The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-07-05

girl. as he called her, that he spent the
night in the city without serious anxiety.
"The next day found the storm as
wild as ever; and he spent the hours OF
daylight striding up and down the
shore, for by this time he knew the few
provisions had given out, and that his
wife was suffering for food. Twice lie
launched his boat, and twice it swamped.
cat dark, the light cleaned out from
the crib-top, but to Kalstrom's eyes it
had baleful glare; and morning found
him determined to go, ev hev to swim
vor it.
Fortunately, the wind was more
quiet; and, after hard work, he came
under the lee of the crib walls.
"Hls wife had seen him, and cast him
a noosed rope from the top story of the
crib; for the waves were so high that all
the storm doors and shutters we're bat
tened down, and the white caps spit at
the lanterns as they drove before the
wind.
He caught the rope, and passed up
his bundle of supplies. She dropped it
the second time; and just as he got it
under his arms, great wave swemped
his boat, leaving him clinging to the
wall, blinded and bruised, and depend
ing on the little woman up aloft for
his life.
''She began hauling on the rope, and
pulled at it until she had drawn him as
high as the window sill, he TRUSTING his
fingers and toes into whatever crevices
offered.
Gas he reached his right hand up, the
wind came around the corner with o
yell and tore him loose. dropping him
into the lake; but the heroic Irish girl
paid out the line as fast as she could
He caught it and found himself with a
chance of life still within his reach.
up he came, hand over hand and, as
he entered the window, he saw strange
discoloration of her face, black stain on
the bright rag.carpet, and the fact that
her dress was torn to rags in front.
HE quickly picked her up and found
the wedding finger of her left hand en-
tirely. gone, and the tendons actually
torn out up to the elbow.
at had been caught between the rope
and the stone casing when he fell; and
his great weight, playing against the
wedding ring, had done the mischief.
But as she said 1t weren't q time for
fainting,' miss And she had hauled
him up with her right hand and the help
of her strong white teeth.
1.-THE Rigging of the hemp had cut her
mouth cruelty, and she had ground her
knees against the walls 80 desperately
that the thick stuff-gown she wore was
frayed through and through.
"Tbat night the lake shrieked and
roared till the lake went mad with the
noise, and the waves threw their spray
among the pigeons under the ewes of the
lantern roof; and the injured woman
moaned drought the house for the re-
lief that could not come.
"Kalstrom signalled and signalled
for help, and four days after the acct
dent q boat got out, and Mrs. Kslstrom
was taken to the hospital. where the
wound was dressed, and where she lay
for many q weary day.
"When I first saw her, noticed with
great satisfaction that fall of pretty
lace covered her NAMED hand, and that
Big Charlie under his rough husk held
real reverence aud affection for her.
ITO these feelings, he bore witness
everywhere; and when his friends would
play upon him. and say half in jest and
half in earnest
'Ah, Charlie, you are fine fellow,
amt you? be would answer with naive
concert and confidence
"'Yase, 1 am, for 1 hef commanded q
bark of dousand duns; but dere's q
better one dan me at home. And ev any
body says, 'Kalstrom's vine weller, you
can dell him Vase, but Kslstrom's wife
is q viner.'"