Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-11-17


Give me your heart!
Clement Scott 10 America.
OFF THE HEAD LIGHT.
1t was Il chill, foggy evening in Septem-
Der; the sea rolled in against the rocks in
great, sullen, gray waves, seething and hiss
ing ovsT-sHe seaweed, the light looked spec
- and ghostly. l turned out the lamp.
Far in the east q rosy tint crept into the mist
| Vent on the iron balcony around the little
Over While stood there thought of my
5esry hie-the only son Of poor fisherman
faowned off Seguin light that flickered in the |
yiS miles out to sea. grewup in that small |
'5Ise, went to school until | was 10, then
'peSan to fish with the mackerel catchers.
Like other lads, had hopes and ambitions
for the future; but mother needed me, so
worked for her. Three years ago--I was IS
now-l was appointed lighthouse keeper on
this peak of land guarding the entrance from
the sea of the wide Sheepscot | reuem-
bered. with no pleasure, Kitty Robbins,
school teacher over at the bay. Mother
wanted me to marry ..er well, | only
wished to please mother; but Kitty ought to
do better than marry poor light keeper.
Come des'-S, breakfast is readyln moth
ers~-SF1e called, and | went down to the
house connected with tte tower by a long,
Low shed. l look at mother; she is worth
mans best years. A tiny, straight figure,
quaint and trim, black gown, neckerchief
as white as snow, q white lace cap over her
snowy hair, pale rose TINT on her soft,
wriukled cheek, and eyes as bright and blue
as the sea. Women age fast in our bleak
lie OF early toll, and she was 40 when l, the
last of five children-all dead but me-was
born
There's speck out there like boat" /
said stopping to kiss her. Before go to
bed I'll look again. There was nasty sea
last night"
The Lord pity the sailors at sea!n qua
vered mother, thinking of that shipwreck oil
Seguin She poured my coffee, fidgeted about
awhile, then went to her bedroom She came
back with her spyglass.
''Ill just 60 back, dearie. like to get the
mornin air from the tower, an lawful me!
eff there should be poor human creetur adrift
out therel'
Dear heart! l think Of her prayers and
long hours Of watching nights when great
storms roar around our head.and, where the
mist from the fretted sea is like a furious
rain. She came back shortly, trembling with
excitement.
"There is something white in the boat,
Gideon, like a womaE's Scarf
| left my breakfast untasted, running out
to the shore with the glass in my hand. The
boat tossed and waverei like live creature
on the folm tipped waves, while in the moan
ing wind q scarf or some loose drapery blew
out like a signal of distress. | hurried to
launch the i!, yawl that had weathered many
aseL was bare headed e.. il nv shirt
sleeves.
Here Gideon: here be-" There she was
my mother. She had shawl folded over
her shoulders and tied behind: over her CAP
was fastened u bandanna handkerchief She
held out my cap.
You are not going" said, sharply
YES l be, son; sun'uns got to steer, as she
falls off so, an sum'un must keep lookout
for'srd" She jumped into the boat, taking
the helm'in her brown. wrinkled hands A
1ne brave figure | bent my strength to the
oars It was a wiIdish pull; for, though the
wind blew on shore, it was ebb tide, making
rough, chopuy sea, wasted no effort t.
LOOK ahead, and she kept the boat steady, and
so we soon gained on the speck.
We finally reached the speck, AMI it proved
To be an open boat. Mother fastened tbs
painter to it, and I did not turn my head.
The wind fresheniar I rowed hastily Il
the shore, Our landing was miniature har
Dor, q tiny cove sheltered from the sea By
frowning ROCKS at either side Here wa
smooth water-onIy a long, CLASSY roll.
stood up 10 look at the strange craft 1t evi
IDENTIFY belonged to a yacht, was dainty aul
trim, painted white, with Dolphin in gol
letters on the side
Mother" l cried hoarsely; ''there is VIC
man in the boat"
~ know it, but didn't want to distract yo
out there Land me on the seaweed- I'll ru
and get the fire up. The poor creetur' ma
yet be alive
Ipuled the strange boat upon the sanC
and then with beating heart l stopped I
look. Under the seats Of the boot, where
rifle Of water splashed to and fro. was a W,
mans figure, slight, though tall, Covere
with a cloak Of golden plush-though then
did not know wlat the rare stuff was tn;
CLEANED in tints, like light, through &C
ored window 1t was lined with soft viii
fur, now dragEled and wet with sea W
ter. Over the woman's head was fine la
scarf, one end Of which was loose al
had waved a sigma OF distress in the win
She was so 81 II and white that | thought
dead ! lifted her and carried her to {
house-she weighed no more than a chi
Mother had the old lounge drawn close to t
stove, and there laid our strange guest.
"Hair'5 she a pretty Creetur'T cri
mother. ''Some good mans hearts, sore
tressed this day
An hour later mother called me. 7
strangers eyes, big and blue like her gov
were wide open, looking about her Gu
ously.
~ was so cod,n she said with a SILVER. a
l have never heard a womans voice
strangely sweet Tel me how you fou
me-
So we told her Of the speck the S
While mother dried the golden hair,
stranger reached up suddenly and drew
kindly hand to her lips.
"God bless you, pretty cretur'I" or
mother quite overcome. "An where
your people now Grieying terribly, v
know"
mo" said the stranger, bitterly. "Th
can be no grief where there IS no love"
She grew well rapidly, and that night ca
up into the tower to see NE light the la
She watched while and then she s.
quietly:
"Out in the dark sea last night saw
great yellow eye. 1t gave me courage
faith. | prayed for the first time in ma
many years. ! was quite content then,
except for knowing you two good peop
wouli rather have been dead.n
"But you are so young and talk that W,
said awkwardly. "Surely life has not /
so hard to YOU
"As kind as the light to the little bir
she muttered, as tiny black object str
with cruel force against the glass sit
broken my heart | am not young, Mr..
con; am as old as you, %. Your mo
told me about you All, it is worth al
know her. Tho C-''' epripg of pure wat
have known III Iuy ,.esert.n
Nare-she would tell me no other mar
was at my mothers side always, follow
her about like child Mother seemed
witched as well Seeing that Marie was
icate, she made her daily decoctions, pet
her like a baby.
30 life went on until Thanksgiving "
when there was a vacation of a fortni
and Kitty Robbins came to visit us. Tht
fisherman, her father, rowed her over,
both be and Kitty as | saw, looked with
picion on Marie When he was gone (