, 1886-07-18

young blood flowed quick and warm in
my veins, to BIO plunged headlong into
eternity.
gave n loud despairing cry.
"Oh, Willie, Willie /! can you not hear
me, my sweetheart, my darling! If you
were only by l know you could save me.
It's for your sake I die, Willie; but I love
you so, l love you SOL
Then die, Elsie, for ye shall never be
his wife,"
l sank down in the bottom of the boat
and closed my eyes. 1 could not look at
my death, though l knew now it must
come. A dull stupor orept over me, and
the agony Of fear which held me before
was gone. Wa it my disordered mag
nation which made me think something
had happened which sounds perfectly
Incredible?
1t was getting too lark to distinguish
plainly, but, surely, that was Edam
Cars big form l saw at the other end
of the boat STOPPING over a coil of rope?
Then, who was the man busted with
the sail in the enter of it?
We were shut off from all human help
there in the midst of a bowling tempest,
III 1tt 5Oult Out Idu uldLdBtu " Oil
on board, and evidently to give us assist
ance. No other vessel could possibly
have approached us while my eyes were
shut, certainly not without my hearing
it. Where then had this stranger come
from?
All these thought flashed through my
mind, but at the time l was too stupe-
fed to wonder much. My faculties
seemed dulled, and / could neither suf-
fer nor fear any more. l simply waited
for the end. / could see dimly the sharp
ridge of rocks we were nearing, and
from which nothing short of a miracle
now could keep us.
But this miracle did take place. All
at once our course changed and the boat
turned from its dangerous way. Then,
: and not till then, did Edam seem to
awaken to the knowledge that he was
no longer managing affairs. With a
sudden oath he started up and crept for
ward.
When he got TO the figure standing
with its back toward him, / saw him
raise his arm to thrust it aside. Then
slowly, slowly it turned and looked him
straight in the face.
He cried out wildly, God help me,
for I'm mad now, anyway" and, throw
ing up his arms, he leapt overheard into
the seething waves.
/ watched him strike out when he rose,
but l was too paralyzed to scream even.
He had not a chance in that terrible sea,
but was thrown like a bit of floating
weed upon the very rocks he had been
ct,o~,.. Co.. ,l,,. tl,ara m -ArI.v
to be swept back by a return of the
waves. l saw this in the last lurid streak
of light which flashed across the water,
before the night came, and in it were
shown at last the features of my strange
companion. Was it all a dream? l did
not know even then, nor did l feel
afraid, but as those eyes met mine a
thrill ran through me, and l sank into
Inconsistencies. Late that night, when
some of the men went down to see that
their boats were secure, they found Adam
Cars new BOAT safely drawn up on the
beach, and me lying in it in a dead
faint.
After that came a time of dull, stupid
misery to me. l could never answer
questions, nor give any account of that
dreadful evening, save that Adam Carr
had gone mad and jumped overheard,
and had been dashed against the Ribs
of Death and that l tainted when this
happened and knew 10 more. But then,
how had the boat been brought into
port, they asked? My story was proved
true by poor Adams body being washed
ashore two days after. For long the
people looked at me strangely. Their
superstition made them regard me as
%"uncanny," and shun me as something
they could not account for. Besides; in
stead of the sea claiming its victim, as
they expected it to do. 1 had been mirac-
ulously saved from it!
/ often wonder l did not go mad my
self during hat dreary time.
For / settled in my own mind clearly
enough how it was. | should never see
my bonnie sweetheart more. l had not
u doubt that he was dead, and that my
cry for help had brought him in the
spirit to my assistance. For awhile l
nursed my sullen grief in silence; but at
last Miss Ashford's kindness broke down
the barrier, and l told her everything.
Only for that, and because she did not
laugh at me, and believed that l spoke
the truth, l should have lost my senses or
my life, for the secret was killing me.
Truly there are strange mysteries we
can not hope to be revealed in this life, +"
she said solemnly. Hast thou, which art
but air, a touch, a feeling, of their atiic-
tions?' | would try not to think too
much about it Elsie; and don't give way
to despair, above all. Think how the lit
tie ones need you"
1t was all very well to talk, and | did
try honestly; but l couldn't help think
ing of my boy during the long, dreary
winter nights, after the children had
gone to bed, and l was left alone by the
glimmering freight. Then the tears
would come, and, oh! it felt so lonely,
and life so sad wanting him.
l was sitting thus one night, leaning
my cheek upon my hand, and the
stocking l was knitting for one of the
BARNS had fallen upon the floor, while ]
gazed into the dying embers. How long
l sat l know not, but suddenly the Goals
fell together and fiared up into a blaze,
and there, on the other side of the
hearth, stood Willie, my Willie, laugh
ing down at me.
i screamed and covered my eyes. ]
dared not look at what seemed confirma-
ton of my worst fears; but in a moment
warm. living arms were round my neck,
and / was clasped to a strongly beating
heart.
What, what ails thee, sweetheart
One would say you'd seen a ghostl'
did not tell him hen that l mad taken
him for one. The tears were turned into
tears o. 10Y at once, and the world