Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-04-10

COulu sue would come. she tried 10
persuade her father not to go to Po-
dunquit Harbor two or three days be.
fore the wedding, but on the very day
he had an errand that could not be
delayed, he said He came back only
just IN time for Phoebe to get off to be
at Aunt Huldah Maria's as early as
she had promised but he seemed very
kind and affectionate, and told her
mot to worry he would take good
care of the light Phoebe had look
ed in the sail boat in which her father
went to Podunquit harbor and found
no bottle or jug rolled up in the sail,
as she sometimes did. And her father
had come down to push her boat off,
and kissed her, which had be come
quite unusual, and said sit was a great
pity if the mate couldn't go of on a
little lark when the captain was left
behind to take care of the ship" He
always called the lighthouse a ship,
and Phoebe had been the mate ever
since she was five years old
Aunt Huldah Maria rejoiced, even
in the midst of her labors as hostess,
at PhUbe's bright face. Perhaps the
child had only been cver-worked or .
little ailng, and there was not so
much trouble at the Plum-Puddiug as
she had fancied But even while the
fiddler was playing his most entranc-
ing strains, and the wedding cake was
being passed in most generous slices,
Phoebe heard a whisper that made her
heart stand still. David Judkins, the
SON of the man who wanted her
father's place. was talking to another
young man.
1T isn't such very thick fog, and
[ never saw a fog so thick that you
couldn't see some sign Of the Plum
Pudding light from Mouse island And
if it can't be seen tonight it isn't on
account of the fog, but because the
light isn't there.
And the Advance is UP in the har-
Dor said the other Capt. Saul is at
the end Of his lighthouse keeping If
you are right.
1--WE might skirmish round little
and see, " said David Judkins. at
would be pity for the officers not to
find it out, you know
The two young men went out.
Phoebe knew we'll where they were
going. The Advance was the govern
ment steamer, whose Office was tc
supply the lighthouse and see that
they were kept in proper condition
David Judkins was going TO give
warning that there was no light or
the Plum-Pudding Phoebe sippec
| out of the house unobserved. The fOe
bad come so suddenly that it seemed
like magic. A dense gray midst seem
ed to have swallowed up the world
Only very brilliant rays of ligh
could penetrate shat fog, but the Plum
Pudding light was the finest on The
coast, Phnbo's practical eye searched
anxiously in the direction of tht
Plum-Pudding. But she looked il
vain; there was thick darkness every
where. The lamp on the Plum-Pud
ding was not lighted Phoebe listened
and heard the steady plash of retreat
! ing oars David Judkins and his frlenC
We're rowing vigorously 10 Pondunqui
Harbor
She ran down to the shore to tn,
place where her row boat was fasten
ed. The tide had gone out, and lef
it so far from the water that it wa
almost impossible for her to get it off
But by dint of pushing and tuggine
she pushed it into the water at last
She got in, and rowed swiftly GU
into the thick darkness. She had no
her compass, which she usually car
ried in her pocket, and if she had, j
was too dark 10 see 1T without q
match. Could she find her way tC
the island? Phoebe rowed swiftly il
the direction where the Plum-Pud
ding ought to be. Presently she fell
that she had gone far enough. But
where was the island Why did she
not get there2 The bow of her boat
seemed to pointed toward the oper
sea Had she been rowing out to sea
instead of toward the Plum Pudding
And then suddenly it seemed 20 hel
that she was going back toward
Mouse island. Stout-hearted as she
was, Phoebe felt her courage falling
She let the oars slip from her hands
into the bottom of the boat, anC
uttered a faint cry of distress. 1t was
so faint cry that only the sea gulis
could have heard it, but an answer
seemed to come; the sharp shrll
sound of horn. 1t could be nothing
but the great horn of the lighthouse
although it seemed to come from the
direction of Podunquit harbOr The
sound was repeated; it was the light
house horn Phoebe rowed witt
might and main, and very soon 8
dark shape doomed beford her through
the darkness, aud her boat grazed the
rocks of the Plum-Pudding. 1t was
at the very steepest part of the rock.
but Phoebe could not delay to row tC
the landing. Up she scrambled,
never needing that her clothes were
torn, and hands scratched and bleed
ing.
1t was difficult to find her way tC
the lighthouse in the thick darkness
and now there came nosound TO guide
her. Never before in Phmbe's life
time had night found that lighthouse
with darkened windows And Uhat
had that horn meant2 A terrible feal
lest something worse than she haC
thought had happened TO her father
made Phmbes steps falter upon the
al. J