Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-09-17

"Are you madp' exclaimed my thoughts
taking words all unconsciously.
Edam laughed again, that horrible, cruel
laugh which had no mirth in il.
MAY be. Sometimes l think | am my
sell, but ii / am, it's for love o. you"
His eyes were 80 bright and so wild l
could not bear to look at them, and his
hand, as he took hold Of mine, burned with
fever.
"For msrcy's sake, Edam. take care II
yo don't mind we'll be both In the water"
"An' what o. that At any rate we'll
drown together and you'll never belong to
another man"
clasped my hands In agony OF. terror.
o what fool | had been not TO have
guessed what might happen ! thought OF
the poor BARNS at home waiting for mo
now to give them their suppers, and hear
their prayers, and tuck them up In their
bods and the tears rolled down my checks
at the thought Of how long they might have
TO wait
20 Edam, I didn't think ye could be so
cruel" said between my sob3. But even
the tears failed to move him
you have been cruel enough to ms-its
my turn nowlh he answered sullenly, as
he altered the sail.
By this time the lurld CLEAN had almost
died out from tie sky, and all was dark
and hurling tia mass Of clouds across tho
heavens at head-iong speed, and toaring 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 more
than can understand. In the hands of a
less experienced boatman 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!"
SAY, it's dear Edam now you're in my
power, but how long would It last il | let
you win safe to landi Elsie, il you say
you'll DO my wife I'll make for the shore
this minute-if not
"What thenW faltered.
IN run US straight on TO the RIBS o.
DEATH and there'll be an end on'tr'
What was to do. | tried to be false to
Willie for the sake of dear life but It was
no use. couldn't got out tbs ve-il2 which
would make me so II must die must,
and there was no help for it; but Oh! it
was hard, while the young blood flowed
quick and warm in my veins, to be plunged
headlong into eternity.
gave one loud, despairing cry.
%. Willie, WILLIE can you not hear mo,
II you were only by know you could save
me. It's for your sake die, Willie; but
love you so, love you sor'
Then die, Elsie, for ye shall never be his
Wifem
| sank down in the bottom of the boat
and closed my eyes. could not look at
my death, though l knew now it must
come. A dull stupor crept over me and
the agony OF fear which held me before
was gone. Was 1t my disordered imagina-
tion which made mo think something had
happened which sounds perfectly ilcredi-
hlei II was getting too dark to distinguish
plainly, hut, surely, that was Edam Carr's
big form saw at the other end Of the boat
stopping over coil of ropo. Then who
was tho man busted with the sail in the
center Of iti We were shut oft from all
human help there In the midst OF q bowling
tempest and yet some one had managed
TO come on board, and evidently to give us
his assistance. No other vessel could pos
sibly have approached us while my oyes
were shut, certainly not without my hear
ing 1t, Where, then, had this stranger
come from All these thoughts flashed
through my mind hut at the time
was too stupefied to wonder much. Ny
faculties seemed dullcd, and could neither
suffer nor fear any more. ! simply
waited for the end. could soc dimly the
sharp ridge OF rocks we wore nearing, and
from which nothing short OF miracle
now could keep us. But this miracle did
and the boat turned from its dangerou,
way. Then, aud not till then, did Edam
seem to awaken to the knoYledge that he
was no longer managing affairs With @
sudden oath he started up and crept for
ward.
When he got to the figure standing with
| It's back toward him, saw him raise his
arm to thrust II aside Then slowly, slow
| ly it turned and looked him straight In the
| face.
He cried out wildly: "God help me, foI
I'm mad now, anywayp and, throwing up
| his arms he leaped overheard into the
| seething waves.
watched him strike out when he rose
but was too paralyzed to scream, even
| He had not chance in that terrible sea
but was thrown like bit of floating weed
| upon the very rocks he had been steering
| for, clung there a moment, only to bt
swept back by the return OF the waves.
saw this in the last lurid streak OF ligh
which flashed across the water before tn,
night came, and In it were shown at las
the features Of my strange companion
| Was 1t all dreami did not know ever
then, nor did | feel afraid, but as thos,
eyes met mine thrill ran through me
and | sank into Inconsistencies, Lat,
| that night, when some of tho men wen
down to see that their boats were secure
they found Edam Carr's new boat safely
drawn up on the beach and me lying in /
in dead faint.
Aftor that came time of dull, stupi,
misery to me. could never answer ques
tions, nor give any account OF that dread
full evening, save that Edam Carr had gon
mad and jumped overheard, and had boei
dashei against the "Ribs Of Death,n ant
that | tainted when this happened AM
knew no more. But, then, how had th
boat been brought into port, they asked
My story was proved true by poor Edam'
body being washed ashore two days after
For long the people looked atms strangely
Their superstition made them regard IN
now as an "uncanny" and shun me n
something they could not account for. Be
sides, instead OF the sea claiming its victim
as they. expected It to do. ! had beel
miraculously saved from It'll loften wondo
did not go mad myself during that drear,
time For | settled In my own mint
clearly enough how it was. should neve
see my bonnie sweetheart more. had no
doubt that he was dead, and that my crl
for help had brought him in the spirit h
my assistance. For awhile l nursel my
sullen griefin in silence; but at last Miss Ash
forl's Kindness broke down the barrier
and told her every thing. Only for tina
and because she did not laugh at me, bu
believed that spoke the truth, shoul'
have lost my senses or my life, for tn
secret was killing mo.
"rruly there are strange mysteries W
can not hope to be revealed in this life
she said soemnly. "'Hast thou whicl
art but air. touch, feeling Of thei
afIlictionsr would try not to think too
much about IL, Elsie; and don't give wa!
to despair, above all. Think how the littl
ones need you.n
1t was all very we'll to talk, and did tr,
honestly: but couldn't help thinking o
my boy during the. long, droary winte
nights, after the children had gone to bed
and was left alone by the glimmerin
firelight Then the tears would come, and
oh 1t felt so lonely and life so sad wantin
him. was sitting thus one night leanin
my cheek upon my hand, and the stockin
was knitting for one OF the BARNS ha
fallen upon the floor while gazed into th
dying embers. How long sat know not
but suddenly the Goals fell together an
hared up into blaze, and there, on th
other side OF the hearth stood Willie, m
Willie, laughing down ut me. Iscreame
and covered up my eyes. / dared not loo
at what seemed confirmation OF my wor'
fears; but in moment warm, living arm
were around my neck and was clasped {
q strong, beating heart.
"Why, what ails thee, sweethenrtl On
would say you'd seen ghostw
did not tell him then that had take
him for one. The tears were changed int
tears OF Joy at once, and the world SCENE
bright and gay, now Willie was safe c
homel Whom did tell him at last whu
had caused mo so much misery he onl
laughed, and said l must have let IN
imagination run away with me. But l
acknowledged to having had trouble
dream. in which called on him for he'll
though he always declares ho can not +
member any thing more about ii.
Inever look at tho "Ribsof Death wit