Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-02-17

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NEVER DID THE SEA HAVE SUCH A FAscINA-
TtoN FOR oAKHURST.
agreeable, but inwardly cool and self-pos-
sessed. Still at times the strange thrills re-
turned the soft light of her eyes fell upon
him, and the intoxication he felt at his first
meeting with her again drowned his senses
in delight.
They did not talk very freely that sum-
mer's day. The heart when full rarely pours
itself out in words. A look, a pressure of
the hand, or if such improprieties are to be
imagined) kiss, expresses the emotions far
better than the most glowing speech. 1t wss
enough for Irene, stepped in delicious languor,
to sway with the rocking boat, to feel the
soft wind dallying with her hair, and to look
with unutterable fondness at her companion.
As long as the ceremonies of society are oh.
served, and people are kept asunder rooms
distance, so that only the mind acts, and the
senses are in repose, reserve may keep up its
barrier. Words lose their electricity in
passing througha cool tract of air and Reason
shows all things in her own clear white
light But establish magnetic circle by
contact, let hand rest in quivering hand
while eye looks into melting eye, and Reason
may as well resign her sway. When the
nerves tingle the heart bounds, and the
breath quicken, estates, honors, family, pru-
dence, are of little worth. The Grundys.
male and female, may go hang; the Joy of
the present to transcend all memory, so
eclipses hope even, that all else is forgotten.
The boat careened somewhat, and Irene
changed her seat to the opposite side, quite
uear to Oakhurst. His right hand held the
tiller-his left, quite unconsciously it would
seem, fell into her open palm. The subtle
influence ran through every fibre. What he
said he did not know, only that
he verged towards the momentous
subject, and committed himself so
far that he must either come plainly
to the point or apologize and withdraw as
best he might Could he withdraw, while,
as he held her soft hand that lambert fire
played along his nerves. He did not give
up the hand.
Poor little Agnes! Her picture in his
breast pocket no longer weighed upon his
heart.
The breeze freshened, the boat rose and fell
with easy motion over the whitening waves
The sun all at once was obscured. They
looked behind them; heavy black cloud
was rising rapidly in the west. Oakhurst
put the boat about, and as it met the shock
of the sea they were covered with spray. To
go back in the wind was clearly impossible:
they must beat up, and, hauling as close
to the wind as possible, they stood towards
a projecting cape. For a mile or two they
held this course, and then tackled. But max
ing very little Roadway in that direction, the
bow was turned northward again. In COM
ing about they shipped SO much water that
Irene, though by no means a coward screamed
out, 1--WE are lcst!" She flung herself into
the bottom of the boat and laid her head IN
Oakhurst's lap like frightened child. He
soothed her and denied that there was any
danger; he did not venture to tack again,
however, for fear of being swamped, but de-
termined to run northwardly along the coast
in the hope of getting ashore on some sandy
beach before the fury of the storm should
come. The boat now careened SO
far that her gunwaIe was under
water; he saw that he must take
in the mainsail. With some difficulty he
persuaded Irene to hold the tiiler while he
let go the halliards. The mainsail came down
with run, and the boat kept on with the jib
only, sthough of course at slower rate.
They were still two or three miles from shore
and the storm increased momentarily. The
rain now fell in blind torrents, and black
ness as of night brooded over the sea. Oak
hurst was utterly bewildered, but held on to
the tiller with his aching, stiffening hand, and
strove to inspire his companion with courage.
The boat was "down by the head" on account
of the winds drawing the jib, and rolled and
plunged furiously. Behind were threatening
pillows, and before were ragged, precipitous
rocks, round which the surges boiled and ed
died. Oakhurst quailed as he neared the aw-
Eel III e+iu In r.,
of the peril to helpless woman in Chamber
ing up those cliffs, even if she were not
drowned before reaching them. Every fash
of lightning seemed to disclose some new hor
ror. If life is measured by sensations. he
lived years of torture in the few minutes
during which he waited for the shock of the
bows against the granite wall Irene.
fortunately, had become insensible, though
her sobbing, painting breath showed the
extremity of terror that had pursued
her as long as consciousness remained.
Nearer and nearer they come; an oars
length, step; they touch nowi No, a wave
careens the boat, and she lightly grazes by.
Now opens cleft, perhaps wide enough for
her to enter. With helm hard down the bow
sweeps round, and they float into narrow
basin with high, perpendicular walls, open
ing only towards the sea. When within this
little harbor, the boat lodged on shelly
ing rock and keeled over as the wave
retreated. Oakhurst and his companion,
who had now recovered from her swoon
kept their places as though hanging at the
caves of house. They were safe from the
fury of the storm, but there was no prospect
of an immediate deliverance. The rock rose
sheer above them thirty or forty feet, and
they were shut up in the bottom of a well
The waves dallied about the narrow en-
trance, shooting by, meeting, or returning
on the sweep of an eddy; but at intervals
they gathered their force, and. tunbling
over each other, rushed in, dashing the
spray to the top of the basin, and complete
ly drenching the luckless voyagers. This,
however, was not so serious a matter as it
would have been if their clothes had not been
wet before in the heavy rain. The tide
slowly rose, and the boat foated higher
and higher against the rock, as TIE
shadows began to settle over the guf.
In spite of the peril they had encountered,
and their present discomfort and perpiexity.
Oakhurst now experienced an indescribable
pleasure. Irene was exhausted with fatigue
and terror, and rested her head upon his
shoulder. Unconsciously he used the cheer
ing, caressing tones which the circumstances
naturally prompted. 1t was an occasion to
draw ont what was most manly, most ten
der, most chivalric in him The pride OF the
woman was gone her articles forgotten. In
that hour she had looked beyond the fic-
tftious distinctions of society; she had found
herself face TO face with her companion
without disguise, as spirit looks upon spirit,
and she felt herself drawn to him by the
loyalty which superior nature inevitably
inspires
A slight movement Of the boat caused Oak
hurst to turn his head. Ju-5 behind him
there was a shelf not three feet above the
gunwale; beyond was q second step, and still
farther a winding fssure After measuring
the distance again with his eve. to be sure
that he should raise no Elusive hope, be
pointed out TO Irene the way to escape
Their conversation had naturally taken an
aNectionate turn. and Oakhurxt's delicate
courtesy and ambiguous words had raised q
tumuit in her hosom which could no longer BE-
repressed. She flung herself into his arms,
and with tears exclaimed:
dear James, you have saved my Ifei It
is yours, Take me"
The rush OF emotion swept away the last
barrier: bs yielded to the impulse; be clasped
her fondly in his arms and gave his heart and
soul to her keeping Carefully he aanisted
her on bY the way he had found. and when