Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-04
81. h,nd. !. he took hold Of mine,

his naD0, ~ w e"Vn "S' " ~'
burned with fever.
"Fof mercy's sake. Edam, take
care! II ye don't mind well be both
in the water"
"An' what o. that? At any rate
we'll drown together, and yell never
belong to another man."
! clasped my hands in an agony Of
terror. Oh, what fool had been not
to have guessed what might happen |
thought Of the poor BARNS at heme
waiting for me now to give them their
suppers and hear their prayers and
tuck them up in their beds, and the
tears rolled down my cheeks at the
thought Of how long they might have
10 wait.
"Oh, Edam, didn't think We ould
be so cruel I" l said between my
sobs; but even the tears failed to move
him.
"You have been cruel enough to
me--it's my turn now he answered
sullenly, as he altered the sail.
BY this time the lurid CLEAN had
almost died out from the sky and all
was dark around us. The wind was
blowing strongly and hurrying the
masses Of clouds across the heavens at
beadlopg 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 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 !"
Gay, it's dear Edsm now you're in
nv power, but how long would it last
if let you win safe to land? Elsie, If
you'll say you'll be my wife I'll make
for shore this minute--if not"
"What then ?" / faltered.
"Fll run us straight on to the
Ribs o. Death, and tbere'll be an end
ont !"
What was / to do? I tried to be
false to Willie for the sake Of dear life,
but it was no use. couldn't get out
the words 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 heed
long into eternity.
gave one loud despairipg cry
ooh, 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 die,
Willie; but love you so, | love you
so!
"Then die, Elsie, for ye shall never
be bis wife !"
| sank down in the bottom Of the
boat and closed my eyes. l 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 it my
disordered imagination which made me
think something had happened which
sounds perfectly incredible?
1t was getting too dark to distinguish
plainly, but surely that was Edam
Carr's big form saw at the other end
Of the boat STOPPING over 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 bowling
tempest, and yet some one had managed
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
nv mind, but at the time | was too
stupefed 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 aud 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.
lie cried out wildly, God help ms,
for I'm mad now, any way" aud.
throwing up his arms, he leaped over
board into the seethipg waves.
watched him strike out when he
rose, but l was too paralyzed to scream
en-. lie had not a chance in that
terrible sea, but was thrown like bit
Of floating weed upon the very rocks
be had been steering for, chung there a
moment, only to be swept back by the
! IGluTn VI TIC hdNbSs saw IIiS III
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 COM
panion. Was it all dream? | did
not know even then, nor did | feel
afraid. but as those eyes met mine
thrill ran through me, and sank
into unconsciousness. Late that night,
when some Of the men went down to
see that their boats were secure, they
found Edam Cars new boat safely
drawn up on the beach and me lying
in it in q dead faint.
After that came time Of dull, stupid
misery to me. | could never answer
questions nor give any account Of that
dreadful evening, save that Edam Carr
had gone mad and jumped overheard
and had been dashed against the " Ribs
Of Death" and hat tainted when this
happened aud knew no more. But,
then, How had the boat been brought
into port? they asked. My story was
proved true by poor Edsm'S 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
| sotnethipg they could not account for