The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1889-03-01
What the Sea Cast Up.
BY ARTHUR L. MEsERvE.

IN "a htfS "1
sea and land.
Huge waves threw themselves with
mighty force against the great jag
ged cliffs as though they would force
them from DETERMINATIONS, as for
ages they had been trying to do.
On the land the wind had better
success. Great trees were uprooted,
and the air was filed with flying
branches wrenched off and carried
along on the blasts as though they
had been wisps of straw.
l twas a nightlong after remember-
ed by the people u longthe coast
and spoken of as the great storm.
That night in an old, large, ram
bling house some half amile from the
shore, two people were seated on
the hearth, listening apparently to
the warning of the elements without,
for some time had elapsed since a
word had passed the lips of either.
The house seemed somewhat I'M
stable, and with every blast it shook
and trembled as though it were
about to come tumbling do Tna about
the heads of it's occupants.
Strange and uncanny sounds were
heard coming from the roomin other
parts of the building, as though I'M
seen guests were holding high revel
there.
The fire or the hearth burned fitful.
Sometimes it would leap high up the
broad open fireplace as if it would es-
cape on the wings of the wind, and
then it would fall down and well-nigh
disappear, save the bed of glowing
embers scattered over the hearth.
The pranks of the fire sent strange
and grotesque shadows dane
ing upon the wall, taking all
manner of uncouth shapes as though
they were holding high carnival
The two figures before the fire sat
speechless and withoutmotion. They
saw not the strange pranks and the
liberty the freight was taking with
them onthe wall. To all appearances
they were utterly unconscious ofany-
thing which was passing in the room
and unmindful of the warfare with
out.
One was an old man, gray and bent
with years. His hands clutched a
long staff which he had planted on
the hearth, and his eyes wide open,
were fixed on the glowing embers as
though he saw something which fas-
cinated him among them. His face
was almost bloodless and as white
as the long thin hair which fell upon
his shoulders.
HIS companion was a girl of not
more than twenty years even if she
had seen as many. She was beautiful
as it was, but she would have been
far mole so had it not been for q tir-
ed, weary look upon her face. TWAS
a discouraged look, as if allthe hopes
of her life had fled away forever, and
what she saw before her was only a
dismal blank.
"Nellie," said the old man, at
length, but at that moment such a
blast struck the house that it would
have drowned a much stronger voice
than that other companion.
"Nellie," repeated the old man in
a louder key, "don't you hear me?"
"Did you speak before, grandfather
said the girl, looking up into his
face.
YES" said the old man, queru-
lously. NBut you were thinking of
something or somebody besides me.
1t is always SO when l speak. |
might as well be all alone"
II did not hear you, grandfather
The wind is blowing such a gale that
it is no wonder. What is it I can do
for your"
Nothing, nothing" replied the
old man, testify.
tJYes, there was, grandfather, said
the girl, laying her hand on the old
MANS knee. '"Tell me what it was.
You were at least thinking of some
thing. But listen a moment. Did
you ever know a harder gale than
tsaisg9"
Again the .old house ratified, and
creaked, and groaned. The wind
whispered if possible morelike Attend
than before, and above all was the
roar of the ocean as if enraged to
think that it could not engulf the
land and sweep everything before it.
"Fve known many a bad night
since this roof has covered my head;
nights in which it seemed that the
waves would Washthe oldhousefrom
it's foundation. Alack. it is a pity
that it did not. Iwould rather that
it would have chancedt to do SO, than
to have lived so long, and then to be
turned out of it in my old age by ST.
mon Grover. But it is to be, and we
have onlya week for it to shelter us.
Could / but have my wish the storm
would lay i low tonight, and fill up
the field and meadow so that it
would only be an expanse of drifting
sand"
"Do not talk in this way, grand
father. You shall not come to want.
You know that 1 have got strong
hands and am willing to work. We
will find a little cottage somewhere
hereabouts, where lean get work. to
do at home, and we shall be happier
than we have been here for many a
year"
There was a panied and bitterlook
upon the face ofthe old IMAM. 1t was
vidpnt that the words fthe oipl had