The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-16
A Swift and Terrible Catastrophe.

A Swift and Terrible Catastrophe.
Harriet Prescott Spoffordin the Manhattan fer
May.l
They had gone down to the seaside for a
weeks change. The day was perfect one
with now and then capful of wind blowing
out of the little round clouds that swelled
up over the horizon like bubbles.
"Wlll you go out with me?' asked Hele-
ma.
"With all these naws2" he said
"Just as you please, then will go alone"
"Alonel What In heavens name could
you do alonep'
81 am not Grace Darling nor Ida Lewis"
she said, the laugh Frightening all the rich
color in her cheek; "but fancy could pull
a boat about in these smooth waters"
"LIfe would be much more comfortable,
Helena. If there were something you were
afraid of In 1t! Well, here we CO." and he
gathered up his lazy length and reached his
hat. "lf We drown II is your fault"
at doesn't much matter about drown
Ing" she said, swinging her bat as they
went along the single, and unaware that
| she spoke In other than matter-of-fact way,
| ''if we drown together
"Are you so Indifferent to life-in such a
| hurry to get through"
sOh, no. no, never! But it Is all so blest
| that | am half the time afraid something
| will happen"
| But the worst that could happen is
| death, and
| mo, indeed; the worst that could happen
| would be that you might look at some other
womanw and then they both laughed, know
| ing we'll the habit of her jealous pangs, and
ran along to the boat, II signifying little that
| neither of them knew much of anything
about boat, and that they were running be.
fore the wind directly in the track of the
sea going steamers.
| could anything be more perfeotps said
| Helena, half recumbent In the stern, sea
| aud sky making a sapphire and lapis ring
aboui her. I'VE seem to be alone in this
| IKE our Old lover days over again.
'Ouly better" he answered her.
"only BETTER" she repeated
I'VE must tome out at night, with the sei
| and the stars aud the freedom of the uni
verse alone together and as they sailed h,
told her histories of the old craft that hac
| ploughed these waters-fire ships and phan
tom-ships-and recited to her verses OF hi,
| own indltlng, for now and then he turned
I
That Is the strangest thing,o she said
THAT you, who don't know what music is
should have the writing of such verses, AM
| |, who am music's eoQfdante, cannot writ,
a melody
You are melody" he said. And JUS
at. that moment there was a roar, 1 rush,
ringing of bells that sounded ii their ear.
like gongs. wild eries. vast black bulk tow
ering over them, crSh. sweep az many
waters, and then nothingness
Half an h0nr aterward fisherman founC
a broken boat afloat, bottom-side up. mar
entangied in the rigging, his head above wa
ter. unconscious, bat alive. Trimming hi
sail speedily, he took the half browne mar
ashore. And after the sickness ard deliri
UNI of weeks, as wretched ard desolate q
a man as walked the earth, Leonard Vanc,
| took up his cololess lite, alone. as he said
till the sea gave up lis dead For Helena
was never found. | seraped The moss away
the other day, from stone set up as a mo
mortal without grave, and overgrown viii
bramble-roses, TO read the name upon H.
HELENA VANCE,
LOST AT SEA,
4ged Tceaty-eight.