News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-04-22
sensible, they'll come ashore in a 'mazir

sensible, they'll come ashore in main
quick time"
They had now left the beach, ant
were crossing snowy field.
$50 quick" said Sam. ''Here We
are at the house where l take out my
detector."
''In that leather case you carry2"
eyes. This is an ingenious way.
think, to make us faithful. Do you see
that keyp
AS Sam held up the lantern, Wiz
caught the CLEAN of brass chain thai
secured key to the wall of a house
Sam took the key, inserted it in the
time detector, turned it till it clicked
and then, turning it back, withdrew
and placed it in its niche.
There, when you heard that click, 6
little dial inside was struck, and to
morrow mornin' the actin keeper will
rtal:c the dial out, look at it, and see
the record of my faithfulness," said
Sam, proudly.
The patrollman here turned, and
| pointing his slarp nose toward the
beach once more, followed it faithfully.
With him went the battered old ''sou'.
wester," time detectOr, coston signal,
and all, till, once more, Sam and his
young companion were stumbling over
the slippery rocks, among the DIR piping
pools, the sand patches, and the ugly
powders and pebbles.
"HulloW exclaimed Sam, suddenly
and excitedly. The patrolmaan, who
had been slouching along, lazily swing
ing his lantern, apparently seeing moth
ing but his rubber boots, and yet in re-
allty watching the dark, treacherous
sea closely as a hound would eye an
enemy's track, was very different be
ing now. His figure Strengthened; the
old sou'wester went back as if struck
by big meteorlte. Down he set his
lantern, out came his coSton signal, the
rod in the handle was forced down, and
up into the night flashed a red light
The rocks, the pools, the sand, the surf
were stained by this warning ray, while
Sam danced along the sands, and then
slipped down to the edge of the Grim,
soned, tumbllng surf as if gazelle and
not heavy patlolman were inside the
big rubber boots.
'What is it?' asked the astonished
Win, who thought Sam had gone crazy.
''Don't yer see2"
ooh, yes! There it is!'
The 'it" was dark object that Sam
pronounced coaster" its sails loom
ing up against the starry sky, and NOV
ing dangerously near the rocky shore.
''All right!' exclaimed Sam. "She's
doin' better Didn't you hear 'em say,
Hard up! Put your hel-um upr"
81 tell ye, patrolman is all ears at
such time"
''All legs. also, I should say
''Ha, hal she's all right! Next time,
you land lubbers, try and do better"
''Wonder who those are aboard"
'Don't know. However, I'd signal
if l knew it was my worst enemy"
'Have you any enemies2" asked Win,
surprised to know that this good ma
tured patrolman had an enemy.
81 began to think l had one t'other
day." said Sam, as the two slowly
walked toward the station. ''Our life
saving stations are set of in deestricks.
and there's a superintendent over each
one. Ours came down on me last week
his names Myrich-'cause he said I'd
been drinkin' at the village the night
lfore, and he could prove it. He said
d left my namo, Som Willi"nas-'
,hall<ed on the saloon counter. 1t wasn't
me, for bout that time was down here,
as l ought to have been, but | couldn't
prove what they call an H'ibi-or lallyby,
as a man said-for nobody here saw me
jest that hour, as was outside the
house, stroilin' back of it. Myrich
was down on me, and didn't drop me,
but put me on probation. Me on pro-
baton! l felt pretty hard toward My
rich, tell We"
Sam fumed all the way to the station,
and yet when Win asked him if he
would have burnt that signal for Ny
rich, Sans prompt answer was: 'I'd
have burnt it tor dog, and course l
would for Myrich Mustn't let your
feelin's interfere with your duty"
The next day Sam was about entering
the station after a walk down Pebbly
Beach, when he halted in the door
way. There was the little living room.
Between the two windows, cycling the
east, was the stove. Above it was a
wooden frame for drying all kinds of
wet things. A cupboard was in one
corner, and opposite was yellow din
ing table. Over the table, ON the wall,
tlcked clock, and barometer said
''Fair. The surfmen were sitting
about the stove. Were they all surf
men? Out from this group stepped
Mr.. Myrich, the uperintendent of the
district. Advancing toward
Sam, he said, civilians, you know 1
felt obliged to put you on probation
the other day, but learn that 1 was
mistaken in my man-that somebody
else by the name of Sam Williams was
the chap in that saloon at the village.
| learn that you were the patrol who
burnt his signal so promptly last night,
and happened to be in that very YES
sci. l came here to transfer the acting
keeper to be the head of another sta
tion, and l shall write to Washington
that they must appoint you keeper
here"
And what could Sam Williams say?
Imagine = Christian Union.