San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-11-08

eff there should be poor human creetur adrift
out thereI"
Dear hearth / think Of her prayers aud
long hours of watching nights when great
storms roar around our headland, where the
mist from the fretted sea is like furious
rain. She came back shortly, trembling with
excitement.
"There Is something white In the boat,
Gideon, like a woman's scarf"
left my breakfast untasted, running out
to the shore with the glass in my hand. Thel
boat tossed and wavered like live creature
on the foam tipped waves, while In the moan
ing wind a scarf or some loose drapery blew
out like signal of distress. l hurried tol
launch the big yawl that had weathered many
q sea- was bare headed and in my shirt
sleeves
"Here, Gideon: here bel" There she was
my mother. She had a shawl folded over
her shoulders and tied behind: over her cap
was fastened bandanna handkerchief. She
held out my cap
"You are not going" I said, sharply.
Eyes be, son; sum'uns got to steer, as she
falls off SO, an sum'un must keep a lookout
for'ard" She jumped into the boat, taking
the helm in her brown, wrinkled hands. A
fine, brave figure. bent my strength to the
oars 1t was wildish pull; for, though the
wind blew on shore, it was ebb tide, making
a rough, choppy sea wasted no effort to
look ahead, and she kept the boat steady, and
so We soon gained on the speck.
We finally reached the speck, and it proved
to be an open boat. Mother fastened the
painter to it, and did not turn my head.
The wind freshening, rowed hastily to
the shore Our landing was miniature har-
Dor, tiny cove sheltered from tho sea by
frowning rocks at either side Here was
smooth water-only "a long, CLASSY roll. l
stood up to look at the strange craft 1t evil
IDENTIFY belonged to yacht, was dainty and
trim, painted white, with Dolphin" in gold
letters on the side.
Mother" cried hoarsely; "there is a wo-
man in the boatl"
81 know it, but didn't want to distract you
out there. Land me on the seaweed. I'll run
and get the fire up. The poor creetur' may
yet be alive"
pulled the strange boat upon the sand,
and then with beating heart | stopped to
look Under the seats of the boot, where a
rifle of water splashed to and fro, was a wo-
mans figure, slight, though tall, covered
with cloak Of golden plush-though then
did not know what the rare stuff was that
cleaned in tints, like light, through a col
ored window. 1t was lined with soft, white
fur, now draggled and wet with sea wa
ter. Over the womans head was line lace
scarf, one end of which was loose and
had waved a signal of distress In the wind.
She was so still and white that l thought her
dead. | lifted her and carried her to the
house-she weighed no more than a child
Mother had the old lounge drawn close to the
stove, and there l laid our strange guest.
"Hain't she q pretty creetur'r cried
mother. "Some good mans heart is sore dis
tressed this day"
An hour later mother called me. The
strangers eyes, big and blue like her gown,
were wide open, looking about her curl
ously.
II was so cold" she said with a shiver, and
I have never heard q woman's voice sol
strangely sweet Tell me how you found
me-"
So we told her Of the speck on the sea.
While mother dried the golden hair, the
stranger reached up suddenly and drew the
kindly hand to her lips.
God bless you, pretty cretur'i" cried
mother, quite overcome. AN where be
your people now2 Grieving terribly, I well
know"
No" said the stranger, bitterly. There
can be no grief where there IS no love"
SIZE Sre'v vel r. oidlv, and that night caIae
up into the tower to sec me light the lamp.
She watched a while and then she said,
quietly:
'Out in the dark sea last night saw this
great yellow eye 1t gave me courage and
faith. prayed for the first time in many,
many years. | was quite content then, but,
except for knowing you two good people, !
would rather have been dead"
"But you are so young and talk that way"
said awkwardly. Surely life has not been
so hard to you"
"As kind as the Light to the little birds, I"
she muttered, as tiny black object struck
with cruel force against the glass "It has
broken my heart am not young, Mr.. Gid.
con; am as old as you, 90 Your mother
told me about you. All, it Is worth all to
know her. The only spring Of pure water l
have known in my desert"
Marie-she would tell me no other name
was at my mothers side always, following
her about Like a child Mother seemed be-
witched as well Seeing that Marie was del
icate, she made her daily decoctions, petting
her like a baby.
So life went on until Thanksgiving week,
when there was a vacation Of q fortnight,
and Kitty Robbins came to visit US The big
fisherman, her father, rowed her over, and
both he and Kitty, as I saw, looked with sus-
picion on Marie. When he was gone Kitty
came up into the tower where was cleaning
the lamp.
Gideon, she isn't good woman; her hair
is bleached,n she said. Kitty somehow then
looked sallow and homely; her voice rasped
me-the sharp nasal tones Of most New