals. "Ye must burn three red lights
first to warn 'em the coasts dangerous.
Then three blue 'uns say the ifeboat's
coming. That's what my lord told me-"
"Cuss your lord and 20 too" blurted ont
Harold savage]y. as he ran around to the
other side Of the boat Here, ladn,
bear hand and heave this wretch out"
Harold, III fire light in yo'r face if ~
come near me. Mark. keep that mon of,
cried Margaret, painting, and Selling tt
lantern from Peter Pencorrow's drunke
hands, she held a roc6etat Haro!d's face
as If it ere pistol.
But there were others besides Harold
who wanted the ship to be wrecked, and
several of the lifeboats crew we're among
them. They we're willing enough to 20
ed the vessel to be wicked first. These
scoundrels drove Margaret and Mark Brath-
waite back. and it was resolved among
them that no lights should be burned at all
for the present. In her energetic language
unadorned Margaret Pencorrow hurled
anathemas at them, but they only laughed,
and suddenly the girl vanished through the
crowd with Mark Brathwaite:
Where had they gomez For several mo-
ments their disappearance was not noticed,
but suddenly broad sheet Of lightning,
that lit up the whole coast, showed the girl
and the boy running as fast as they could
down the shore in the direction of the Nee
die Rock. The tide was coming in fast,
but it WAS evidently Meg's object to get to the
rock before it. Why? They learned pres
emily. A loud hiss, blaze of red light and
up went red rocket; then another; then
third. Three danger signals rose rapidly,
one after another, under the eyes of the en-
ragged wreckers. Then all became black
ness again. The storm rumbled away, and
no more blue lights were burned out at sea.
Margaret had rushed of with the red rock.
cts, which had probably warned the dis.
tressed ship to keep clear of the Preacher.
GUS coast. Any how the ship was not
wrecked nor heard of again.
Nor was Margaret Pencorrow ever seen
again or heard Of. Mark Brathwai:c, Re-
turning pale, exhaucted and half crazed at
daybreak, announced that she had sudden
ly been sweptaway by wave, but whittier
he knew not, though he had swum, and
divei. and sought for hours. risking his life
twenty times. "God knows where she
went, no cIleu, bOOOAAb.
And doubtless God did know.
.
At present there Is no more Needle Rock
off Polloot. Lady Blanche had it blasted,
anda fine lighthouse has been erected
where it stood, to warn vessels of the other
dangerous rocks in the vicinity. It is call.
ed "The Margaret Lighthouse, and Mark
Brathwaite Is the keeper Of it.-London
A,.;::h.