The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-01-12
THE STORM BRIDE.


waste OF the Gulf Of Mexico. 1t is a rough
night. Flashes of lightning illuIniuc at in
teryals both sea and SKY. a bari, rises and
falls amid tho heavlug pillows, her masts
standing up bare to the fury Of the temp
est. Mighty sens strike her blows that
make her reel, then come dancing, leaping
oyer her With phosphosescent smiles Of un.
canny joy.
a great jolt. The vessel stops, thrcb
bing. Thcu she falls upon her side, and is
buried in the biiny deep.
Four seameu, including the captain, who
have lashed themselves to the mizzen-nast
cannot free themselves quickly enough,
and the farce water stranrles them to
death
The fifth, a young and powerful Amerl-
can, swept from The deck by an avalanche
OF brine, seems TO descend for an age into
the black, roaring depths, the weight of a
mountain crushing him down. He fights
desperately Tor life. He must have anulh.
or breath of air
Savagely he strikes down the water with
his hands, and tfeads with his feet. lie
begins 10 ascend What booming is in
bis ears. Win be never roach tho surface?
How heavy his legs and arms are becom-
ing. The veins iu his head lhrob as though
they would bIeak their bounds.
Looking upward, he can sec through a
thick root Of green ocean the lightning's S
flash. The thunder rolls as bis head
emerges IRON the water He is on the top
of great wave The swelling seas are
silver TIPPED. they rise in big mounds,
phosphoresceuce faintlyrcvcaling darkvales
between.
Alexander Noble sees in one direction
long lines OF foam. There may be safet,
there,
He faces that way, ard strikes out with
renewed vigor. lie sinks into ono Of the
dark valleys.
All around him giant waves rear their
hoary heads. They throw at hiiu from all
sides their cleaning, ice-cold darts
He arises again to another summit His
hand closes on something that touches it.
It is cloth He pulls 1t toward him with
eagerness, His other hand, searching for
ward, clutches similar material.
He pulls again; there Is resistance. A
grasp further ahead; human body--a
small female form--he clasps It IN hs arms
and It buoys him up. At the same mo.
mcnt something heavy strikes his shoulder.
He throws out his left arm, and 1t encircles
a spar What Joy.
The waves partly cease their foaming;
the wind lowers its bowling: but the dark
ness becomes intense. He speaks to bis
companion in misfortune. There is no re-
sponsc. He calls to her, and touches her
cheek with his hand. Still no answer: is
she dead9 If so, how docs she hold on9 a
rope meets bis hand she is lashed to the
spar,
How warm The mir is getting. Tho waves
are going down, as though pressed b. stu.
pendous weight.
He feels as though he were going to
faint.
with quick movements he untlcs long
silken sash from his waist, brings II ny
under his shoulders, and makes it fast 10
the spar; then he clasps his companion in
one arm aud the log in the other HIS
head falls forward, and he becomes nm
conscious.
When he awakes, grea: change has
taken place, The sea is like q plate Of
glass; there s scarcely breath of air; the
wind does not even sigh. The darkness
seems to be black mist, palpable; faint
guugling murmer comes from above the
spar, and that is the only sound
His cheeks are burning; he gasps for
breath, with but little relief. he shud-
ders, aud the water, stirred to life, kisses
the spar aud sings n weird and uournful
requiem.
lie cries to his companion again. His
voice is hoarse. harsh, discordant, and as
tonishes him. She does not answer
He touches her soft cheek again with
trembling hand. 1t is hot as fire. A groan
escapes his dry, parched lips, He lifts
some water in the hollow of his hand and
lets II fall on her head.
Her form tembles, aud the water kisses
the spar IA dozen times, clackidg noisily,
Then voice sounds in his ear, low, sad
and musical.
"Oh, papa, l haye had an awful Dream u
Alexander Noble does not speak at once
A distant boom ard echoing rear meets hi:
hearing. lie turns his head. and sees agair
the long white lines of foam. Then he re
turns:
lam not Your father, poor girl; but dc
not fear. Yonder, where You see thos'
white, cleaning threads. there are rocks
Doubtless there is dry land behind them
Your father may be there. shall driv,
our buoy that way"
When he has uttered these words
piercing scream rends the air. At the sam
momeut sky and sea are lit by blindinl
flash. 1t is followed Immediately by Sc
yeral more, Loudest thunder stuns tn
hearing
BY the ftful light a wall of darkness i
made about them. The ocean, paved as
we're with sparkling diamonds, is the foo
of ali immense cavern. A solid mass o
whitest cloud is the hgh-arcbed roof
perfect dome.
! One object alone breaks the radiant va
cancy-a small cone-shaped mountain, ris
ing from behind the streaks of foam
From its apex il exhaes a fiery mist tina
robes in cloth Of golI dense mountains q
smoke above.
More rumbling, then roar as Of
worlds conhagrauon.
The mist above the yolcano become
brishlcri aud then the waif again becam
unconscious.
Sometime later Alexander opens his 2,
In dimly lighted room, which he know
at ouce helougs 10 deep-sea ship. A