Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1885-09-17

In the early summer Of 500. ! wen, up
on a visit TO a distant relative of mine, who
lived on one Of the Shetland Islands. 1t
was early summer with myself. then was
a medical student with life all before me.
The steamboat landed ME at Lerwick,
and completed my journey-wih my
boxes-nex; day in an open boat. It wa.
very cold morning. with a gray. cold, chop
py sea, the spray from which dashed
over the boat. wetting me thoroughly. and
making me feel pinched. blear-eyed and
miserable.
An opening in a wall Of rock took Us a,
length into a long, winding ford. or arm Of
the sea, with green. bare fields on every
side. and Wild. weird looking sheep that
gazrd on US for a moment, then hlcaied and
fed. Righ, al the end of this rock stood
my friends house. comfortable and solid
looking, but unsheliered by single tree.
II -hant stay long here" SAID 10 nv
self As landed
An hour or tso afterwards had changed
my mind entirely. was seated in a charm
lngly and coziiy furnished drasing room up
stairs. The windows looked gu, to and
away across the broad Atlantic How very
strange II was for the loch that had led me
20 the front of the house. the waters Of
which rippled up To the edge Of the lawn,
was par, of the German Ocean, and here
al the back, and not a stones throw dis
tan,, wss the Atlantic,
Beside the FIRE, in an easy chair. sat my
gray haired relation and host, and, not far
of. his wife Presently Cousin Maggie en-
tered, smiling on me a. she did so; her
hard fingered for a moment on her fathers
gray locks, then she sat down u1b!dden 10
The piano. On the strength of my bood-re-
lstionshlp, distant, though il was, for We
were really but third or fourth cousins. was
made member of TIN, family from the first,
and Maggie treated me as d brother. ] was
not entirely pleased with the latter arrange
ment, because ere many days | concluded II
would be pleasant pastime for me to make
love 10 Cousin Maggie.
But weeks went by, and nv love-making
was still postponed; il became SINE de
kind of probability. Maggie was con-
stantiy with me when out Of doors-my
companion in my fishing and shooting trips.
But she carried not only a rod, bu, a rife
herself; and she could give lessons in cast
ing the fy-and did; .he often shot dead
the seals that had merely wounded. and
her daring in ven,urlng so very far out TO
in our broad, open boat, often made me
,remble for our safety.
One day Maggie and were together in
a cave close by the ocean-a fAvorite haunt
Of ours on hot afternoons. Our boat was
drawn up close by. The day was bright,
and the sea calm, It's Tiny wavelets making
dIowsy, dreamy wAve.ets on the yellow
sands. She had been reading aloud, and |
was gazing at her face.
Il begin to think you are very beautiful" a"
said.
She looked down al me where lay, with
those innocent ewes of hers, that always
looked into mine frankly as little chi!d's
would.
I'm not sure" continued, that shan I
commence To make love 10 you. and per-
haps might marry you. What would you
think of that ?"
Love" she laughed, as musically as a
sea-nymph. Love betwixt a cousin and u
cousin? Prepos,erous -
Il dare say" | resumed, pretending to
pout, you wouldn't marry ME because I'm
poor
Poor" she repeated, looking very firm
and earnest now, IF the man loved we're
poor I'd carry creel fer him; I'd gather
shells for his sake But don't love any
body, and don't mean to. Come
SO that was the beginning and end Of my
/ loye-making with Maggie.
And Maggie said she had never meant to
/ love any one. Well, we can never tell what
NAV be in our immediate future.
! Hardly had we left the cave that day and
karv
to rutfie the water They came in from the
west, and before We had got halfway to
the distant headland, steady breeze was
| blowing. We had hoisted our sail, and
were running before it with the speed of a
! gull on the wing.
Once round the point. we had a beam
wind till we entered the ford, then we had
10 beat to windward all the way home, by
which time it was blowing quite gale.
Ii went more TO the north towards sunset
{ and then, for the first time, We noticed a
Yacht Of small dimensions, on the distan,
/ horizon. Her intention appeared to be that
of rounding the island. and probably an
/ choring on the lee side of il. She was in an
/ ugly position, however, and we all watched
( her very anxiously till darkness hid her
/ from our view.
! retired early but sleep was out Of the
/ question, for the wind ragged and howled
around the house like wild wolves. About
twelve o'clock the sound of gun fell on my
| ear. | could not be mistaken, fJr the win
| dows ratified in sharp response.
| i sprang from my couch and began to
dress, and Immediately afterward my aged
relative entered my room. He looked very
serious.
"The yacht is on the Ba," he said sol
EMMY.
| They were words TO me of fearful sgnlfi-
canee TIE yacht, knew, must soon break
up, and nothing could save the crew.
/ | quickly followed my relative into the
back drawing-room, where Maggie was with
her mother. We gazed out into the night
out and across the sea- At the same mo-
ment, out there on the terrible Ba. blue
! light sprang up, revealing the yacht, and
even its people on board. She was leaning
well over to one side, her masts gone and
the spray dashing over her.
Come cried Maggie, "there is no time
to lose. We can guide the boat 70 the cave
Come. cousin!"
felt dazed, thunderstruck. Was l tc
take an active part in forlorn hope T? Was
Maggie-how beautiful and daring SHE
looked now-to assume the role of a modern
Grace Darling So it appeared.
We pulled out of the ford, Maggie and
and up under the lee of the island then
on rounding the point, we encountered thu
whole force of the sea and wind.
There was a glimmering light on thu
wrecked yacht, and for that we rowed, Of
rather were borne along on the gale. NJ
boat save Shetland skIf could have beer
trusted in such sea.
As We neared the Ba, steadying hersel
by leaning on my shoulder. Maggie stool
up and waved the lantern, and it was an