The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-08-27
the thought of how long they might

| have to wait.
he so cruel" | said between my soos'
But even the tears failed to move nlm'
"You have been cruel enough TO me
IFS NV turn now!" he answered sui
lenly, as he altered the sail
By this tine the lurid g'eam ha1
| almost died out from the sky ana all
was dark around us. The wind was
blowing strongly and hurrying the
masses of clouds across the heaven
at headlong speed, and tearing at the
water until the air and the waves
mingled in one wild fray. How our
little boat lived at all in such a storm
is O than | can understand. In
| the hand of a less experienced boat
nan we should have been lost in no
time.
"Do have pity on me and the poor
little ones that have only me to look
to, Edam-dear Edam!"
.Ay, It's dear Edam now you're III
| nv power, but how long would it last
if / let YOU win safe to land? Elsie, II
you'll be ma wife I'll make for shore
this minute-it not"
"What then?" | faltered.
"Tu run us straight on to the Ribs
O. Death and there'll be an end ont"
What was l to do? [ tried to be
false to Willie for the sake OF dear lite,
but it was no use. / couldn't get out
the words which would make me so!
II I must die | must, and there was no
help for it, but, OH 1t was hard,
while the young blood flowed quick
and warm in my veins, to be plunged
headlong into eternity.
Igave one loud des0airing cry.
"Oh, Willie, W!II1e! can you not hear
me, my sweetheart, my darling? II
you were only by l know you could
save me-. It's for your sake | die,
Willie; but love you so, l love you
! SOL"
"Then die, Elsie, for ye shall never
be his wife"
Isank down in the bottom OF the
boat and closed my eyes. | could not
look at my death, though | knew it
must come. A dull stupor crept over
me, and the agony OF fear which held
me before was gone. Was it my dis
ordered imagination which made me
think something had happened which
sounds perfectly incredible?
1t was getting too dark to distin-
guish plainly, but, surely, that was
Edam Carr's big form | saw at the
other end Of the boat STOPPING over q
coil OF rope?
Then who was the man busted with
the sail in the centre Of it?
We were shut off from all human
help there in the midst of a bowling
tempest, and yet some one had man
aged to come On board, and evidently
to give us his assistance. 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 thoughts flashed through
my mind, but at the time | vas too
stupefied to wonder much. My facul.
ties seemed dulled, and Icould neither
suffer nor fear any more. / simply
waited for the end. | could see dimly
the sharp ridge of rocks we were near,
ing, 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 forward.
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,
Tor I'm mad now, any way" and,
throwing up his arms, he leaped over.
board into the seething waves.
II watched him strike out when he
rose, but | 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 steering for, chung there
for q moment, only to be swept back
by the return OF the waves. / saw
this in the last lurid streak OF light
which flashed across the water befor,
the night came, and in it were shown
at last thefeatures of my strange com.
panion. Was it all q dream? / did
not know even then, nor did | fee
afraid, but as those eyes met mine q
thrill q through me, and ! sank into
unconsciousness. Late that night,
when some OF the msn went down tt
see that their boats were secure, they
found Edam Cars new BOAT safely
drawn up on the beach and me lynn.
in it in q dead faint.
After that came a time OF dull, stu
pid misery to me. / could never an
swer questions, nor give any account
OF that dreadful evening, save that
Edam Carr had gone mad andjumped
overheard, and had been dashed
against the cribs OF Death and thai
l tainted when this happened anf