The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1883-12-21

neAfu 10 the Cn9Bffui lail0O OF the
men on tug. EVERYTHING about the
schooner was still and motionlcss. What
an age it seemed until the ting steamed
slowly back. Then the crowd rushed
toward it, and as suddenly fell back,
while the awful whisper passed from one
to another, tits the Merry Bell, and
every II ON board stark dead, frozen
to the rigging" The schooner was only
a charnel house, and the people had
been expanding their sympathy upon
creatures who had been for hours be-
yond it. Among the crowd waiting on
the shore Rose Bell had stood
closely yelled. There had been
tears and screams from waiting
wives and mothers, but she turned
quietly away, as one in a dream, and,
walking blindly, made her way home.
She rang the bell, said nothing, to the
servant who opened the door, but
passed quickly to her own room, utter.
ing no cry, shedding no tears, and threw
herself into a chair before the fire. Mrs.
Bell so found her when she came in a
few minutes later, and her own shrek
for'help failed to rouse her daughter.
Inconsistencies is a blessing oftentlmes,
and so it proved now.
With the return of consciousness came
memory. "Oh, ma, the schooner
was the Merry Bell, and all On board
dead frozen! He was to come home on
it. Oh, what shall J. do?" The blessed
tears came now, and caused the shrewd
doctor to nod his head wisely and whis-
per to Mrs. Bell: ''She'll be all right
now" and quietly make his exit, When
in his buggy he conided to it or his
horse: "Humphl A lover at the bottom
ofthis; young Culbertson, too, I.suppose;
he is part owner Of the schooner. Good
fellow; sorry if he is gone; miserable
way of dying, too; and that pretty girl!
Well, well! Get un, there, Dolly; what
are you about" Then the good doctor
logged on to another patient and forgot
all about II.
THAI morning, soon after breakfast,
little Jack Bell, a ubiquitous youngster
that would some day make his fortune
as a rapnrtar for a Chicago daily, ran il.
briskly. skates in hand, nose and cheeks
red with cold, and absolutely bullying
with news
Say, sis, schooner ont there stuck in
the ice; men sticking to the masts. Folks
say it's the Merry Bell, and, by George,
Sis, / shouldn't wonder If MI. CQlbertson
was II OF 'em. Hope he amt though,
for he promised me a new sled if I
would say nothing about the day /
caught him kissing you"
Jack" sternly interpOsed his moth
er's voice.
Where is it, Jack; quick, tell me?"
said Rose, IN a voice of trembling anxi-
ETY..
"Out there; from behind Dick Matt
lands house you can see her"
nNlnrN Oh, hnl r1tr,,l $1,000 - ron A..
schooner and hear from others what
ground there was fo2 her fears.
All day she moaned and grieved and
would not be comtorted, for handsome
Fred Culbcrtson was her promised bus
band, and she had given all her heart in
his keeping. When he babe her good
by a few weeks before he had called
back at the last, an be home for Christ
mas! ne was part owner OF the
Merry Bell" and had intended coming
back on this her last trip for the season.
The cold continued to increase. The
sky wore a dull, leaden~ look-nature
itself seemed dead. Rose lay looking
out, and thought of other hearts sad
dened as hers was; other homes where
the light had goae out and made them
dreary and dark.
Mrs. Bell remained during the night
with her daughter, petting, soothing and
comforting, and as the sleepless hours
wore away mother and daughter grew
nearer together than they had ever been
before. Mrs. Bell talked of the early
days of her married life; then of the
day when her husband had left her
bright and we'll in the morning. and at
evening had been brought to her still
and dead. Rose realized. as she had
never done before, what her mother had
suffered. Poor mamma, how sad and
lonely you have been," she Ecurmured
as she dropped into a tired sleep.
The next day was Thursday, the day
before Christmas. Rose opened her
eyes to find the maid setting her break
fast on a table at her bedside.
Look, look, Miss Rose; see on the
window! Sure it's the cars intirely! Sure
it's the witches, it is, and Miss Rose.
dear, sure it's good luck it'll bring. Mr.,
Culbertsonll come yet, or We'll know it,
Frightening at the girls words, and
forgetting to be offended at the freely
expressed opinion, Rose jumped up to
see the wonder of frost-work. Sure
enough it's a veritable train, locomotive
and all. How STRANGE"
81 don't know what kind that is, Miss
Rose, but it's cars, it isl
"Get my wrapper, Ann, and bring my
breakfast to the fire. I'll get up" said
Rose, cheered, she scarcely knew why.
Twill your ma lave the tree, Miss
Rose? It's the childers is on their heads
about It,"
II forgot it." answered Rose. her face
cloudiDg. ASK mamma to come UP as
soon as she is through her breakfast
sit has been over this hour. I'll 90
tell her; and shall / bring up some more
c~offee?'
"No; just tell mamma"
sAnd here she is herself answered
Ann, as she opened the door and Mrs.
Bell came in.
Cup, Roseg
Eyes; and oh, look at the
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