Connecticut western news., 1884-05-07
SURF STATION NO. 9.
BY REV. EDWARD A. RAND.

BY REV. EDWARD A. RAND.
 There were two persons sitting on the doorstep of a station of the hfe-savine service. One was Will Plympton and the other liked to write down his name and calling as "Sam Walker, Surfman, Station g." They were looking across the white, chilly sands to the sea, that under the tearing, exasperating strokes of the wind hourly grew more and more violent. The clouds had scowling look It was not a disturbed sky simply angry here and there, but everywhere it's face was one of settled, ugly, morose ness.
 ''Mischief brewin'," said Sam.
 s'Yes; the wind has been busy at some thing for the past twenty four hours, replied Will.
 ''How white and ugly that surf is Looks to me as if it was all full oi sharks teeth, white and hard"
 Somebody will feel them when the storm breaks-at any rate, before it is over."
 "Yes; I s'pose the vessel is on the water that has been quietly movin' on tc meet it's doom in this storm, and didn't know it more than you and I know the future"
 All this time sea and sky had been growing blacker.
 Keeper Joel Barney, the official head of the crew at Station g, stepped out of the station, and tho conversation was interrupted. When Sam and Will were alone again, Sam said:
 "That sea and me feel alike, I guess. ' "Why?"
 "Oh, am not at all easy"
 Here Sam's face seemed to darken like the sky. "What are you thinking of?"
 "I'm thinkin' of somebody that wronged me once. That was in old England. We were both boatmen and there was an extra chance at work we both wanted, and Payne Chesley set on foot some stories that lost me my old place and kept me out of better one Lies lies !" said Sam, vehemently- ''all of them"
 "Well, didn't people see that?"
 ''Yes, but too late to help me. If il had been the truth, it couldn't for the time have hurt me more."
 'sWhat's false will wash off like mud It's only what is true that sticks in and stays and hurts"
 But Sam was not disposed to dwel on this side of the subject. He arose strode of grumbling, and sat down il the station doorway.
 s'What makes me think of Pawn, Chesley, I don't know. feel ugly a. that sea looks, and I don't know but could put Payne Chesley under tht water if I had him. Seems to me 'twoult be just sweet to do that. But that ism the thing for an old chap like me, ht said, meditatively. "We've got to swal Ter those feelin's."
 Still blacker grew sea and sky.
 A very savory odor of old Java, frie, potatoes and biscuit DOW came from tn station kitchen, and the crew gathere, for supper.
 "Storm broke," said Keeper Barney amid the rattling dishes; "I see tn rain on the window near me-"
 Just then Silas Peaslee came in fror the beach and his dripping "sou'wester told the story of the arrival of the rain.
 "A bad night" said Silas, Eff a vesse gets on Howlin' Pint"
 But no vessel was so foolish as to dC that fatal thing.
 The men on duty patrolled the beacl as the regulations require. Four time between sunset and sunrise they trampe, from two to four miles each side of fin station. Each patrolman carried hi Coston signals, which could be lighte, at once, burning with a red flame An, warning of any vessel that might b. discovered sailing too near the shore. O announcing to any wrecked vessel tha help was near. But though keen eve watched and quick ears listened, ther was no sign of vessels in danger or dis tress. There was only that near and in cessant thunder in the darkness, tha awful roar of an invisible anger whic manifested itself in ar occasional thro of cold surf about the feet of the patro men ventnring too near the edge of tn sea.
 The morning lighted up a confuse mass of white, struggling pillows uude black, heavy masses of storm cloud tha swept the sea with pitiless discharges ( rain. The men at the station were z breakfast when Arnold Rankin rusbe in shouting:
 "Thare's a wreck off here p
 "Boom-m-ml l" came the report ( gun from the sea-
 "That's Arnold's voucher erie Keeper Barney, springing from his SCI and upsetting the chair in his eagernes.