Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-08-19
FLORENCE's ADVENTURE,
BY II. LENNON.

BY II. LENNON.
Dearest, ! am afraid you are dull
here with only your grandfather and
myself to keep you company" said
Mrs. Danvers to her niece, a girl of 1S.
"What will you do this stormy after
noon-no callers, the piano out of tune,
and your grandfather laid up with
gout?"
It was q somewhat drcary prospect
for young girl used to large family
and lively house, and Florence Dan.
vers had been feeling rather as if she
had wandered into forgotten corner
of the world; but now her grandmotl-
er's question reused her, and she tried
to answer cheerfully.
"Oh, granny dear, don't mind me !;
I'm all right; it is very kind of you to
be troubled with me while the children
get over their scarlatina; it is pity it
looks SO gray out of doors, but it does
not rain, and / think l will just take a
race and see what the sea is like; it
will freshen me up, and then i will
come in and do my letter writing"
Don't 60 far, my dear" said Mrs.
Danvers, "for it is hardly fit for you, the
wind is to high"
But Florence was out OF the room
before the old lady's sentence was fin
ished, and in another two minutes was
making her way to the cliffs, her head
bent down, and her cloak held tightly
round her in q fierce contest with the
wind.
At first her thoughts were rather
gloomy. another month down here :?
How can / survive it? If only mother
had let me visit at the Leighs instead;
would not mind if was doing any one
any good" she said to herself, "but the
old folks are quite happy together
without me, and, in fact, it rather wor-
ries them to have to amuse me. There
I could have had masters, and gone on
with my music, or indeed l 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 eat and drink, and take q walk and
go to bed" And Florence heaved a
deep sigh.
She had been reading q good deal
lately upon the idle. useless lives girls
often lead, and she was in q 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 grand
fathers 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 some good in the world. So
she wandered on till she felt chilly,
and mended her pace. By and by, for
something to do, she bent her steps to-
ward the cottage of an old woman who
lived at the Point. as the place was
called, where the cliffs took an abrupt
turn westward.
Bridget More was bedridden, and al.
ways glad for some one to chat with.
This time, however, Florence was
amazed and distressed to find the usu.
ally cheerful Irish woman sobbing most
bitterly over q scrap Of paper which
she pushed into Florence's hand as she
entered, being unable to speak. II
contained few lines from the surgeon
of the infirmary in the nearest town.
"Your son, Robert More, has been
brought here suffering from conclusion
of the brain, having fallen off the cliffs
near the town."
"Cheer up Bridget" said Florence
cheerfully. lit may not he SO sad. Ny
father fell off his horse last year and
had concussion of the brain, but he go,
we'll I will ask my grandfather tt
send to the infirmary to ask after Rob
ert. But how shall you manage with
out him? Who will attend to you now
You must have little girl from the
village"
And Florence began to wonder who
could be found 20 wait on the old wo
man.
But Bridget tried to stop her sobs
while she said:
at isn't Robert frets me, Miss Dan
vers; do not 80 much mind that the
lads had many crack on the head
afore now, but it's the light, miss. H,
ought to be here to SEQ to it, and
can't stir to do it." and she sobbed. ant
wept afresh.
Robert, the old woman's son, hai
charge of the lighthouse, which stood
on a rock easily reached ut low water
His duties were very simple, consisting
merely of supplying the light with oil
That morning he had chanced to breal
the vessel containing the reserve oil
and had gone to town in quest of NOR,
whom he had met with his accident
On the cottage table stood the broker
Jar with small remnant OF oil in thu
bottom.
"He said the light would run dowI
tonight" sobbed the poor woman, "an(
this bad weather there'll be vessels OF
the rock afore morning, and my Rober
will have to bear the blame, and h
sick in bed"
"Isn't there enough oil there IL rui
the light till morning. asked Flor
ence, pointing to the jar.
"Ay, sure; but never o soul has beel
near me since the bit OF q child dropped
the notes and ran of, and me tied t
my bed like log"
"Let me fetch man from the vii
lage," said Florence.
But the old woman shook her head
"The time Wouldn't serve," she said
"this west wind, If . body ran straigh
for their lives, they coutdnt only jus
get there and back before the It'd
comes in"
II will CO. said Florence. "there /
time for that; / know all about it
Robert showed me how to put the OF
into the lamp the day grandfather ant
] went over there;' and she took til
pitcher ID her hand. "The key
bridget. All, ] see it, and before th
old woman could get ont tho blessingi