Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-09-11

FLOkENCE'S ADVENTURE.
Philadelphia Call.

i d
here with only your grandfather ana
myself 10 keep you company" SAID
Mrs. Danvers to her niece, girl OF 10.
"What will you 90 this stormy after
noon-no callers, the piano out OF tune
and YOUR grandfather laid up with
gout2"
IL was a somewhat dreary prospect
for young girl used 10 large fam
ily and lively house, and Florence
Danvers had been feeling rather as If
she had wandered into a forgotten
corner of the world; but Aow her
grandmother question reused her,
and she tried .hard to answer cheer
fully.
ooh, granny dear, don't mind me !;
I'm all right; it is very kind Of you to
be troubled with me while the chill e
drep get over their scarlatina; it is q
pity it looks so gray out Of doors, blu {
il does not rain, aud think | will just
take a race and see what the sea Is
like; it will freshen me up, and then
| will come In and do ray letter writ
ing"
Don't go far said Mrs. Danyers,
"for il is hardly fit for you, the wind
IL 100 high"
But Florence was out of the room
before the old lady's sentence was fin
he'd and IN another two minutes was
making her way to the cliffs, her head
bent down, and her cloak held tightly
round her in fierce contest with the
wind.
At first her thoughts were rather
gloomy. Another month down here2
How can | survive it, If only moth
or had let me visit at the Leighs in
stead; | would not mind if / was do
ing any one any good" she SAID to
herself, "but the old folks are quite
happy together without me, and, in
fact, IL rather worries them to have
To amuse me. There | could have had
masters, and gone on with my music.
or, indeed, | would far rather have
stayed at home | am not afraid Of the
fever, and | could have sat up with
little Laura, now nurse is so worn
out. But here one seems to do no
good with ones life; [ have only to
cat and drink, and take a walk and go
10 bed" And Florence heaved deep
sigh.
Sine had been reading good deal
lately upon the idle, useless lives girls
often lead, and she was in d hurry,
now that she was released from the
SchoOl-room, TO Try and do better, to
be very useful in this world, and then,
Just To spoil it all, as she thought,
came this Punishment to Sandman,
her grandfather's place. Nothing to
do indoors or out. She could not help
wondering why God had allowed her
to be sent there when He knew how
anxious she was to do good IN the
world So she wandered on till she
felt chilly, and meaded her pace. BY
and by, for something to do, she bent
her steps toward the cottage of an old
woman who iged at the Point, as the
place was called, where the cliffs took
an abrupt turn westward.
Bridget More was bedriddcn, and
always glad for some one to chat
with. This time, however, Florence
was amazed and distressed to find the
usually cheerful Irish woman sobbng
most bitterly over scrap of paper
which she pushed into Florence's
hand as she entered, beng unable to
speak. l, contained few lines from
the surgeon of the ipiirmary in the
nearest town.
Your son, Robert More. has been
brought here suffering from concus
sion of the brain, having fallen Off
the cliffs near the town"
"Cheer up Bridget said Florence,
cheerfully, 1T may not be SO sad.
My father fell off his horse last year
aud had conclusion of the brain, but
he got we'll. l will ask my grand
father To Seud 10 the Intirmary
to ask after Robert. But how shall
you manage without him2 Who will
attend to you MOVE Nou must have a
little girl from the village"
And Florence began To wonder who
could be found to wait on the old
woman.
But Bridget tried to step her sobs
while she said
1T isn't Robert frets me, Miss Dan
vers; do not so much mind that-the
lads had many a crack on the head
afore now, but it's the light, miss. He
can't stir to do it," aud she sobbed,
and wept afreSh.
Robert. the old womans son had
charge of the light house, which stood
ON rock easily reached at low water.
His duties were very simple, consist
ing merely of supplying the light with
oil. That morning he had CHANGED to
break the vessel containing the reserve
oil, and had gone TO town in quest of
more when he had met with his acci>
dent. On the cottage table stood the
broken jar with a small remnant Of oil
in the bottom.
''lIe said the oil would run down
to>night," sobbed the poor woman,
and this bad weather there'll be yes,
sells on the rock afore morning, and
blame, and he sick in bed"
"lsa't there enough oil there to run
tho light till moruingR" asked Flor
eHce, pointing to the jar.
"Ay, sure; but never n soul has
been near me since the bit of child
dropped the note and ran off, aud me
tied to my bed like log"
Let me fetch man from the vil>
lage.' said Florence.
But the cid woman shook her
head.
The time wouldn't serve, she said,
this west wind. if body ran straight
for their lives, they couldn't only Just
get there and back before the tide
comes IN"
Il will go, said Florence, "there is
time for that; | know all about it ;
Robert showed me how to put the oil
into the lamp the day grandfather and
l went over there's" and she took the
pitcher in her hand. 1.-THE kew,
Bridget. All, see it" and before the
old woman could get out the blessings,
fears, and warnings, which quickly
followed one another, Florence had
left the cottage, carefully guarding
theioil can.
The path wound down the cliff,
then sklrted its base, and finally pass,
ed along the ridge of rocks running
some fifty yards out to sea. This last
was very slippery, as it was covered
with water at high tide.
Florence went bravely on, however,
only once stopping to gain breath.
when the wind caught her hat and
blew it far away. She did not attempt
to recover it, for she already heard the
roar of the advancing tide ana sew
the white breakers approaching far
too near the lighthouse.