Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-09-28
rHH E1saERmAN.s snUMur.
By ARzHUR L MEsEavE.

"Don't you think he is dying, Benz"
''Soms people would, Altek. Folks
living away inland Who never heard the
sound OF The see, often get mistaken In
such mAtterIi and then people do die
there ct all hOurs Of night and day. But
you never knew one who has followed
mis- calling, and was never hardly away
from the sound Of the ocean, but what
vent ont upOn the unknown see when
the tide Of thAs By which he had lived
Was turning"
"Are you suus this lie always the
ease, BENZ" And the other bent hts
fAoe closer down to That OF the siok
man.
always, AieoE," replied the old
man, confidently; "but this you wonld
know II You want quite 30 nj oh Of
land lubber. Mark my words, he cant
die until the tide turns, and that won't
be for some hours yet. Then he will
glide out ~ quietly As boat on . sum
mer see"
His companion made no reioiudeT,
although he evidently took no offence
at this superior WiadOm ON the part Of
his oomEAdet but he bent his head lower
and listened more intentiy to the ftiul
aASps Of the man lying before them.
1t was At the close OF . hot, murky,
sumuok uhyt Anu thu uhtAutbb AAu
already oommepoed 70 NIL the low,
time stained room in which they stood.
Toe door and the two windows II con-
tAined were open, 90 ~ TO let in what
little sir there might be stirring with
out, 30 help the sick man ~ we'll As TO
rtlIevs the watchers bending above hts
bed.
The moaning sound OF the surf ont 90
the harDor bar, and the lBpping of tina
water on the sandy beach below them,
came TO them from the outside A
huah like that OF death Teigned over
sea and land along the north shore
that snight; as though nature were 10
huBhed as the watchers, waiting for the
spirit Of the old fisherman, Paul Has.
liR, to take It's flight iato thoss unknown
waters over which the boat OF no living
man had Rllded ever 70 n t1rD.
One Of them, Ben HARDY, WAS q COM
rade OF the sick MAS. Many and
many were the 6ghiug trips they had
taken together. The other, Aleok Fra
IcAlled him. He was diAtAntly related
leo the fisherman, aud had come 10 pay
hlm visit, with no thought OF finding
him 80 low. Day In and day out they
had watched over the sick bel, and
nOw their vigilB were about TO emo.
Deeper and daeper grew the darkness
In the room, but all At once 1t WAS dts
PEELED By the appearance OF q light
The door which divided the cottage
into two apartments was silently open
cd, and q young girl stepped out, bear
ing in her hand . lighted lamp.
/ How 10 grandfather, noW2" sh'
aSked, in tones - sweet aB her OWE
face.
"He IL no better," answered Ben; NJ
: then he added, land he never will b.
10 this world, my girl"
DO you think Il is IS bsd as ,hat2'
she asked In tremulouB tonss.
"YeI. He will not SEQ the light o
another dAy. When the tide Gibbs bill
, life will run out with 1t "
And that will be at midnight, BsL T.
"a little after eleven, IL my memory
The EIEI came into the room and 90
down the lamp on . stsnd close to tn
b head OF the bed. Her eyes were moist
and tear stood upon her pale cheek
y 81 hoped that Rob would have 20
bBcE before II came TO that" she said
81 have thought for she last few day
thAs there must be something he wisheI
: 10 say to him-Bom sthina that he Woult
d InOs trust to other ears. I've been look
0 ling do Rn over the bay ever since sun
= ldOWn, but have not seen so muoh a.
I speok on the water. Surely he mus
come in soon, and only hope that 1
: may not be TOO late."
J, II hope 90 too, Pearl, II that ls tn
y case. But Rob must indeed come soon
Tor your grandfather will be gone Whsrl
his boat cannot follow"
, The form upon the bed made q Sigh
aud tho lima wnnUah aiAn IA
sound came therofTom, but II he utteret
any words they were 30 iodiatinot tina
those bending over him could not cato
them.
"WhAt do you want, PAUL. can't 20,
speak q little lOudeI2"
As he said thls, AIeck bent his en-
close down 10 the lips Of his friend
Apparently by great effort, he utst rs'
o single word;
"Robr'
NE wants the boy" said Alaok. +"
do wish that he WAS here. 1t was tim
Hong ago for him 70 be In"
"It's the way he has been al day,
said Pearl. "There Is something on hi
mind, aud he cannot rest ct ease anti
he secs him. CANT you speak to me
grAndfathst2 ! an sure Rob will b
here very soon."
A low moan was the only answer
land then, gently motioning the me
aside, PaArl took her plAcs by the bed
! lslde. where she had already pAsse
many weary hours.
4 Ban and Altck went ont into Oh
might, to get . breath OF the ocean an
] Ito watch for r %, and she was alon
with the dying man.
What WAS IL that he 90 much vii n =
to tell, but would to no other than ROt
7nUt even to herEeli? She had lived wit
her grandfather ever since she could n
member, and had been taught to ca
her young play mate her oousiD, Ell
though neither he or she could lear
Aught Of his parentagei there Was Sol
OF vague tradition In the little hGmlt
that none knew who he was save til
fisherman himself, and that he Eas
no wise re Ated to him by ties Of biool
but when Questioned on this point oil
Paul was 80 silent a. the grave. N
one yet had been Bhrawd enough
make him open his lips on the matte
AithouRh many had attempted IL. To
secret, n there was one, he had kept
himself all there years.
To Pearl, Rob was now more than
Ip'aymAte ard y cousin. They love
leach other, and looked eagerly TorwaI
~ 10 the day when they should beoom
husband and wife.
For several minutes Pearl sat wit
her eyes hxed upon the white face b
= fore her, half buried In TevsTy, froi
which ahe vas ct length startled by u
lcud, CHEEKY voice Of Ben RH he almo