The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-05-30
miscellaneous.
The Lighthouse Keeper.


Saul had been a sailor for half his life, but
two or three narrow escapes from shpwreck
had convinced him that it was desirable To
have something solid beneath ones feet and
he had, with considerable difficulty, for there
had been suspicion that Saul was not quito
STEADY" enough for lighthouse kccper-ob-
tanned the position on Plum Pudding Rock
Phoebe was born there, and, her mother dy-
ing when she was very small had grown up
there almost ms wild and unframed as the sea
gulls that built their nests in the crevices of
the rocks. Quite as unframed, she might
have been, if it had not been for Aunt HUI
dab Maria, who lived on Mouse Island.
There was a school on Mouse Island for
six months in the year, and Phoebe went to
il sometimes she could not 60 regularly, be-
cause-well, although it is very sad it must
be told-because it was not always safe to
leave her father in charge of the lighthouse.
He had been STEADY" ever since he assumed
the position oflighthouse keeper, fifteen years
before, until the last year. Even after that
long period of successful resistance his old
enemy, the love of drink, had fallen upon
and conquered him. And nobody knew it
but Phoebe.
Captain Saul, as everybody called him,
had always been in the habit of going to Jim
Bowlng's shop, at Pondunquit lIarbor,
which was Il sort of sailors "snug harbor,"
to smoke his pipe and spin yarns with his
old croncs, but he never drank anything
there. And it was only within the last year
that he had brought anything home from the
harbor to drink Now he did it often in
deed, il was seldom he came home without
it, and, all by himself, he would have drink
ing bout, growing merry at first and singing
old sea songs and cracking jokes, and poor
l..,l. III Il
thought his mood delightful, and wished he
would always seem as happy; but soon he
began to drink more heavily, and would
pass from the merry stage into the cross and
irritable one, and then, become stupid, sleepy
and utterly helpless. And, besides, her
grief and humiliation, was constantly anX-
ious lest her father should lose his situation
They had no money, and where in the wide
world could they find another home if they
had to leave the Plum Pudding
This was the sorrow and care that had
changed PhGbe's face from round and rosy
and dimplcd little one so that it was now
pinchcd and wan, and had a careworn look
that was sad to see. There were several men
who wanted Captain Saul's position at the
lighthouse, and would be glad to report any
thing that they could discover to injure him.
Every day Phoebe expected that the blow
would fall, and they would be obliged to
leave their home.
There was to be a great merry-making on
Mouse Island. Phpbe's oldest cousin,
Marie Cordilly, was to marry Jed Collins,
who was soon to sail rs mate of the Flying
Pondunquit But when Phoebe said "she
didn't think she could come, she would ratli-
er stay at home and let her father come"
there was II terrible cutlery.
Aunt Huldah Maria said "PhDbc should
come or she would know the reason" and
that was just what Phoebe didn't want-tliat
Aunt Huldah Maria should "know the reason
why" So she said, if she possibly could, she
would come. She tried to persuade her
father not to go to Pondunqut Harbor two
or three days before the wedding, but on
that very day he had an crrand that could
not be delayed, he said He came back only
just in time for Phoebe to get off to be at
Aunt lluldah Maria's rs early rs she had
promised. But he seemed very kind and af
feclionate, and told her mot TO worry; he
would take good care of the light" and kiss.
ed her, which had become quite unusual
aud said at wasa great pity if the mate
couldn't go off on II little lark wien the cap
Tain was left behind to take care ofthc ship
He always called the lighthouse II ship, and
years old.
Aunt Hullah Maria rejoiced, even in tho
midst of her labors as hostess, Mt PhGbe's
bright face. Perhaps the child had only beer
| little overworked or ailing, and there was
not so much trouble mt the Plum Pudding as
she had flncied. But even while the fiddler
WAS playing his most enhancing strains and
the wedding cake was being passed in most
| generous slices Phgbc heard whisper tina
nude her heart stand STILL David Judkin
| the son of the man who wanted her fathers
place, was talking to another young man.
at isn't such very thick fog, and never
saw fog SO thick that you couldn't SCI
some sign of the Plum Pudding light from
Mouse Island and if il can't be seen to-nigh
it isn't on account of the fog, but because til,
| light isn't there"
"And the Advance is up in the harbor,'
said the other. "Captain Saul is at the enc
of his lighthouse keeping, if you are right.
| 1--WE might skirmsh round II little ant
see" said David Judkins. ut would be
pity for the officers not TO find it out, you
| know"
The two young men went out. PhGb,
knew well where they were going. The
Advance was the government steamer
whose Office was to supply the lighthouses
and see that they were kept in proper condi
| tiOn.
David Judkns was going to give warning
that there was no light on the Plum Pud
ding Phoebe slipped out of the house unob
served. The fog had come SO suddenly tina
it seemed like magic. A dense gray mis-
seemed Ia have swallowed up the world
Only very brilliant rays of light could penc
trate that fog, but the Plum Pudding ligh
was the finest on the coast PhGbe's practi
cal eye searched anxiously in the direction
of the Plum Pudding But she looked il
vain there was thick darkness everywhere
The lamp on the Plum Pudding was no
| lighted Phoebe listened, and heard TIL
steady plash of retreating oars David Jud